Wild Turkey Science

Dr. Craig Harper and Dr. Dave Buehler from the University of Tennessee join us to discuss results from their seven-year, robust before-after control-impact study assessing the role of experimental season date delays on turkey reproduction. Spoiler alert: Season delays had no effect on any of the 8 vital rates they measured.  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.   Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    Dr. Craig Harper Website, Publications Dr. Dave Buehler Website, Publications 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  

Adam Butler, Wild Turkey Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, joins us to discuss the turkey trends seen across Mississippi and the Southeast, what may or may not be influencing these cyclical patterns of productivity, and a general rule of thumb for how many gobblers to harvest on your property.   Resources: How Many Gobblers Should I Take? (Article) Isabelle, J. L., et al. (2018). Considerations for timing of spring wild turkey hunting seasons in the southeastern United States. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 5, 106-113. Wild turkey population dynamics and what the manipulative study of season dates in Mississippi tells us about the role of hunting, ft. Adam Butler | #02   Adam Butler Contact, MDWFP 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!  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  

Dr. Alan Krakauer joins us to dive into his research on turkey kin selection and breakdown the many strategies gobblers use to pass on genes.   Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    Resources: Krakauer, A. H. (2005). Kin selection and cooperative courtship in wild turkeys. Nature, 434(7029), 69-72. Krakauer, A. H. (2008). Sexual selection and the genetic mating system of wild turkeys. The Condor, 110(1), 1-12. Watts, C. R., & Stokes, A. W. (1971). The social order of turkeys. Scientific American, 224(6), 112-119.   Dr. Alan Krakauer 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   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   

Dr. Dwayne Elmore, Director of the Game Bird Program at Tall Timbers Research Station, joins us to breakdown the reproductive ecology and behavior of wild turkeys, how and why they lek, and if this impacts spring hunting. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund   Resources: Honeycomb Custom Calls Red-capped manakin bird   Dr. Dwayne Elmore Tall Timbers, 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   Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey - Thank you! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0   Check out the NEW DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance YouTube   Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science 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  

Marcus and Will delve into the implications of declining insect populations on ground-nesting birds like wild turkeys. They discuss the impact of insect decline on wildlife, challenges in interpreting studies, the relationship between insect decline and bird species, and the benefits of habitat enhancement techniques for preserving bird populations in changing landscapes.

Mark Turner, PhD candidate in Dr. Craig Harper’s lab at the University of Tennessee, joins us to disclose results from their recent study assessing the effects of canopy reduction and fire seasonality on turkey habitat quality and use in upland hardwoods.    Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    Resources: Burning during nesting | #19 Nichols, R. A., et al. (2021). Alter fire timing to recouple forage nutrients with herbivore nutrient demands. Forest Ecology and Management, 500, 119646. Turner et al. (2024). Canopy reduction and fire seasonality effects on deer and turkey habitat in upland hardwoods. Forest Ecology and Management, 553, 121657. Mark Turner @markturner442, 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   Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey - Thank you! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0   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. Mike Chamberlain, Terrell Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management at the University of Georgia, re-joins the podcast to walk us through the various life stages of a gobbler.  Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Goodwin, C. C., et al. (2024). Experimental infection of domestic turkeys with lymphoproliferative disease virus of North American origin. Veterinary Pathology. Krakauer, A. H. (2005). Kin selection and cooperative courtship in wild turkeys. Nature, 434(7029), 69-72. Nelson, S. D., et al. (2023). Age‐based shifts in habitat selection of wild turkey broods. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 87(8), e22494 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. Mike Chamberlain (@wildturkeydoc) (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! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0   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. Rick Gerhold, Associate Professor of Parasitology/Wildlife Diseases at the University of Tennessee, joins us to breakdown common diseases among turkeys and their symptoms, pathways of transmission, and infected biological effects. He also discusses histomonas and how you can get involved in cutting-edge egg research.    Dr. Rick Gerhold (rgerhold@utk.edu) (Academic Profile)   Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    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! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0   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   

Tes Randle Jolly, award-winning professional wildlife and turkey photographer extraordinaire, joins Marcus and Will to share her deep insight and perspective into wild turkey behavior from over 25 years of photographing our favorite bird.   Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund    Tes Jolly (@jovtes) 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! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0   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. 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)   Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey - Thank you! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0   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