Blazin' Grazin' And Other Wild Things

A pronghorn running across the Oklahoma Panhandle is a familiar prairie sight, but its future in the state deserves a closer look. In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things, Oklahoma State University wildlife professor Sue Fairbanks joins John Weir, Laura Goodman, and Mark Turner to unpack a five-year research project investigating the population’s decline. By combining field research with aerial survey data, researchers estimated an average annual decline of about 15% over the period discussed. GPS collars also helped answer an important question: the monitored animals were not simply migrating out of Oklahoma and escaping the count.

Two factors stood out in the population modeling: survival of adult females and survival of fawns. Fairbanks describes how fawn survival remained around 11% during the first two study years, then rose to about 41% during the later two years. The discussion explores how drought may affect a mother’s condition well beyond the return of rain, why coyote predation does not tell the whole story, and how native grassland supports both mothers and young. Researchers found better survival associated with larger native grassland patches and greater distance from cropland.

For landowners, the conversation offers several reasons to rethink familiar assumptions. Pronghorn primarily eat broadleaf plants rather than the grasses cattle rely on, and they generally crawl under fences instead of jumping over them. Maintaining native habitat, considering wildlife passage when managing fences, and reducing adult female harvest are all discussed as ways to support pronghorn. Along the way, listeners hear memorable field stories about hidden fawns, remarkable speed, and mothers that take defending their young seriously.

Top 10 takeaways

1. The decline was real in the study. Combining demographic data with aerial surveys produced an estimated average annual population decline of about 15% over the period discussed.
2. Migration did not explain the missing animals. GPS tracking found no seasonal migration out of Oklahoma among monitored pronghorn; a few home ranges crossed state boundaries.
3. Adult females and fawns drive population change. Their survival rates were the two key drivers identified in the population model.
4. The model identified a possible path to stability. Raising adult female survival from roughly 79% to 85%, together with fawn survival reaching 25%, could stabilize the modeled population.
5. Rain does not immediately erase drought’s effects. Poor maternal condition was discussed as a likely explanation for low fawn survival even after rainfall improved.
6. Native grassland matters. Larger grassland patches in mothers’ home ranges were associated with better fawn survival, and adults survived better farther from cropland.
7. Pronghorn have limited dietary overlap with cattle. Their diet centers on forbs, including plants such as bindweed, pigweed, and lamb’s quarters.
8. Fences can restrict movement and cause deaths. Pronghorn typically pass underneath fences, making bottom-wire clearance and crossing locations important.
9. Predation needs context. Coyotes killed fawns, but pronghorn made up only 2.6% of the coyote diet in the analysis described; maternal nutrition and possible abandonment also matter.
10. Protecting adult females is a practical conservation step. Harvest was the leading known cause of adult mortality in the study, and the panel emphasized reducing female harvest.

Timestamped Rundown

00:00 Sponsors and opening
01:00 Episode preview and host introductions
03:02 Meet OSU wildlife professor Sue Fairbanks
04:53 The five-year pronghorn research project
05:46 Why Oklahoma’s pronghorn population needed studying
07:24 Growing concerns about pronghorn conservation
09:24 Why pronghorn aren’t antelope
11:06 Unusual biology, pregnancy, and diet
13:46 How pronghorn sustain their remarkable speed
15:33 Why fences are a problem for pronghorn
17:05 Snow, migration, and blocked fence crossings
18:01 Fence modifications that help wildlife pass
19:39 Rethinking competition between pronghorn and livestock
22:48 Native grassland and pronghorn survival
23:57 Measuring Oklahoma’s pronghorn population decline
24:52 Female and fawn survival: Keys to recovery
26:32 Drought, maternal condition, and fawn mortality
30:18 Alternate prey and the coyote diet study
32:49 Newborn fawns and their vulnerable first weeks
37:03 Adult mortality and the importance of female harvest
38:40 Where pronghorn live in Oklahoma
39:48 GPS tracking: Are pronghorn leaving the state?
40:37 Home ranges and seasonal behavior
44:02 How habitat relates to fawn survival
45:17 Why conservation starts with healthy mothers
46:11 How mothers defend fawns from coyotes
48:07 Parasites, disease exposure, and health findings
50:33 Final findings: Adult survival and harvest
51:35 Closing conversation and Fairbanks’ retirement
52:15 Outro and production credits

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The traditional spring burn window may be keeping land managers from accomplishing as much as they could with prescribed fire. University of Nebraska professor and rangeland ecologist Dirac Twidwell Ph.D. joins John Weir, Laura Goodman Ph.D. and Mark Turner Ph.D. to examine how fire behavior, burn-unit design, wind, drought, fuels and season interact—and why a calendar date or simple weather threshold does not tell the whole story about whether a burn can be safely and effectively completed.

The conversation also tackles eastern redcedar and woody encroachment from a different direction: manage the seed source before the pasture becomes a cedar problem. Twidwell explains why most new redcedar recruitment occurs relatively close to mature seed-producing trees, why mechanical removal without follow-up can quickly lose its value, and how prescribed fire can protect intact grasslands before restoration costs climb. It is a practical discussion about replacing one-size-fits-all fire rules with better planning, better risk management and earlier action.

Key takeaways for the episode description

• Burn season does not have to mean spring. Growing-season and fall fire can provide additional opportunities when management objectives, fuels, weather and preparation align.
• Burn-unit design changes risk. Twidwell argues that weather numbers alone cannot describe fire risk; fuel arrangement, firebreaks, volatile woody fuels and potential ember travel matter.
• Wind deserves special attention. Wind can greatly increase ember transport, making it a critical factor in spot-fire potential.
• Growing-season fire behaves differently. Green vegetation, precipitation and soil moisture can influence summer fire behavior in ways that dormant-season rules based heavily on relative humidity may not capture.
• Prescribed fire prescriptions should evolve. The group questions whether guidelines developed decades ago should automatically define every acceptable burn today.
• More available burn days can mean more fire accomplished. Expanding the calendar can help landowners work around cattle operations, labor demands and narrow spring weather windows.
• Eastern redcedar prevention is cheaper than restoration. Protecting intact grasslands before dense encroachment develops can avoid much larger future treatment costs.
• Manage the seed source, not just visible cedar cover. Mature seed-producing trees can influence surrounding grassland well before the landscape looks heavily invaded.
• Cutting trees without follow-up is not a complete plan. Seedlings and surviving seed sources can rapidly reestablish woody cover after mechanical treatment.
• Fire management needs long-term planning. Fire frequency, treatment follow-up and landscape-scale cooperation matter more than viewing a single burn as a finished project.

Detailed timestamped rundown

00:00-02:59 — Introduction and episode setup. Sponsors are recognized, the hosts are introduced, and Dirac Twidwell is framed as a rangeland and fire ecologist whose career has challenged assumptions about prescribed fire, wildfire risk and woody encroachment.
02:59-08:08 — Twidwell’s path into fire ecology. Twidwell explains how an engineering- and science-oriented undergraduate environment led him toward ecology, Missouri conservation work and eventually Oklahoma State University. He discusses early mentors and his transition into fire research across Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska.
08:09-13:13 — Extreme fire experiments challenge an assumption. The conversation turns to research asking whether prescribed fire could kill larger cedar trees. Twidwell describes using fire behavior and ember-transport science to redesign experimental burn areas and safely study more intense fires.
13:15-15:33 — Old prescriptions meet changing conditions. Twidwell discusses low-wind burning, ember movement and why prescribed-fire practices developed decades ago deserve continued testing, especially as drought, atmospheric demand and weather extremes change.
15:34-20:40 — Expanding fire beyond spring. Weir and Goodman discuss growing-season fire and observations from Oklahoma and Texas. Late-summer and fall burning can accomplish management work at a time when ranch crews may have fewer competing livestock duties.
20:40-22:04 — Start the burn year earlier. Turner suggests psychologically treating late summer or fall as the beginning of the burn season, allowing managers to get ahead rather than scrambling to finish everything in spring. Strategic blacklines and preparation can also create opportunities for later burning.
22:05-28:36 — What actually makes a burn risky? Twidwell questions labels such as “good,” “bad” or “marginal” burn days. He explains how wind, drought, fuel characteristics, juniper and ember transport interact to create actual risk.
28:36-30:05 — Why prescribed fire resists simple recipes. Weir contrasts fire with practices that can be summarized on a product label. Every burn unit differs in personnel needs, equipment, containment and acceptable conditions.
30:06-34:50 — Fire research needs better fire measurements. Goodman and Twidwell discuss studies that compare “fire” with “no fire” while documenting relatively little about the fire itself. They argue for better information about intensity, consumption, fuels and fire behavior.
34:53-38:21 — Questioning hard thresholds. The hosts discuss rules such as waiting a fixed period after fire or avoiding burns above a specific temperature. Twidwell warns against turning broad assumptions into universal management rules.
38:22-42:22 — Why wildfire reactions differ. The group explores why some landowners see beneficial ecological results after wildfire while other communities view fire primarily through its destructive consequences. The landscape context and the problem being solved matter.
42:25-46:10 — Eastern redcedar becomes the case study. Goodman asks about spatial conservation planning. Twidwell explains why redcedar is particularly useful for thinking about woody encroachment: it does not resprout, is highly fire-sensitive and produces large quantities of seed.
46:11-49:44 — The “two football fields” concept. Twidwell describes research showing that about 95% of new redcedar recruitment in the Nebraska work occurred within roughly two football fields of a seed source. That creates a practical planning zone landowners can identify and manage.
49:44-52:07 — Prevention beats expensive restoration. The conversation focuses on the economics of treating intact grassland early instead of waiting for dense cedar. Mechanical removal without follow-up can allow the problem to return quickly.
52:07-55:15 — From “cedar control” to seed-source management. Twidwell explains how changing the language helped ranchers think about risk differently. A windbreak may have value, but it can also be a seed source requiring active management.
55:16-58:05 — Catching encroachment while it is small. The group discusses identifying scattered seedlings before they turn into a landscape-scale problem. The objective is not to dictate a single treatment but to help landowners recognize the risk and build a plan.
58:05-59:29 — Closing thoughts. The hosts acknowledge that woody encroachment will remain a major Great Plains challenge and close the episode with an invitation for Twidwell to return.

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Eastern redcedar can take productive grazing land out of production surprisingly fast, and Nebraska ranchers in the Loess Canyons have learned that prescribed fire can be one of their most powerful tools for taking that country back.

Nebraska rancher and Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council President Scott Stout and Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Prescribed Fire Coordinator Brian Teeter join John Weir, Laura Goodman and Mark Turner to talk about the evolution of prescribed fire in Nebraska. They explain how landowners built prescribed burn associations, improved cedar mortality with cut-and-stuff techniques, expanded to larger burn units and learned why preparation, communication and cooperation with neighbors are essential. The conversation also covers burn permits and restrictions, public perceptions of fire, grazing economics and the wildlife response that follows grassland restoration.

Key takeaways:

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Eastern red cedar is no longer just a brush-management problem—it is affecting Oklahoma’s wildfire risk, water, wildlife, forage and rural landowners’ bottom lines.

Oklahoma Conservation Commission Executive Director Trey Lam and Oklahoma state Rep. Mike Dobrinski join OSU Extension specialists John Weir, Laura Goodman Ph.D. and Mark Turner Ph.D. to explain how Oklahoma moved from decades of talking about cedar encroachment to putting money, research and management on the ground. They discuss the Terry Peach watershed effort, prescribed fire and cedar-removal assistance, research on water and soil response, and why landowners may pay a much higher price when cedar management is postponed.

Key takeaways:

Detailed Timestamped Rundown:

00:00 — Episode sponsors: Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association and Great Plains Fire Science Exchange.
00:45 — Episode preview establishes the central issue: eastern red cedar, wildfire risk, water resources and Oklahoma’s response.
02:56 — John Weir introduces Trey Lam and state Rep. Mike Dobrinski.
03:43 — The conversation begins at the Great Plains Fire Summit in Alva, Oklahoma.
04:24 — Dobrinski discusses his northwest Oklahoma background, farming connections and path into the Legislature.
06:48 — Lam explains his farming and conservation background and transition to leading the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.
08:11 — Lam discusses difficult conservation budgets and how increased funding eventually opened opportunities for soil, water and invasive-species work.
09:13 — The conversation turns directly to eastern red cedar and the Terry Peach watershed effort. Dobrinski describes drought and wildfire as catalysts for his involvement.
13:30 — Dobrinski describes securing roughly $3.2 million for the initial trial effort and the importance of proving results before requesting additional funding.
15:25 — State agencies enter the conversation. The group discusses why government has to manage cedar on its own lands if it expects private landowners to do the same.
19:24 — Weir recalls earlier cedar task forces dating back decades and asks why the current effort succeeded where previous initiatives stalled.
20:42 — Lam points to the convergence of drought, wildfire, Canton Lake concerns, water, available money, on-farm demonstrations and legislative champions.
24:11 — The cedar discussion expands into the rural-urban relationship surrounding Canton Lake, Lake Hefner and Oklahoma City water.
27:29 — Lam explains the North Canadian River connection and why restoring watershed function could have benefits upstream and downstream.
29:29 — The group maps out the program geographically, beginning with research on Persimmon Creek and expanding beyond the original watershed.
31:11 — Lam explains the landowner cost-share program and prescribed-fire assistance, including the episode’s discussion of $20 per acre for qualified prescribed burning.
33:03 — Conversation shifts toward homes and communities in cedar-heavy areas, particularly where development overlaps with dangerous wildland fuels.
34:42 — Weir emphasizes that cedar affects more than ranchers: water, wildfire, human health and wildlife make it a broader Oklahoma issue.
36:28 — The guests discuss eastern red cedar as a misunderstood plant and the hazard created when dense cedar becomes wildfire fuel.
38:00 — Persimmon Creek research: monitoring soil biology, forage, wildlife and water to measure what happens after cedar removal.
40:00 — Turner explains the encouraging vegetation response after cedar control. Lam notes that eastern red cedar does not resprout from its roots once killed, making prescribed fire particularly useful on younger trees.
41:22 — Goodman asks what other states can learn from Oklahoma. Dobrinski emphasizes documentation, research and emerging technologies including targeted drone treatment.
43:45 — Lam’s recommendation: identify the specific problem—wildfire, water or health—bring the affected stakeholders together and demonstrate the expected return on investment.
44:54 — Dobrinski stresses taking good notes and documenting results so future efforts do not have to reinvent the wheel.
45:07 — The group discusses experimenting with different removal economics, cedar mulch, potential products and biochar.
46:28 — Weir delivers one of the episode’s strongest landowner messages: don’t keep cedar simply because somebody might eventually pay for it; the trees can cost more in the long run.
46:45 — Lam connects cedar infestation with land value, hunting value and the future expense passed to the next owner or generation.
47:46 — The hosts ask about the program’s future and maintaining momentum.
48:35 — Lam discusses applying the model to other localized invasive-plant problems, including mesquite, jujube, Callery pear and salt cedar.
49:44 — Weir argues that state government can lead by example by properly managing its own lands.
50:39 — The conversation turns to preserving institutional knowledge as state leadership and agency personnel change.
51:59 — Lam notes that continual education is also necessary as legislators turn over and new policymakers enter the discussion.
52:36 — Closing thoughts: Lam warns that Oklahoma should not wait for a catastrophic wildfire or severe water shortage before taking cedar seriously.
53:09 — Dobrinski closes with the point that solving the problem requires collective action rather than a single landowner, agency or organization.
53:57 — Episode wrap-up.
54:09 — Closing credits and show website.

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Summer deer nutrition can shape what hunters and landowners see in the fall.

In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things, John Weir, Laura Goodman Ph.D., and Mark Turner Ph.D. explain what white-tailed deer really eat and why forbs, fresh browse, sunlight, and prescribed fire matter for deer health. The crew talks through practical habitat management for Oklahoma and the Southern Great Plains, including cedar control, canopy thinning, seasonal burning, food plots, and why feeding wildlife often falls short compared to growing better native forage.

Key takeaways:

Timestamped rundown

00:00–02:15 — Show introduction and setup: the episode focuses on what deer really eat and why summer forage matters.
02:15–05:15 — Mark explains that summer is a critical nutritional period because bucks are growing antlers and does are producing milk for fawns.
05:15–08:40 — The crew defines forbs and explains why broadleaf “weeds” can be higher-quality deer food than many woody plants.
08:40–10:15 — Greenbrier gets discussed as a year-round food source, especially useful after fire creates fresh regrowth.
10:15–12:10 — Blackberry is highlighted for both fruit and young leaves, with discussion of deer as selective feeders.
12:10–15:05 — The group talks about poor-quality diets, including deer eating cedar when better food is unavailable.
15:05–18:31 — Regional differences come into focus: western Oklahoma may produce forbs after rain, while eastern Oklahoma often needs active management to open sunlight.
18:31–20:10 — Mark shares research showing that increasing high-quality food can improve doe body weight and mature buck antler size.
20:10–25:55 — The management discussion begins: reduce cedar, open canopies, use fire, and create fresh, reachable browse.
25:55–30:28 — Seasonal burning is discussed, including how summer and early fall burns can produce fresh regrowth when deer need it.
30:28–34:13 — The crew challenges the old “burn every three to five years” recommendation and discusses more frequent, patchy fire.
34:13–40:43 — Food plots are covered as a small piece of the puzzle, useful for hunting or viewing but not a replacement for whole-property habitat work.
40:43–41:35 — Fescue and non-native grasses come up, with Mark recommending grass removal where deer forage is the objective.
41:35–46:59 — Supplemental feeding is discussed, including disease concerns, predator subsidies, cost, labor, and limited return compared to habitat management.
46:59–47:44 — Closing remarks and listener call to subscribe and visit the podcast website.

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Stocking rate is the grazing decision that affects nearly everything else on the land — cattle performance, native pasture health, wildlife habitat, prescribed fire options and long-term ranch profitability.

In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things, John Weir talks with Laura Goodman Ph.D. and Mark Turner Ph.D. about what stocking rate really means, why timing matters, and why grazing density is not the same thing. They explain how heavy stocking can reduce cow breed-up, calf weaning weights and individual gains, while also weakening the plant community and shrinking future forage production.

Key takeaways:

Detailed timestamped rundown

00:00–02:13 — Intro and episode setup

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Wild turkey numbers rise and fall for a lot of reasons, but better brood habitat may be one of the most practical things landowners can influence right now.

In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things, Dr. Mark Turner, Oklahoma State University Extension wildlife specialist, joins John Weir and Dr. Laura Goodman to talk through what turkeys need after nesting season. They cover poult survival, forb-rich brood cover, cedar encroachment, roost trees, grazing, fescue control, prescribed fire, predator pressure, and why landowners can have a bigger impact than regulation changes alone.

Key takeaways:

Detailed timestamped rundown

00:00–02:14 — Opening and setup

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Eastern redcedar control is becoming one of Oklahoma’s biggest land, water, and wildfire issues—and this episode explains how the Oklahoma Conservation Commission is turning concern into action. John Weir, Laura Goodman Ph.D., and Mark Turner Ph.D. visit with Trey Lam and Trampas Tripp about the Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Pilot Project, a program designed to reduce invasive woody species, protect rural communities, improve rangeland health, and put more water back into Oklahoma soils and streams.

The conversation covers how cedar control moved from years of talk to funded work on the ground, including brush-free zones around towns and infrastructure, prescribed fire training with rural fire departments, cost-share programs for landowners, and research measuring soil moisture, forage recovery, wildlife response, and wildfire risk. The episode makes one thing clear: managing cedars is not just about removing trees—it is about protecting rural lives, homes, grasslands, water supplies, wildlife habitat, and the future of working lands.

Top 10 takeaways

Detailed timestamped rundown

00:00:00 — Sponsor and episode setup

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What does the Oklahoma Conservation Commission actually do, and how does it work with local conservation districts across the state? In this episode, Trey Lam and Lisa Knopf-Owen join the Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things crew to explain how Oklahoma’s conservation system grew from Dust Bowl-era roots into a locally led network supporting landowners, communities, and natural resources.

The conversation covers flood control, water quality, soil health, prescribed fire, brush management, and cost-share programs that help producers put conservation into practice. It’s a practical look at how voluntary conservation, strong partnerships, and local leadership keep Oklahoma’s land, water, and wildlife working for future generations.

Top 10 Takeaways

Detailed Timestamped Rundown

00:00-02:22

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