Natural Resources University

In this episode, Dr. Grace Schuster joins co-hosts Andy and Nathan to discuss her PhD research on how bioenergy crop production impacts grassland bird communities in southwestern Nebraska. From the feasibility of large-scale switchgrass production to conservation strategies, this episode explores the balance between fueling the future and protecting our wildlife. Can agricultural landscapes support both renewable energy goals and healthy bird populations? Tune in for a fascinating conversation at the intersection of ecology, agriculture, and conservation.

Resources:

• Bioenergy Crop Production: Implications for Grassland Bird Communities in Southwestern Nebraska (Thesis)

• Further information on this research project (AWESM Lab)

Dr. Grace Schuster [website]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

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We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

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Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

Jacob and Eric catch up with Dr. Marcus Blum, Assistant Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist at Texas A&M University, to discuss deer management in TX. They cover everything from the work he is doing to get students involved with deer management to how management varies across regions of TX. Check out the MSU Deer Lab's online seminar series (here) and select the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop-down menu. You will need to create an account to view the seminars. The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits. Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

We break down a 2026 coyote diet study to reveal how blackberry availability actually buffers fawns from predation, and what that means for how you should be thinking about your turkey management.

Resources:

• Gulsby, W. D., et al. (2015). White‐tailed deer fawn recruitment before and after experimental coyote removals in central Georgia. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 39(2), 248-255.

• Jensen, A. J., et al. (2026). An omnivore's options: Altered predator behavior during periods of overlapping resource pulses. Ecosphere, 17(3), e70282.

• Turkey Predators | Ep 06

Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab

We've launched our second online wild turkey course ! Enroll in Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History & Habitat to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions, and historical context of wild turkeys. This course is accredited by the Society of American Foresters as a Category 2 course worth 7 Continuing Forestry Education credits. Participants can also earn up to 5 CEUs in Category I of The Wildlife Society's Certified Wildlife Biologist Program. Enroll now: https://tinyurl.com/WildTurkeyManagerBio

Be sure to check out our first comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!

Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at [email protected]!

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Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!

Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!

Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!

This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.

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Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

Geographic information systems, remote sensing, and spatial data are becoming everyday tools for forestry and natural resource management. In this episode of Timber University, Dr. Michael Crosby from Louisiana Tech University joins us to discuss how GIS can help foresters, landowners, students, and natural resource professionals better understand forests, make maps, analyze management decisions, and connect field observations to landscape-scale patterns.

Dr. Crosby is an Associate Professor in Louisiana Tech's School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry, where his work connects forestry, spatial modeling, forest health, invasive species, weather, and climate. He has also co-authored Geographic Information System Skills for Foresters and Natural Resource Managers, a textbook focused on helping foresters and land managers apply GIS to real-world data and management problems.

In this conversation, we discuss why GIS matters in modern forestry and how mapping tools can move beyond "pretty pictures" into practical decision support. Dr. Crosby explains how spatial data can help answer questions about forest condition, access, disturbance, risk, invasive species, and management planning. The episode also touches on how students and working professionals can build confidence with GIS, even if they are not coming from a technical background.

We also discuss the growing role of remote sensing, aerial imagery, and spatial analysis in forestry education and practice. From identifying patterns on the landscape to supporting better field decisions, these tools are increasingly important for foresters, land managers, consultants, researchers, and students preparing to work in natural resources.

This episode is a useful listen for forestry students, consulting foresters, land managers, extension professionals, GIS users, and anyone interested in how spatial tools are changing the way we understand and manage forests.

You can contact Dr. Michael Crosby at [email protected]

Additional resource: Geographic Information System Skills for Foresters and Natural Resource Managers Dr. Crosby co-authored this GIS textbook for foresters and natural resource managers.

Trapping wildlife is a practice that dates back to ancient history, and remains a particularly important tool for harvesting furbearing mammals. Join Drew and Joe as they discuss modern trapping techniques, reasons to trap, and development of the Best Management Practices for Trapping Furbearers in the United States

Learn more about the importance of trapping in the management of furbearers and the Best Management Practices here: https://www.fishwildlife.org/afwa-inspires/furbearer-management

Dr. Joe Gerken and Dr. Drew Ricketts are extension specialists and faculty members in the Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management Program at Kansas State University. Find out more about the program at http://hnr.k-state.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/wildlife-outdoor-management.html

Watch the podcast on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@KSEWildlife

Hurricanes are often seen as purely destructive, but new research reveals their vital role in shaping longleaf pine ecosystems. Dr. Jeffrey Cannon from the Jones Center at Ichauway joins the Timber University podcast to discuss how his research explores how these storms influence forest structure, stimulate reproduction, and act as natural restorers. Discover how hurricanes increase biodiversity, create complex forest structures, and reinforce fire regimes, offering ecological benefits often overlooked.

We also discuss how remote sensing tools like LiDAR are transforming our understanding of storm impacts, from tree architecture adaptations to fuel patterns affecting fire behavior. Dr. Cannon provides practical advice on managing forest diversity to bolster resilience against future hurricanes, crucial for landowners and restoration practitioners. This episode is perfect for land managers, conservationists, and anyone interested in the nuanced role of disturbances. It challenges conventional views and sparks innovative thinking about storm ecology and forest resilience.

You can contact Dr. Cannon directly at [email protected]

A tutorial on using Lidar tools for forestry data https://lab.jonesctr.org/cannon/resources/

If you want to hear a broader discussion with Dr. Cannon and others on research needs for hurricane-disturbed forests, click below. https://forestrywebinars.net/webinars/future-directions-for-hurricane-disturbed-forests/?sr=wp~ondemand

In this episode, we discuss how years of turkey research has directly influenced the way that we hunt.

Resources:

• Fist Full of Dirt: Dr. Disturbance Can Flat-Out Hunt (Part 1)

• Fist Full of Dirt: Dr. Disturbance Can Flat-Out Hunt (Part 2)

• Home range of gobblers | Ep 125

• Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may help explain wild turkey population decline. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e1642.

• Where do turkeys roost? | Ep 123

Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab

We've launched our second online wild turkey course ! Enroll in Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History & Habitat to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions, and historical context of wild turkeys. This course is accredited by the Society of American Foresters as a Category 2 course worth 7 Continuing Forestry Education credits. Participants can also earn up to 5 CEUs in Category I of The Wildlife Society's Certified Wildlife Biologist Program. Enroll now: https://tinyurl.com/WildTurkeyManagerBio

Be sure to check out our first comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!

Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at [email protected]!

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!

Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!

Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!

This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.

Music by Artlist.io

Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

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.

In this episode, Brady and Shaun talk about the recent ice storms across much of the Eastern US, with some states reporting substantial timber damage. They discuss how landowners can assess damage from the ice storms and what the next steps are for their forest property. As always make sure to reach out to private consultants, Extension, and your State forestry comission for help in taking those next steps.

See the link for some leads on assistance in the wake of the storms https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IN12644

Gear up for another storytime episode as we swap late-season turkey hunting chronicles in this one.

Resources:

• Turkey Calling Tutorial: Master the Trumpet & Wingbone Call

Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab

We've launched our second online wild turkey course ! Enroll in Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History & Habitat to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions, and historical context of wild turkeys. This course is accredited by the Society of American Foresters as a Category 2 course worth 7 Continuing Forestry Education credits. Participants can also earn up to 5 CEUs in Category I of The Wildlife Society's Certified Wildlife Biologist Program. Enroll now: https://tinyurl.com/WildTurkeyManagerBio

Be sure to check out our first comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!

Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at [email protected]!

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

Please help us by taking our (quick) listener survey - Thank you!

Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!

Leave a podcast rating for a chance to win free gear!

This podcast is made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow, a grassroots organization dedicated to the wild turkey. To learn more about TFT, go to turkeysfortomorrow.org.

Music by Artlist.io

Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak