Wild Turkey Science

In this episode, we respond to audience questions around fire management for turkeys. We discuss the importance of timing diversification, dive into general guidelines and parameters for fire regimes…

In this episode, we review a recent Wisconsin study focused on restoring native woodlands and introducing fire to promote higher insect abundance, species richness, and plant and bird biodiversity. W…

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, and with which herbicides; how to ensure connectivi…

In this episode, we discuss the various ways in which landowners can estimate poults per hen, monitor trends in reproductive success, and improve turkey habitat on their property. From standardized d…

Heather Keane Thomas joins us to shed light on her non-traditional upbringing with her father and renowned turkey researcher Dr. Lovett Williams. From childhood experiences imprinting poults on their…

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 management recommendations, how to increase gobbl…

In this episode, we recap our recent trip to the annual Wild Turkey Working Group and share major findings from research projects across Southern states.

Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey …

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 observations for future study. Jason Snavely, wil…

Does water on a hen make it more susceptible to predation? In this episode, we comb through the literature on olfactory camouflage, dissecting studies assessing correlations between nest survival, we…

Brent Rogers, wild turkey historian and collector extraordinaire, joins us to break down wild turkey history through the eyes of early naturalists and literature.. Learn how the culture and conservat…

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 professor of wildlife and fisheries resources at West Vi…

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 plantations for turkeys. Whether your goal is to inc…

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 differ…

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 …

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 se…

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 …

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 Fun…

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 i…

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 t…

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 seasonalit…