Wild Turkey Science

Dr. Colter Chitwood re-joins the podcast to give us an update of the on-going turkey research in the state of Oklahoma. Learn details of the hunter-led work estimating vital rates to increase poult per hen ratios, and learn how state-wide genetics can help us understand turkey movement across the landscape. Dr. Colter Chitwood (Academic Profile) Dr. Marcus Lashley (DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow)   UF DEER Lab (ufdeerlab) 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. Produced by Charlotte Nowak  

In this episode, we review our episodes on the density-dependence hypothesis, what we learned from conversations with experts, and implications this may have on management of the wild turkey moving forward.  Papers: Bond, Bobby T., et al. "Thirty-year case study showing a negative relationship between population and reproductive indices of eastern wild turkeys in Georgia." Georgia Journal of Science 70.2 (2012): 5. Dr. Marcus Lashley (DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow)  UF DEER Lab (ufdeerlab) 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.  Produced by Charlotte Nowak 

In this episode, we give you an update on the ongoing projects in Alabama including preliminary results on which gobblers can breed, the most common predators of nests, effects of hunting on gobbling, and more.  Paper: Proportion of tom’s had testes large enough that they could breed Dr. Marcus Lashley (DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow)  UF DEER Lab (ufdeerlab) 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.  Produced by Charlotte Nowak  

Is density dependence operating on wild turkeys? Dr. Bret Collier walks us through his point of view on density dependence and whether it is responsible for observed changes in turkey populations. We cover a lot of ground and discuss various aspects of wild turkey biology from many studies and regions.  Papers  Byrne, M. E., Chamberlain, M. J., & Collier, B. A. (2015). Potential density dependence in wild turkey productivity in the southeastern United States. In Proceedings of the National Wild Turkey Symposium (Vol. 11, pp. 329-351).  Collier, B. A., Melton, K. B., Hardin, J. B., Silvy, N. J., & Peterson, M. J. (2009). Impact of reproductive effort on survival of Rio Grande wild turkey Meleagris gallop intermedia hens in Texas. Wildlife Biology, 15(4), 370-379.  Randel, C. J., Aguirre, R., Jones, D. A., Schaap, J. N., Willsey, B. J., Peterson, M. J., & Silvy, N. J. (2005). Nesting ecology of Rio Grande wild turkey in the Edwards Plateau of Texas. In Proceedings of the National Wild Turkey Symposium (Vol. 9, pp. 37-243).  Schwertner, T. W., Peterson, M. J., & Silvy, N. J. (2007). Effect of precipitation on Rio Grande wild turkey poult production in Texas. In Proceedings of the National Wild Turkey Symposium (Vol. 9, pp. 127-132).  Dr. Bret Collier (drshortspur) (Academic Profile) Dr. Marcus Lashley (DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow)  UF DEER Lab (ufdeerlab) 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.  Produced by Charlotte Nowak  

What is density-dependence and could it be driving the patterns we're seeing in declining populations? Dr. Mark McConnell joins Marcus and Will to pull knowledge from research on density-dependence in upland game bird species and how these factors may affect wild turkey populations. Papers: Byrne, Michael E., et al. "Nest site fidelity and nesting success of female wild turkeys." Wildlife Society Bulletin 46.2 (2022): e1279. Guthrie, Joshua D., et al. "Evaluation of a global positioning system backpack transmitter for wild turkey research." The Journal of Wildlife Management 75.3 (2011): 539-547. Londe, David W., et al. "Review of range‐wide vital rates quantifies eastern wild Turkey population trajectory." Ecology and Evolution 13.2 (2023): e9830. McGhee, Jay D., and James M. Berkson. "Estimation of a nonlinear density-dependence parameter for wild turkey." The Journal of wildlife management 71.3 (2007): 706-712. McGhee, Jay D., and Jim Berkson. "Correlation of eastern wild turkey poult: hen ratios with population indices to detect reproductive density dependence." Virginia Journal of Science 58.3 (2007): 3. Stevens, Bryan S., et al. "Structural uncertainty limits generality of fall harvest strategies for wild turkeys." The Journal of Wildlife Management 81.4 (2017): 617-628. Taylor II, Jimmy D., et al. "Seasonal survival and cause-specific mortality of northern bobwhites in Mississippi." National Quail Symposium Proceedings. Vol. 4. No. 1. 2000. Vangilder, Larry D., and Eric W. Kurzejeski. "Population ecology of the eastern wild turkey in northern Missouri." Wildlife Monographs (1995): 3-50. Dr. Mark McConnell (Academic Profile) Dr. Marcus Lashley (DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow)   UF DEER Lab (ufdeerlab) 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. Produced by Charlotte Nowak  

What does the available wild turkey research tell us and what gaps need to be filled moving forward? Dr. Chitwood walks us through 50+ years of published literature on eastern wild turkey vital rates. They literally incorporated all of the vital rates published on easterns into a model, to determine the status of population trajectories, and identify which factor was most important in driving those trajectories. This is the first release of the only known, all-inclusive meta-analysis on the wild turkey, so tune in, it is powerful. If you’re thinking nesting or brooding success…think again. Paper: Londe, David W., et al. "Review of range‐wide vital rates quantifies eastern wild Turkey population trajectory." Ecology and Evolution 13.2 (2023): e9830. Figures: Figure 01 Figure 02 Dr. Colter Chitwood (Academic Profile) Dr. Marcus Lashley (DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow)   UF DEER Lab (ufdeerlab) 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. Produced by Charlotte Nowak  

It’s obvious that we need to do something about poult-rearing cover. What are the opportunities for you to help on land you don’t own? Join Marcus and Will as they discuss what desirable brooding cover looks like, how to achieve it, and how and where our listeners have improved turkey habitat on the places they hunt. This is a bonus episode for the tremendous feedback and questions received related to this topic. Paper: 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. Dr. Marcus Lashley (DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow)   UF DEER Lab (ufdeerlab) 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. Produced by Charlotte Nowak  

While at the Southeast Deer Study Group, Marcus and Will sit down to reflect on the recent predation episodes. They discuss key takeaways, lessons learned, and where mindsets began to shift. Paper: 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. Dr. Marcus Lashley (DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow)  UF DEER Lab (ufdeerlab) 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. Produced by Charlotte Nowak  

200 private landowners, 25,000+ acres of private land, years of data… on hundreds of birds!?! If you live or hunt in North Carolina this episode is a must-listen! Dr. Chris Moorman joins Marcus and Will to reveal details on a unique, multi-regional wild turkey research project taking place in the state of North Carolina. Stay tuned for a later NC research update for details on how the project is progressing. Dr. Chris Moorman (Academic Profile) Dr. Marcus Lashley (DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow)  UF DEER Lab (ufdeerlab) Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fundv 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. Produced by Charlotte Nowak  

Dr. Bret Collier joins Marcus and Will to challenge the status quo of how we view wild turkey nest predation. Bringing a new perspective to how we define predators, Dr. Collier breaks down our conventional approach, while proposing a few new methods, to controlling wild turkey predation. Resources from the episode: Byrne, Michael E., and Michael J. Chamberlain. "Seasonal space use and habitat selection of adult raccoons (Procyon lotor) in a Louisiana bottomland hardwood forest." The American midland naturalist 166.2 (2011): 426-434. Dreibelbis, Justin Z., et al. "Predation of Rio Grande wild turkey nests on the Edwards Plateau, Texas." The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120.4 (2008): 906-910. Fyffe, Nathan, et al. "Nesting perseverance by a female Gould's Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo mexicana) under multiple direct predation threats." The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 130.4 (2018): 1041-1047. Healy, W. M., and S. M. Powell. Wild turkey harvest management: biology, strategies, and techniques. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Technical Publication. BTP-R5001-1999, Washington DC, USA, 1999. Keever, Allison C., et al. "Early nest initiation and vegetation density enhance nest survival in Wild Turkeys: La iniciación temprana del nido y la densidad de la vegetación mejoran la supervivencia del nido en Meleagris gallopavo silvestris." Ornithology 140.1 (2023): ukac050. Schwertner, T. Wayne, Markus J. Peterson, and Nova J. Silvy. "Raccoon abundance and Rio Grande wild turkey production in central Texas." Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Vol. 58. 2004. Dr. Bret Collier (drshortspur) (Academic Profile) Dr. Marcus Lashley (DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (turkeysfortomorrow)  UF DEER Lab (ufdeerlab) Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fundv 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. Produced by Charlotte Nowak