Dr. Bronson Strickland, co-director of the MSU Deer Lab and founder of the Deer University podcast, joins us to explain regenerative agriculture and break down their new experiment testing the differences in nutrient density and deer use between conventional and regenerative food plots. Deer University Podcast Food plot experiment (Jacob Dykes) Ryegrass is not good Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Dr. Bronson Strickland Website , Publications ...
May 20, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 79
After much feedback from our latest episode, we sit down to review through recent episodes and lay out the available data known to us. Covering season timing and reproduction to the predator-habitat complex, there’s no tiptoeing around the controversy in this one. Isabelle, J. L., et al. (2018). Considerations for timing of spring wild turkey hunting seasons in the southeastern United States. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 5, 106-113. Kurzejeski, Eric W., ...
May 13, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Dr. Craig Harper and Dr. Dave Buehler from the University of Tennessee join us to discuss results from their seven-year, robust before-after control-impact study assessing the role of experimental season date delays on turkey reproduction. Spoiler alert: Season delays had no effect on any of the 8 vital rates they measured. Quehl, J. O., et al. (2024). Assessing wild turkey productivity before and after a 14-day delay in the start date of the spring hunting season in Tennessee. Ecology and Evolu...
May 06, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Adam Butler, Wild Turkey Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, joins us to discuss the turkey trends seen across Mississippi and the Southeast, what may or may not be influencing these cyclical patterns of productivity, and a general rule of thumb for how many gobblers to harvest on your property. Resources: How Many Gobblers Should I Take? (Article) Isabelle, J. L., et al. (2018). Considerations for timing of spring wild turkey hunting seasons in th...
Apr 29, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Dr. Alan Krakauer joins us to dive into his research on turkey kin selection and breakdown the many strategies gobblers use to pass on genes. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Krakauer, A. H. (2005). Kin selection and cooperative courtship in wild turkeys. Nature, 434(7029), 69-72. Krakauer, A. H. (2008). Sexual selection and the genetic mating system of wild turkeys. The Condor, 110(1), 1-12. Watts, C. R., & Stokes, A. W. (1971)...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Dr. Dwayne Elmore, Director of the Game Bird Program at Tall Timbers Research Station, joins us to breakdown the reproductive ecology and behavior of wild turkeys, how and why they lek, and if this impacts spring hunting. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Honeycomb Custom Calls Red-capped manakin bird Dr. Dwayne Elmore Tall Timbers , Academic Profile Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance , Academic Profile Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Marcus and Will sit down under one roof to review the available literature on declining insect populations. They pull from studies across the globe to discuss the implications of insect declines on terrestrial, ground-nesting birds and how we can help mitigate these effects for the wild turkey. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resource: Blösch, S., et al. (2023). A systematic review on the effectiveness of crop architecture-related in-field me...
Apr 08, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Mark Turner, PhD candidate in Dr. Craig Harper’s lab at the University of Tennessee, joins us to disclose results from their recent study assessing the effects of canopy reduction and fire seasonality on turkey habitat quality and use in upland hardwoods. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Burning during nesting | #19 Nichols, R. A., et al. (2021). Alter fire timing to recouple forage nutrients with herbivore nutrient demands. Forest ...
Apr 01, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Dr. Mike Chamberlain, Terrell Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management at the University of Georgia, re-joins the podcast to walk us through the various life stages of a gobbler. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Goodwin, C. C., et al. (2024). Experimental infection of domestic turkeys with lymphoproliferative disease virus of North American origin. Veterinary Pathology. Krakauer, A. H. (2005). Kin selection and cooperative court...
Mar 25, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Dr. Rick Gerhold, Associate Professor of Parasitology/Wildlife Diseases at the University of Tennessee, joins us to breakdown common diseases among turkeys and their symptoms, pathways of transmission, and infected biological effects. He also discusses histomonas and how you can get involved in cutting-edge egg research. Dr. Rick Gerhold ( rgerhold@utk.edu ) ( Academic Profile ) Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturba...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Tes Randle Jolly, award-winning professional wildlife and turkey photographer extraordinaire, joins Marcus and Will to share her deep insight and perspective into wild turkey behavior from over 25 years of photographing our favorite bird. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Tes Jolly ( @jovtes ) Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will Gulsby ( @dr_will_gulsby ) ( Academic Profile ) Turkeys for Tomorrow ( @turkeysfortom...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Dr. Richard Buccholz, Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Research at the University of Mississippi, joins Will and Marcus to shed light on the fascinating world of wild turkey behavior. Learn of the interplay between displayed traits and biological fitness, which traits influence sexual selection, and how this information can help us strategize research for better management moving forward. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fun...
Mar 04, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Dr. Patrick Wightman, Research Scientist at UGA, joins Marcus and Will to reveal results from a recent region-wide collaborative project - across 4 states, 8 study sites, and with over 900 banded birds - assessing the effects of hunting pressure on male survival. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Wightman, P. H., et al. (2024). Survival and cause‐specific mortality of male wild turkeys across the southeastern United States. The Journ...
Feb 26, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 67
New data brings to light more pieces of our habitat-predator puzzle. Join as Marcus and Will pull from recent studies to discuss the multifaceted effects of fire on wild turkey survival and how a new approach could knock off two objectives with one flame. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Boone, W. W., et al. (2024). Frequent prescribed burns reduce mammalian species richness and occurrence in longleaf pine sandhills. Forest Ecology ...
Feb 20, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Dr. Geoff Hill, professor of Biological Sciences at Auburn University, joins Marcus and Will to break down the unique evolutionary biology of our favorite bird. Learn which characteristics hens select for, what make decoys effective, if gene selection is impacted by hunter harvest, the intricacies of the turkey brotherhood, and much more. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey - Thank you! https:/...
Feb 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Marcus and Will explain why our current data on turkeys supports both sides of this ongoing debate and what is needed to determine whether habitat or predation is to blame. They also discover another interesting link between supplemental feeding and predation, and discuss four studies that would answer most of our questions related to the current decline in wild turkey populations. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Please help us by taking our ...
Feb 05, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Will and Marcus discuss why they and other biologists are more likely to endorse habitat management, versus predator control, to increase turkey populations. They also cover a study showing trapping can effectively reduce raccoon populations by up to 90% and discuss why that may or may not translate into more turkeys on the landscape. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey - Thank you! https://ufl...
Jan 29, 2024•1 hr 50 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Mark Hatfield, National Director of Science and Planning for NWTF, joins Marcus and Will to discuss how their organization has helped wild turkeys through research involvement, areas of focus throughout the decades, and ongoing programs and events. Resources: Habitat for the Hatch Women in the Outdoors Wheelin’ Sportsman JAKES Program Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. Cocktails and Conversation (FB Live) 2024 NWTF Convention www.nwtf.org Mark Hatfield X @TheBeardedBio IG @thebeardedbio Please hel...
Jan 22, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Jason Lupardus, Director of Business Operations and Partnerships for Turkeys for Tomorrow, joins Marcus and Will to reveal TFT’s vision, solution, and strategies for addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the wild turkey. Learn how you can get involved with Turkeys for Tomorrow's citizen-science land management today. TFT: Facebook , Instagram , Twitter Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey - Thank you! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0 Dr. Marcus Las...
Jan 15, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Marcus calls Will from the road to reflect upon and breakdown their recent site visit to a landowner managing for deer and turkey, the primary factors weighed when juggling multiple objectives, and when to use which strategies. Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey - Thank you! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0 Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will Gulsby ( @dr_will_gulsby ) ( Academic Profile ) Turkeys for Tomorrow ( @turkeysforto...
Jan 08, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Marcus and Will wrap up our first year of production by reflecting upon the most memorable moments from recording, favorite segments from the season, unexpected feedback from listeners, and our plans for the show moving forward. Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey below. Thank you in advance! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0 Resources: I lease land…what about me? | #12 Has turkey habitat changed? | #21 Brooding and nesting cover (Part 1/2) | #29 Brooding and...
Jan 01, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Duck Locascio, Forestry Program Manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, joins Marcus and Will to demystify and provide actionable steps to managers interested in improving turkey habitat in bottomland hardwood forests. Resources: Desired Forest Conditions document Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will Gulsby ( @dr_will_gulsby ) ( Academic Profile ) Turkeys for Tomorrow ( @turkeysfortomorrow ) UF DEER Lab...
Dec 25, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Duck Locascio, Forestry Program Manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, joins Marcus and Will to demystify and provide actionable steps to managers interested in improving turkey habitat in bottomland hardwood forests. Resources: Desired Forest Conditions document Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will Gulsby ( @dr_will_gulsby ) ( Academic Profile ) Turkeys for Tomorrow ( @turkeysfortomorrow ) UF DEER Lab...
Dec 18, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Dr. Andy Little joins Marcus and Will to break down the study design and year 1 results from his research assessing wild turkey habitat needs across the state of Nebraska. Then, how landscape changes may be impacting population trends and which potential factors are bottlenecking brood survival. Turkey Newsletter 2023 Dr. Andy Little ( Publications ) ( IG ) ( X ) AWESM Lab ( Website ) ( IG ) ( Facebook ) ( X ) Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will Gulsby ( @dr_will_...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Will provides us with updates on his ongoing, hunter-led AL project quantifying fertility indexes in wild turkeys and how it relates to behavior and disease. Then, an update from Marcus on the FL genetic study assessing habitat connectivity and gene flow made possible by hunter-donated feathers. And finally, a look into Will’s next project inspired by our listeners. Resources: AL Update: Is there a dominant gobbler? Status of turkeys in FL (Part 1/2) Status of turkeys in FL (Part 2/2) FL Wildlif...
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Marcus and Will kick off the holiday season by reviewing a newly published predator-prey diet selection study, discussing fall diets for turkeys during poor oak masting years, and touching upon the American tradition of fall turkey hunting. Resources Youngmann, et al. (2023). Assessing springtime vertebrate prey of sympatric mesopredators in the southeastern United States using metabarcoding analysis. Plos one, 18(10), e0293270. DrDisturbance IG Reel Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Acade...
Nov 20, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Marcus and Will pull from the literature to discuss the science-based management strategies across fire, silviculture, herbicide, and more, that can help turn your hardwoods into turkeys. Listen to Part 1 of this episode here: https://sites.libsyn.com/453219/WildTurkeyScience/managing-hardwoods-for-turkeys-part-12-52 Resources: Bogdziewicz, M., Crone, E. E., Steele, M. A., & Zwolak, R. (2017). Effects of nitrogen deposition on reproduction in a masting tree: benefits of higher seed productio...
Nov 13, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Marcus and Will pull from the literature to assess various management strategies across fire, silviculture, herbicide, and more, that can help turn your hardwoods into turkeys. Part 2 of this episode releases next Monday. Resources: Bogdziewicz, M., Crone, E. E., Steele, M. A., & Zwolak, R. (2017). Effects of nitrogen deposition on reproduction in a masting tree: benefits of higher seed production are trumped by negative biotic interactions. Journal of Ecology, 105(2), 310-320. Dey, D. C., &...
Nov 06, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Will and Marcus comb through the available literature to analyze the relationships between hardwood forests and wild turkeys. Resources: Alexander et al. (2021). Mesophication of oak landscapes: Evidence, knowledge gaps, and future research. BioScience, 71(5), 531-542. Burk et al. (1990). Wild turkey use of streamside management zones in loblolly pine plantations. In Proceedings of the National Wild Turkey Symposium (Vol. 6, pp. 84-89). Byrne, M. E. (2013). Nesting ecology of wild turkeys in a b...
Oct 30, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Marcus and Will travel back in time with legendary turkey researchers Dr. Larry Vangilder and Eric Kurzejeski. Join as they discuss the early days of restocking and lessons learned, how hunting regulations changed as populations grew, initial assumptions impacting today’s regulations, challenges they faced as biologists, and thoughts on why we’re seeing declines today. Dr. Larry Vangilder , Eric W. Kurzejeski Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will Gulsby ( @dr_will_g...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 50
