Wild Turkey Science

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 behavior. Learn of the interplay between displayed traits and biological fitness, which traits influence sexual selection, and how this information can help us strategize research for better management moving forward.

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

Resources:

• Hill, G. E., et al. (2005). The effect of coccidial infection on iridescent plumage coloration in wild turkeys. Animal Behaviour, 69(2), 387-394

• Huang, M. H., et al. (2022). Analysis of supplemental wildlife feeding in Mississippi and environmental gastrointestinal parasite load. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, 995437.

Dr. Richard Buchholz (Website) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile)

Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow)

UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube)

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Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube

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

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 birds - assessing the effects of hunting pressure on male survival.

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

Resources:

• Wightman, P. H., et al. (2024). Survival and cause‐specific mortality of male wild turkeys across the southeastern United States. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 88(2), e22531.

Dr. Patrick Wightman (@WildTurkeyNerd) (Academic Profile) (Wild Turkey Lab)

Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile)

Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow)

UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube)

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

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Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube

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

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 approach could knock off two objectives with one flame.

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

Resources:

• Boone, W. W., et al. (2024). Frequent prescribed burns reduce mammalian species richness and occurrence in longleaf pine sandhills. Forest Ecology and Management, 553, 121596.

• Fire University #13 - How fire affects predators, ft. Dr. Michael Cherry

• Jones, D. D., et al. (2004). Prescribed fire and raccoon use of longleaf pine forests: implications for managing nest predation?. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 32(4), 1255-1259.

• Jorge, M. H., et al. (2020). Fire and land cover drive predator abundances in a pyric landscape. Forest Ecology and Management, 461, 117939.

• 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.

• Lohr, A. K., et al. (2019). Effects of individual recess behaviors on nest and female survival of Eastern wild turkeys (Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia).

• Wann, G. T., et al. (2020). The influence of prescribed fire on wild turkeys in the Southeastern United States: A review and synthesis. Forest Ecology and Management, 455, 117661.

• Wild Turkey Science #19 - Burning during nesting

• What does wild turkey nesting cover look like? (Craig Harper Video)

• Yeldell, N. A., et al. (2017). Nest site selection and nest survival of eastern wild turkeys in a pyric landscape. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 81(6), 1073-1083.

• Yeldell, N. A., et al. (2017). Prescribed fire influences habitat selection of female eastern wild turkeys. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 81(7), 1287-1297.

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Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile)

Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow)

UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube)

Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube

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

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 select for, what make decoys effective, if gene selection is impacted by hunter harvest, the intricacies of the turkey brotherhood, and much more.

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

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

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Dr. Geoff Hill (Website) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile)

Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow)

UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube)

Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube

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

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 interesting link between supplemental feeding and predation, and discuss four studies that would answer most of our questions related to the current decline in wild turkey populations.

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

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

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Resources:

• Cano-Martínez et al. (2023). Bottom-up rather than top-down mechanisms determine mesocarnivore interactions in Norway. Authorea Preprints.

• Newsome et al. (2015). The ecological effects of providing resource subsidies to predators. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 24(1), 1-11.

• Rosatte et al. (2007). Raccoon density and movements after population reduction to control rabies. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 71(7), 2373-2378.

Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile)

Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow)

UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube)

Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube

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

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 can effectively reduce raccoon populations by up to 90% and discuss why that may or may not translate into more turkeys on the landscape.

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

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

https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0

Resources:

• How effective is trapping to reduce raccoon abundance? (IG Post)

• What does wild turkey nesting cover look like? (Video)

• Chance et al. (2020). Vegetation characteristics influence fine-scale intensity of habitat use by wild turkey and white-tailed deer in a loblolly pine plantation. Basic and applied ecology, 43, 42-51.

• Cohen et al. (2022). Movement, spatial ecology, and habitat selection of translocated Gould's wild turkeys. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 46(2), e1270.

• Lazure, L., & Weladji, R. B. (2024). Methods to mitigate human–wildlife conflicts involving common mesopredators: a meta‐analysis. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 88(2), e22526.

• Nelson et al. (2023). Age‐based shifts in habitat selection of wild turkey broods. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 87(8), e22494

• Rosatte et al. (2001). Emergency response to raccoon rabies introduction into Ontario. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 37(2), 265-279.

• Rosatte et al. (2007). Raccoon density and movements after population reduction to control rabies. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 71(7), 2373-2378.

• Palmer, William E., et al. "Effect of field borders and nest‐predator reduction on abundance of northern bobwhites." Wildlife Society Bulletin 33.4 (2005): 1398-1405.

• Rader et al. (2011). Simulating northern bobwhite population responses to nest predation, nesting habitat, and weather in South Texas. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 75(1), 61-70.

• Turner et al. (2024). Canopy reduction and fire seasonality effects on deer and turkey habitat in upland hardwoods. Forest Ecology and Management, 553, 121657.

• Wightman et al. (2023). Landscape characteristics and predation risk influence spatial variation in auditory courtship of an upland game bird. Landscape Ecology, 38(5), 1221-1236.

Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile)

Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow)

UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube)

Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube

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

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

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 throughout the decades, and ongoing programs and events.

Resources:

• Habitat for the Hatch

• Women in the Outdoors

• Wheelin' Sportsman

• JAKES Program

• Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt.

• Cocktails and Conversation (FB Live)

• 2024 NWTF Convention

• www.nwtf.org

Mark Hatfield

X @TheBeardedBio IG @thebeardedbio

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

https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0

Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile)

Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow)

UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube)

Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube

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

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

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 challenges facing the wild turkey. Learn how you can get involved with Turkeys for Tomorrow's citizen-science land management today.

TFT: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

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

https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0

Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile)

Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow)

UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube)

Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube

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

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

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 when to use which strategies.

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

https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0

Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile)

Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow)

UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube)

Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube

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

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

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 for the show moving forward.

Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey below. Thank you in advance!

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Resources:

• I lease land…what about me? | #12

• Has turkey habitat changed? | #21

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

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

• How to science | #37

• What not to do | #39

• Legends of turkey research | #50

• NE Update: Year 1 results | #56

Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile)

Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile)

Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow)

UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube)

Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube

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

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