Over 700 birds studied, 400 nesting attempts monitored, 100 broods followed, and in collaboration with over 250 landowners…all on private lands?!  In today’s episode, we are joined by Hannah Plumpton and Chris Kreh, Upland Game Bird Biologist and Assistant Chief for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. They disclose preliminary results from their massive statewide turkey research project across North Carolina, and share trends across harvest, population, nesting success, survival rates, and policy regulations.

Resources:

Game and Furbearer Program

Highlights from the North Carolina Wild Turkey Ecology Research Project 2020–2024

How to measure turkey nesting cover

Lashley, M. A. (2014). The importance of including natural variability in fire prescriptions: Fruits, forages, and White-tailed Deer space use. North Carolina State University.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Quehl, J. O., et al. (2024). Assessing wild turkey productivity before and after a 14-day delay in the start date of the spring hunting season in Tennessee. Ecology and Evolution, 14, e11390.

Review of Wild Turkey Data and Management

What does nesting cover look like? | Ep 121

Wild Turkey Webpage

Wildlife Feeding & Baiting in North Carolina (Report)

 

Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund 

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Hannah Plumpton (Contact)

Chris Kreh (Contact)

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow 

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

 

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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