Wild Turkey Science
Episodes
How do I get bugs? | #90
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we review a recent Wisconsin study focused on restoring native woodlands and introducing fire to promote higher insect abundance, spe...
A turkey habitat blueprint | #89
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we boil down the key areas of focus for improving turkey habitat and connectivity on your property. Which grasses to target, when, an...
Managing poult habitat & monitoring success | #88
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the various ways in which landowners can estimate poults per hen, monitor trends in reproductive success, and improve turk...
Little House in the Flatwoods | #87
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Heather Keane Thomas joins us to shed light on her non-traditional upbringing with her father and renowned turkey researcher Dr. Lovett Williams. From...
Q & A (Round 2) | #86
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We sit down for a second time to answer questions from our listeners and followers - ranging from topics on upcoming turkey research, mid-summer land ...
What we learned at Turkey Working Group 2024 | #85
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we recap our recent trip to the annual Wild Turkey Working Group and share major findings from research projects across Southern stat...
Food plotting in nature's image | #84
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we take a step away from the scientific literature to ask a regen ag practitioner about their experiences and glean some interesting ...
Fly, float, and mate | #83
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does water on a hen make it more susceptible to predation? In this episode, we comb through the literature on olfactory camouflage, dissecting studies...
#WildTurkeyHistory | #82
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brent Rogers, wild turkey historian and collector extraordinaire, joins us to break down wild turkey history through the eyes of early naturalists and...
SD Research Update: Major constraints and BMPs | #81
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we are joined by Dr. Chad Lehman, senior biologist for the South Dakota Department of Game Fish and Parks, and Dr. Chris Rota, associate profess...
Managing pine rotations for turkeys | #80
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ted DeVos, co-founder of Bach and DeVos Forestry and Wildlife Services, walks us from ground zero through the various ways in which to manage pine pla...
Conventional vs. Regenerative Ag | #79
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Bronson Strickland, co-director of the MSU Deer Lab and founder of the Deer University podcast, joins us to explain regenerative agriculture and b...
If not the season, what's the reason? | #78
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Season timing doesn't affect reproduction | #77
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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-i...
Harvest rates and season dates | #76
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Butler, Wild Turkey Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, joins us to discuss the turkey trends see...
Do dominant gobblers dominate breeding? | #75
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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. Donat...
Do turkeys lek and does it matter? | #74
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Dwayne Elmore, Director of the Game Bird Program at Tall Timbers Research Station, joins us to breakdown the reproductive ecology and behavior of ...
We got bug problems | #73
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Fire timing in upland hardwoods | #72
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Life for a gobbler | #71
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Mike Chamberlain, Terrell Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management at the University of Georgia, re-joins the podcast to walk us through the v...
Turkey disease ecology | #70
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Rick Gerhold, Associate Professor of Parasitology/Wildlife Diseases at the University of Tennessee, joins us to breakdown common diseases among tu...
Up close and personal with wild turkeys | #69
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tes Randle Jolly, award-winning professional wildlife and turkey photographer extraordinaire, joins Marcus and Will to share her deep insight and pers...
Longer the snood, bigger the brood | #68
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Richard Buccholz, Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Research at the University of Mississippi, joins Will and Marcus to she...
Gobbler survival across the south | #67
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Patrick Wightman, Research Scientist at UGA, joins Marcus and Will to reveal results from a recent region-wide collaborative project - across 4 st...
Habitat management = predator management | #66
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 effe...
Snoods, feathers, and the Turkey Brotherhood | #65
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Geoff Hill, professor of Biological Sciences at Auburn University, joins Marcus and Will to break down the unique evolutionary biology of our favo...
The habitat vs. predator stalemate | #64
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Habitat vs. predator control | #63
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Will and Marcus discuss why they and other biologists are more likely to endorse habitat management, versus predator control, to increase turkey popul...
Habitat for the hatch | #62
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Hatfield, National Director of Science and Planning for NWTF, joins Marcus and Will to discuss how their organization has helped wild turkeys thr...
Science-based solutions for long-term sustainability | #61
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jason Lupardus, Director of Business Operations and Partnerships for Turkeys for Tomorrow, joins Marcus and Will to reveal TFT's vision, solution, and...
Prioritizing management efforts | #60
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
What we've learned and where we're going | #59
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will wrap up our first year of production by reflecting upon the most memorable moments from recording, favorite segments from the season, ...
Managing bottomland hardwoods for turkeys (Part 2/2) | #58
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Duck Locascio, Forestry Program Manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, joins Marcus and Will to demystify and provide actiona...
Managing bottomland hardwoods for turkeys (Part 1/2) | #57
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Duck Locascio, Forestry Program Manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, joins Marcus and Will to demystify and provide actiona...
NE Update: Year 1 results | #56
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Findings from AL and upcoming research | #55
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 d...
Thanksgiving Special | #54
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will kick off the holiday season by reviewing a newly published predator-prey diet selection study, discussing fall diets for turkeys durin...
Managing hardwoods for turkeys (Part 2/2) | #53
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will pull from the literature to discuss the science-based management strategies across fire, silviculture, herbicide, and more, that can h...
Managing hardwoods for turkeys (Part 1/2) | #52
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will pull from the literature to assess various management strategies across fire, silviculture, herbicide, and more, that can help turn yo...
How important are hardwoods to turkeys? | #51
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Will and Marcus comb through the available literature to analyze the relationships between hardwood forests and wild turkeys. Resources: Alexan...
Legends of turkey research | #50
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Managing hardwoods: Oak biology | #49
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Will and Marcus launch our hardwoods series by discussing oak masting biology. They review studies assessing acorn production variation across and wit...
Feeding…the positives? | #48
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will wrap up our feeding series by reviewing global drivers of supplemental feeding and breakdown a study reporting positive effects on wil...
Lessons from the NE prairie | #47
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While in Nebraska, Marcus and Will discuss the shared challenges they see across states when trying to integrate multiple objectives into working land...
What we know about the effects of feeders on wild turkeys | #46
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will dive deeper into the literature surrounding the potential impacts of feeding on wild turkeys. Join as they discuss the data on risks o...
Corn Nation | #45
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Will and Marcus characterize the available data on wildlife feeding across the South and discuss the implications for wild turkeys. Resources: ...
Can conservation governance save turkeys? (Part 2/2) | #44
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Kelly Dunning, Associate Professor at Auburn University and Timberline Professor at the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, joins Wi...
Can conservation governance save turkeys? (Part 1/2) | #43
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Kelly Dunning, Associate Professor at Auburn University and Timberline Professor at the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, joins Wi...
MO research update (Part 2/2) | #42
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Mike Byrne joins Marcus and Will to discuss the ongoing comprehensive private-land wild turkey research project in northern Missouri studying the ...
MO research update (Part 1/2) | #41
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Mike Byrne joins Marcus and Will to discuss the ongoing comprehensive private-land wild turkey research project in northern Missouri studying the ...
TX state update | #40
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will are joined by Jason Hardin, Wild Turkey Program Leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Listen to learn details on the sta...
What not to do | #39
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Will and Marcus discuss what not to do on your property when managing for wild turkey. Resources: Wild nesting cover ft. Dr. Craig Harper: htt...
Shooting gobblers: which one, how many, and when? | #38
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will discuss the origins of hypotheses related to timing and intensity of spring harvest and how they may affect reproduction. They also di...
How to science | #37
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How to science | #37 In this episode, Marcus and Will break down the research process. Join as they discuss the nuts and bolts of experimental desi...
Q & A | #36
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We asked and you answered! Join Marcus and Will as they review questions from followers covering brooding cover, disease, decoys, effective trail cam ...
Land & Legacy | #35
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will sit down with Adam Keith and Matt Dye, co-owners, consultants, and fellow podcasters of Land and Legacy. Listen as they share from yea...
Turkey Working Group recap | #34
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will wrap up their time at the Southeast Wild Turkey Working Group conference by discussing their key takeaways, study results from the exp...
MO update | #33
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will sit down at the Southeast Wild Turkey Working Group Meeting with Nick Oakley, Wild Turkey Biologist for Missouri. Join as Nick disclos...
Which plants? | #32
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will recap Dr. Harper's dense episodes by discussing indicator plants to evaluate success in brood field management. Resources: iNatura...
What is TFT about? | #31
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Turkeys for Tomorrow Legal Council and board member Carter Weeks joins us to discuss how TFT got started, the vision of the organization, and how you ...
Brooding and nesting cover (Part 2/2) | #30
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Craig Harper joins to disclose step-by-step instructions on how to implement better brooding and nesting cover on your property. This is an epi...
Brooding and nesting cover (Part 1/2) | #29
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Craig Harper joins to disclose step-by-step instructions on how to implement better brooding and nesting cover on your property. This is an episod...
Status of turkeys in FL (Part 2/2) | #28
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
FWC Wild Turkey Management Program Coordinator Buddy Welch discloses details on the previous and on-going research conducted on wild turkeys. Then, di...
Status of turkeys in FL (Part 1/2) | #27
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
FWC Wild Turkey Management Program Coordinator Buddy Welch joins us to disclose details on the state's season frameworks, restocking history, and harv...
Wild turkey populations in PA (Part 2/2) | #26
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
PA Game Commission wild turkey biologist Mary Jo Caselena joins us to disclose details on their state's mark recapture study, population trends, and p...
Wild turkey populations in PA (Part 1/2) | #25
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
PA Game Commission wild turkey biologist Mary Jo Caselena joins us to disclose details on their state's mark recapture study, population trends, and p...
What's changed in MS? (Part 2/2) | #24
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wildlife Biologist John Gruchy gives us his fastball pitch on adjusting old fields, even food plots, into poult-rearing cover. This is Part 2 of Monda...
What's changed in MS? (Part 1/2) | #23
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wildlife Biologist John Gruchy joins the show to discuss the timeline of landscape changes across Mississippi, consequences of earlier management deci...
Bonus episode | #22
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and WIll jump back on to correct literature data on exotic grasses from Monday's episode, clarify a few points on CRP and burning during nestin...
Has turkey habitat changed? | #21
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the large-scale habitat changes that may have contributed to wild turkey decline, key management strategies that shifted t...
OK update (Part 2/2): Reproductive ecology of Rios and Easterns | #20
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Colter Chitwood re-joins the podcast to give us an update of the on-going turkey research in the state of Oklahoma. Learn details of the hunter-le...
Burning during nesting | #19
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Chris Moorman rejoins the podcast to discuss the use of prescribed fire during nesting season. Also, gain inside details on the studies Dr. Moorma...
OK update (Part 1/2): Reproductive ecology of Rios and Easterns | #18
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Colter Chitwood re-joins the podcast to give us an update of the on-going turkey research in the state of Oklahoma. Learn details of the hunter-le...
What we learned from density dependence | #17
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we review our episodes on the density-dependence hypothesis, what we learned from conversations with experts, and implications this m...
AL update: Is there a dominant gobbler? | #16
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we give you an update on the ongoing projects in Alabama including preliminary results on which gobblers can breed, the most common p...
A different perspective on density dependence | #15
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is density dependence operating on wild turkeys? Dr. Bret Collier walks us through his point of view on density dependence and whether it is responsib...
Density-dependence in upland game birds | #14
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is density-dependence and could it be driving the patterns we're seeing in declining populations? Dr. Mark McConnell joins Marcus and Will to pul...
Which vital rates are most important to turkey populations? | #13
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does the available wild turkey research tell us and what gaps need to be filled moving forward? Dr. Chitwood walks us through 50+ years of publis...
I lease land…what about me? | #12
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's obvious that we need to do something about poult-rearing cover. What are the opportunities for you to help on land you don't own? Join Marcus and...
Which turkey predators? | #11
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While at the Southeast Deer Study Group, Marcus and Will sit down to reflect on the recent predation episodes. They discuss key takeaways, lessons lea...
NC research update: Largest private land turkey study | #10
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
200 private landowners, 25,000+ acres of private land, years of data… on hundreds of birds!?! If you live or hunt in North Carolina this episode is ...
So, you think you know nest predators? | # 09
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Bret Collier joins Marcus and Will to challenge the status quo of how we view wild turkey nest predation. Bringing a new perspective to how we def...
Effectiveness of trapping across game bird species | #08
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With limited research on wild turkey predator trapping, Marcus and Will turn to Dr. Dwayne Elmore for his professional and personal experience with pr...
The science on trapping | #07
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marcus and Will delve deeper into the research on wild turkey predator trapping. Join as they break down key findings, interpret study designs, discus...
Turkey predators | #06
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What eats turkeys? Has the predator context changed? We give you a look from the literature, historical writings, discuss underrepresented predators, ...
You've got questions, here are our answers | #05
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you for the overwhelmingly positive feedback. We felt compelled to address major themes in the questions y'all gave us from the first topic seri...
What did we learn about the role of season frameworks? | #04
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is the science settled? Will and Marcus have a deep discussion about what we learned from the first few episodes, what data we have, what is missing, ...
How could season frameworks affect wild turkey populations? ft. Dr. Mike Chamberlain | #03
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Mike Chamberlain discusses various aspects of wild turkey biology and ecology, signs of problems across many states, how hunter h...
Wild turkey population dynamics and what the manipulative study of season dates in Mississippi tells us about the role of hunting, ft. Adam Butler | #02
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Adam Butler gives us an historical context for wild turkey population dynamics and reveals results from the ongoing season date manip...
What does the ongoing wild turkey research in Tennessee tell us about the impacts of season timing? ft. Dr. Craig Harper | #01
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Craig Harper fills us in on their experimental manipulation of season dates across several counties in Tennessee and how it affec...
What is Wild Turkey Science about? | #00
22 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our inaugural episode, Marcus and Will discuss what we are trying to accomplish with this podcast and how it was made possible by Turkeys for Tomor...
Trailer | Wild Turkey Science
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Here is a sneak peak of the upcoming episodes of Wild Turkey Science. Subscribe now because it's going to get intense quick! Help us help turkeys by r...