Natural Resources University

Latest Episodes:

Walleye, Darters, and other Percids | Fins, Fur, & Feathers #412 Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

Many people are familiar with Walleye, Sauger, and Yellow Perch but did you know that there are a lot of small related fish called Darters? Join Drew and Joe as they discuss the fish in the family Percidae including feeding strategies, reproductive trends, and the best time of year to catch big saugeye in Kansas.

Dr. Joe Gerken and Dr. Drew Ricketts are extension specialists and faculty members in the Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management Program at Kansas State university. Find out more about the program at http://hnr.k-state.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/wildlife-outdoor-management.html

Status of wild turkeys and research in NC| Wild Turkey Science #411 Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

Over 700 birds studied, 400 nesting attempts monitored, 100 broods followed, and in collaboration with over 250 landowners…all on private lands?! In today's episode, we are joined by Hannah Plumpton and Chris Kreh, Upland Game Bird Biologist and Assistant Chief for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. They disclose preliminary results from their massive statewide turkey research project across North Carolina, and share trends across harvest, population, nesting success, survival rates, and policy regulations.

Resources:

Game and Furbearer Program

Highlights from the North Carolina Wild Turkey Ecology Research Project 2020–2024

How to measure turkey nesting cover

Lashley, M. A. (2014). The importance of including natural variability in fire prescriptions: Fruits, forages, and White-tailed Deer space use. North Carolina State University.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

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.

Review of Wild Turkey Data and Management

What does nesting cover look like? | Ep 121

Wild Turkey Webpage

Wildlife Feeding & Baiting in North Carolina (Report)

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 wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!

Hannah Plumpton (Contact)

Chris Kreh (Contact)

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!

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!

Get a 10% discount at Grounded Brand by using the code 'TurkeyScience' at checkout!

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

Got Nitrates? Clean Water for Healthy Communities | Wild Ag #410 Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

This month we are joined by Crystal Powers, Research and Extension Communication Specialist at the Nebraska Water Center, to talk all about nitrates in our water systems. We talk about what nitrates actually are, best practices for keeping them out of our water supply, and how to mitigate them once they are there.

Resources:

Crystal Powers [website]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us!

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

Home ranges of gobblers | Wild Turkey Science #409 Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

How much area are these gobblers using? What does the literature say? Join us as we dive into the published science on home ranges for each subspecies and share preliminary results from our research tracking Osceola movement.

Resources:

Cohen, B. S., et al. (2015). Space use, movements, and habitat selection of translocated eastern wild turkeys in northwestern Louisiana. In Proceedings of the National Wild Turkey Symposium (Vol. 11, pp. 165-174).

Craft, R. A. (1986). Characteristics and use of wild turkey roost sites in southcentral South Dakota.

Davis, A., et al. (2018). Landscape-abundance relationships of male Eastern Wild Turkeys Meleagris gallopavo silvestris in Mississippi, USA. Acta ornithologica, 52(2), 127-139.

De La Cruz, J. L. (2012). Habitat Selection of Male Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in West Virginia.

Fleming, W. H., & Webb, L. G. (1973). Home range, dispersal and habitat utilization of wild turkey gobblers during the breeding season. South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department.

Grisham, B. A., et al. (2008). Spatial ecology and survival of male wild turkeys in a bottomland hardwood forest. In Proceedings of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Vol. 62, pp. 70-76).

Gross, J. T. (2014). Assessing movements and ecology of male wild turkeys during spring reproductive and hunting seasons using micro-GPS technology (Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia).

Gross, J. T., et al. (2015). Space use, daily movements, and roosting behavior of male wild turkeys during spring in Louisiana and Texas.

Hall, G. I., et al. (2006). Rio Grande wild turkey home ranges in the southern Great Plains. In Proceedings of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Vol. 60, pp. 36-42).

Hoffman, R. W. (1991). Spring movements, roosting activities, and home-range characteristics of male Merriam's wild turkey. The Southwestern Naturalist, 332-337.

Hurst, G. A., et al. (1991). Wild turkey gobbler habitat use and home range in loblolly pine plantations. In Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Vol. 45, pp. 115-123).

Isabelle, J. L. (2010). Survival, home range size, habitat selection, and reproductive ecology of eastern wild turkeys in east Texas. Stephen F. Austin State University.

Lambert, E. P. (1986). Home range, movements, and habitat use of the eastern wild turkey in commercially managed pine forests of southeast Louisiana. Southeastern Louisiana University.

Lutz, R. S., & Crawford, J. A. (1989). Habitat use and selection and home ranges of Merriam's wild turkey in Oregon. The Great Basin Naturalist, 252-258.

Porter, W. F. (1977). Home range dynamics of wild turkeys in southeastern Minnesota. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 434-437.

Rauch, S. E. (2009). Home range characteristics of the male eastern wild turkey in West Virginia. West Virginia University.

Ruttinger, J. A. (2013). Habitat and roost site seleciton by male eastern wild turkeys in southwestern Georgia (Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia).

Wightman, P. H. (2022). Influence of Predation Risk on the Ecology of Male Eastern Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) (Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia).

Wigley, T. B., Sweeney, J. M., Garner, M. E., & Melchiors, M. A. (1986). Wild turkey home ranges in the Ouachita Mountains. The Journal of wildlife management, 540-544.

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 wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

Want to help support the podcast? Our friends at Grounded Brand have an option to donate directly to Wild Turkey Science at checkout. Thank you in advance for your support!

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!

Get a 10% discount at Grounded Brand by using the code 'TurkeyScience' at checkout!

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

Grasslands Thrive Where Prescribed Fire Lives | BGWT #408 Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, we're joined by Cole Fagen, the coordinating biologist for the Oak and Prairies Joint Venture, and Ken Gee, a conservation delivery specialist. Together, they work with landowners to implement wildlife habitat management, focusing primarily on upland and grassland birds in southern and northern Oklahoma and central Texas. In this episode, we dive into how technical and financial assistance is helping landowners across Oklahoma and Texas implement prescribed fire and other habitat management practices that restore native grasslands and improve wildlife habitat. The Oak and Prairies Joint Venture plays a vital role by providing boots-on-the-ground training, one-on-one support, and connections to trusted partners like burn associations and conservation specialists.

We also explore how proper grazing management—including reducing overstocking—can dramatically increase rangeland productivity while creating safer, more effective fuel loads for controlled burns. Changing attitudes from landowners and volunteer fire departments are paving the way for wider acceptance of prescribed fire as a critical land management tool. You'll hear inspiring success stories, like the restoration of the Wheellock property, and learn how using indicator species like Bobwhite quail helps measure habitat health and engage landowners in long-term conservation efforts. For more information and tools, visit Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association and Oak and Prairies Joint Venture.

Find all resources at BlazinGrazinWildThings.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Cole Fagen
Mark Turner Ph.D.
John Weir
Ken Gee
Laura Goodman Ph.D.

Effects of Weather on Buck Movements | Deer University #407 Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

In this episode Natasha Neary, Luke Resop, Steve Demarais, and Bronson Strickland discuss the MSU Deer Lab's recent analyses that disentangle the intricate relationship between buck movement and weather conditions. They use various metrics of deer activity, like movement rates and bedding percentages, and control for time of day and rut phase to isolate any additive effects of weather conditions. Does a cold front get bucks on their feet and cause them to be more active during daylight hours? Enjoy!

Check out the MSU Deer Lab's online seminar series (here) and choose the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop down menu. You will have to create an account to view the seminars. The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits.

Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

Squirrels | Fins, Fur, & Feathers #406 Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

Tree squirrels are common in cities and rural areas alike. These native rodents can be a source of entertainment and provide a connection to nature for some people, and they can simultaneously be a source of frustration and property damage for others. Join Drew and Joe as they discuss tree squirrel biology, damage caused by the 3 species that occur in the eastern Great Plains, and practical solutions for preventing property damage caused by squirrels.

What would Lovett do? | Wild Turkey Science #406 Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

Welp, he would sit in the blind for hours on end next to a nesting hen to collect intricate details about her every move and behavior. Listen in as we cover all aspects of his pioneering nest behavior work.

Resources:

DrDisturbance #WildTurkeyHistory (video series)

Ideal Nesting Cover | Ep 121

Illumination in the Flatwoods, by Joe Hutto

Little House in the Flatwoods | Ep 87

The Book of the Wild Turkey, by Lovett Williams

You Need to Monitor Nesting Cover (video)

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 wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, 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!

Get a 10% discount at Grounded Brand by using the code 'TurkeyScience' at checkout!

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

What Decades of Research Reveal About Deer | BGWT #405 Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, we feature Mr. Ken Gee, a conservation delivery specialist for the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture, who brings decades of experience working with landowners in Oklahoma and the Great Plains, offering his extensive knowledge in land and wildlife management. Before joining the American Bird Conservancy, Ken spent 31 years with the Noble Foundation, where he managed the Noble Foundation Wildlife Unit for 25 years and conducted various research projects, including a notable deer diet study in collaboration with Texas Tech University.

Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://www.blazingrazinwildthings.com/classes

Talking Turkey: Predator Control and Nest Success | BGWT #404 Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

Join us on Blazin' Grazin' and Other Wild Things as we talk turkey with Oklahoma State University's Dr. Coulter Chitwood! We're exploring turkey population dynamics, habitat management, and predator-prey relationships in Oklahoma and beyond. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Chitwood to discuss the ongoing research into declining turkey populations. We examine factors affecting turkey populations, including habitat changes, predator communities, and weather patterns. I also share insights into the unique situation in Oklahoma, where both eastern and Rio Grande subspecies are found.

Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://www.blazingrazinwildthings.com/classes

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