Wild Turkey Science

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. 

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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 transmissio…

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 ye…

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 b…

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 bir…

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…

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 selec…

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…

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 …

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 through…

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 ch…

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 w…

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…

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 tur…

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 tur…

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…

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 gen…

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 A…

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 P…

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…