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.

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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.

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Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak