Wild Turkey Science

Matt McDonough, PhD student at Auburn University, walks us through his master's project assessing how wild pig densities impact turkeys and their poults. Join as he breaks down his study's experimental design and results, and learn of Matt's key takeaways for landowners curious about the efficacy of pig removal on turkey populations across their property.

Resources:

McDonough, M. T. (2023). Population response of eastern wild turkeys and white-tailed deer to removal of wild pigs (Master's thesis, Auburn University).

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

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Matt McDonough @mmcd9, Website, Publications

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF DEER Lab @ufdeerlab, 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.

Music by Artlist.io

Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

In this episode, we dive deep into the literature on coyotes and explore the impacts of their interactions with turkeys. Join as we delve into the science of coyote predator-prey dynamics, the expansion of coyote populations across North America, their diets and impacts on turkey populations, research conducted on the efficacy of trapping, and more.

Resources:

Cherry, M. J., et al. (2016). Coyote diets in a longleaf pine ecosystem. Wildlife Biology, 22(2), 64-70.

Conner, L. M., et al. (2016). Predator exclusion as a management option for increasing white‐tailed deer recruitment. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 80(1), 162-170.

Grigione, M. M., et al. (2011). Diet of Florida coyotes in a protected wildland and suburban habitat. Urban Ecosystems, 14, 655-663.

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.

Hickman, J. E., et al. (2016). Home range, habitat use, and movement patterns of female coyotes in Georgia: implications for fawn predation. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 2, 144-150.

Hody, J. W., & Kays, R. (2018). Mapping the expansion of coyotes (Canis latrans) across North and Central America. ZooKeys, (759), 81.

Houchin, R. L. (2005). Coyote predation on the Rio Grande wild turkey in the Texas Panhandle and southwestern Kansas (Doctoral dissertation).

Kelly, J. D., et al. (2015). Seasonal and spatial variation in diets of coyotes in central Georgia. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 2, 296-302.

Kilgo, J. C., et al. (2014). Coyote removal, understory cover, and survival of white‐tailed deer neonates. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 78(7), 1261-1271.

MacCracken, J. G., & Uresh, D. W. (1984). Coyote foods in the Black hills, South Dakota. The Journal of wildlife management, 48(4), 1420-1423.

Mastro, L. L., et al. (2019). Home range and habitat use of West Virginia Canis latrans (Coyote). Northeastern Naturalist, 26(3), 616-628.

Melville, H. I. (2012). The impacts of three common mesopredators on the reintroduced population of Eastern Wild Turkeys in Texas. Texas A&M University.

Miller, D. A., et al. (1998). Survival and cause-specific mortality of wild turkey hens in central Mississippi. The Journal of wildlife management, 306-313.

Niedzielski, B., & Bowman, J. (2015). Survival and cause-specific mortality of the female eastern wild turkey at its northern range edge. Wildlife Research, 41(7), 545-551.

Sasmal, I., et al. (2019). Seasonal space use of transient and resident coyotes (Canis latrans) in North Carolina, USA. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 97(4), 326-331.

Schrecengost, J. D., et al. (2008). Seasonal food habits of the coyote in the South Carolina coastal plain. Southeastern Naturalist, 7(1), 135-144.

UF DEER Lab Coyote FB Post

Wang, G., Butler, A. B., & Shan, X. (2023). Inverse relationships between coyote and wild turkey population time series: Implications for future studies of predator–prey interactions. Wildlife Letters, 1(4), 171-177.

Youngmann, J. L., et al. (2023). Assessing springtime vertebrate prey of sympatric mesopredators in the southeastern United States using metabarcoding analysis. Plos one, 18(10), e0293270.

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

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

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF DEER Lab @ufdeerlab, YouTube

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

Check out the NEW DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

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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

Dudley Phelps, Mossy Oak Nativ Nurseries plant expert and co-host of the Gamekeeper Podcast, joins us to dish out details on tree plantings for turkeys. Learn of Dudley's go-to species - both early and late successional - for attracting turkeys, what landowners should take into account when planning their plantings, ideal tree care and maintenance, the importance of diversifying tree species to attract turkeys, timing of acorn production across various oak species, and much more.

Resources:

Harper, C. A., et al. (2021). Plant community response and implications for wildlife following control of a nonnative perennial grass. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 45(4), 618-629.

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

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

Dudley Phelps Mossy Oak, Nativ Nurseries, Gamekeeper Podcast, MossyOak articles

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF DEER Lab @ufdeerlab, YouTube

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

Check out the NEW DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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

In this episode, Will takes us on a deep dive of best recipes and recommendations when food plotting for both deer and turkey. Landowners won't want to miss the science-backed recommendations for plantings, region-specific species recommendations, best timings for plantings, what to search for when scouting plot areas, and more.

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

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

Resources:

Dykes, J. L. (2018). Nutrients influence diet selection in herbivores. Mississippi State University.

Dykes, J. L., Strickland, B. K., Demarais, S., Reynolds, D. B., & Lashley, M. A. (2020). Diet selection of white-tailed deer supports the nutrient balance hypothesis. Behavioural Processes, 179.

Dykes, J. L., et al. (2018). Soil nutrients indirectly influence intraspecific plant selection in white-tailed deer. Basic and Applied Ecology, 32, 103-109.

Deer University: Deer Food Plot Forage Selection with Jacob Dykes

Managing DEER food plots for TURKEYS (video)

We manage DEER food plots for TURKEYS (video)

Which food plot crops do deer prefer, and why? (NDA article)

Which food plots should you plant for DEER & TURKEY? (video)

Wildlife Food Plots and Early Successional Plants, by Craig A. Harper (book)

What is the BEST food plot for deer? (video)

Episode transcript

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF DEER Lab @ufdeerlab, YouTube

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

Check out the NEW DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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

In this episode, we discuss upcoming episodes on the horizon, including how cattle grazing affects turkey management, food plotting for turkeys, how much coyotes influence turkeys, bringing back Dr. Craig Harper to update us on his fire season study assessing plant response and turkey use, the importance of oaks for turkeys, and more. Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at [email protected]!

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

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF DEER Lab @ufdeerlab, YouTube

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

Check out the NEW DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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.

Help us help turkeys by rating this podcast and sharing it with your friends and family.

Music by Artlist.io

Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

Want to join the team?

We are recruiting a videographer to focus on developing video content to help wild turkeys.

Apply here!

In this episode, we begin with a more philosophical discussion evaluating outcomes rather than techniques in turkey management. Then, we jump into details of our upcoming studies addressing current gaps in turkey research. Finally, we finish up with an exciting announcement that will enhance our understanding of turkey populations across the state of Florida in unprecedented ways.

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

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF DEER Lab @ufdeerlab, YouTube

Want to join the team? We are recruiting a videographer to focus on developing video content to help turkeys. Apply here!

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

Check out the NEW DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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.

Help us help turkeys by rating this podcast and sharing it with your friends and family.

Music by Artlist.io

Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

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, dig into the details on why fire return interval is the primary filter influencing vegetation outcomes from your wild turkey management, and deliver fire training resources for landowners and practitioners.

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

Resources:

• 2 year vs. 4 year Fire Return Interval (video)

• Stoddard Plots: How Varying Fire Return Intervals Affect Plant Communities Over Decades (video)

• Stoddard plots: Fire return frequency (video)

• Brooding and nesting cover (Part 1/2) | #29

• Brooding and nesting cover (Part 2/2) | #30

• Online Fire Training Course (FREE)

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

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF DEER Lab @ufdeerlab, YouTube

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

Check out the NEW DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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.

Help us help turkeys by rating this podcast and sharing it with your friends and family.

Music by Artlist.io

Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

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. We highlight key points of the study and infer how the same methods can be used to promote high insect abundance at the time that poults need it most.

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

Resources:

• Habitat management = predator management | Ep 66

• Kilburg, E. L., et al. (2014). Wild turkey nest survival and nest‐site selection in the presence of growing‐season prescribed fire. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 78(6), 1033-1039.

• Marcus' social media post

• Persche, M. E., et al. (2024). Complex and highly saturated soundscapes in restored oak woodlands reflect avian richness and abundance.

• Tyl, R. M., et al. (2020). Factors influencing productivity of eastern wild turkeys in northeastern South Dakota. Ecology and Evolution, 10(16), 8838-8854.

• We got bug problems | Ep 73

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

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF DEER Lab @ufdeerlab, YouTube

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

Check out the NEW DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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.

Help us help turkeys by rating this podcast and sharing it with your friends and family.

Music by Artlist.io

Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak

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 connectivity across your property for brooding and nesting cover using road systems with daylighting; how much sunlight is needed; how frequent of a fire return interval to use; maximizing food plots for both deer and turkey, and more!

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

Resources:

• Brooding and nesting cover (Part 1/2) | #29

• Brooding and nesting cover (Part 2/2) | #30

• Conventional vs. Regenerative Ag | #79

• Food plotting in nature's image | #84

• I lease land…what about me? | #12

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

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF DEER Lab @ufdeerlab, YouTube

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

Check out the NEW DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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.

Help us help turkeys by rating this podcast and sharing it with your friends and family.

Music by Artlist.io

Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak