Natural Resources University

Latest Episodes:

The Future of Farming | Wild Ag #590 Jul 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we chat with Josh Murman and Colton Rathman to explore how PTx Ag is bringing autonomous technology to the farm by transforming compatible tractors into self-operating machines. We discuss how the system works and how it helps farmers tackle labor shortages, improve efficiency, and complete critical fieldwork on time. But we also look beyond productivity, exploring how autonomy could make conservation practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and other stewardship efforts more practical and accessible by reducing the time and labor they require. Whether you're curious about autonomous farming or the future of sustainable agriculture, this episode offers an inside look at the opportunities this technology can create.

Resources:

Josh Murman [LinkedIn]

Colton Rathman [LinkedIn]

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc]

Nathan Pflueger [website]

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab]

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne]

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

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/

Music by Humans Win

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin

Don't feed the coons, folks | Wild Turkey Science #589 Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we dig into raccoon population densities across the literature, uncovering how food subsidization can push numbers from under 10 to over 300 per square kilometer.

Resources:

Get your tickets to our 2nd Annual UF Game Lab Banquet here: https://tinyurl.com/UFGameLabBanquet

Can't attend the banquet but still want to support us? Please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab. Thank you in advance for your support!

We've launched our second online wild turkey course ! Enroll in Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History & Habitat to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions, and historical context of wild turkeys. This course is accredited by the Society of American Foresters as a Category 2 course worth 7 Continuing Forestry Education credits. Participants can also earn up to 5 CEUs in Category I of The Wildlife Society's Certified Wildlife Biologist Program. Enroll now: https://tinyurl.com/WildTurkeyManagerBio

Be sure to check out our first comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Earn up to 20.5 CFE hours! Enroll Now!

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!

Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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

Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance 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!

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

Right-Sized Herds, Stronger Rangeland | BGWT #588 Jul 04, 2026

Show notes

Stocking rate sounds simple, but this episode shows why it is one of the most misunderstood and important decisions in grazing management. John Weir, Laura Goodman, Ph.D., and Mark Turner, Ph.D. explain that stocking rate is not just the number of cattle on a pasture. It is the number of animals on a set number of acres for a specific length of time. Leaving out the time component can lead to bad assumptions, overuse of forage and long-term damage to native rangeland.

Laura explains why moderate stocking is often the sweet spot for both pasture health and ranch economics. Heavy stocking may seem profitable in good rainfall years, but it can reduce dominant tallgrass species, increase shortgrass or less desirable plants, lower cow breed-up, reduce calf weaning weights and make drought years much harder to survive financially. The group also discusses why continuous grazing is not automatically bad when stocking rate is right, and why rotational grazing cannot make up for simply running too many animals.

Listeners will also hear practical ways to estimate forage production and adjust stocking decisions, including grazing exclosures, clipping samples, Web Soil Survey, the Rangeland Analysis Platform and the RAP Production Explorer. The episode closes with a clear reminder for ranchers and land managers: plan for dry years, not just good years, and use stocking rate as the foundation for livestock production, wildlife habitat, prescribed fire and long-term land resilience.

Resources

- OSU Extension: Stocking Rate Determination on Native Rangeland

- OSU Extension: Assessing Potential Forage Production Using Web Soil Survey

- OSU Extension: Patch Burning

- Rangeland Analysis Platform and Production Explorer

- USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey

This episode is made possible by support from the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.

A Trip Down Memory Lane | Deer University #587 Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

Bronson and Steve take time out of their busy schedules to jump back on the podcast. They chat with Jacob and Eric about everything from how they created the Deer University Podcast to what it's been like to work together for decades. They also fill the guys in on what they're up to now, including how they're still working together to help landowners and what they're up to in their free time.

Check out the MSU Deer Lab's online seminar series (here) and select the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop-down menu. You will need 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

Hantavirus | Fins, Fur, & Feathers #586 Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Many diseases can be transmitted from wildlife to humans, and one in particular has been making headlines recently. Join Drew and Joe as they discuss what Hantavirus is, how it is transmitted, the wildlife species most commonly associated with it, the habitats where exposure is most likely to occur, and how to avoid infection.

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

Watch the podcast on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@KSEWildlife

Exploring new funding models | Wild Turkey Science #585 Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Marcus sits down with the UF Game Lab communications team – Charlotte and Dot – to share insights into the communication and fundraising efforts for a research lab that reaches the public.

Get your tickets to our 2nd Annual UF Game Lab Banquet here: https://tinyurl.com/UFGameLabBanquet

Can't attend the banquet but still want to support us? Please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab. Thank you in advance for your support!

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!

Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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

Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance 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!

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

Bring Back Turkeys With Better Habitat | BGWT #584 Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

This episode is made possible by support from the Oklahoma Conservation Commissio n. Wild turkey numbers rise and fall for a lot of reasons, but better brood habitat may be one of the most practical things landowners can influence right now. In this episode of Blazin' Grazin' and Other Wild Things, Dr. Mark Turner, Oklahoma State University Extension Wildlife Specialist, joins John Weir and Dr. Laura Goodman to talk through what turkeys need after nesting season. They cover poult survival, forb-rich brood cover, cedar encroachment, roost trees, grazing, fescue control, prescribed fire, predator pressure, and why landowners can have a bigger impact than regulation changes alone.

Resources

- Oklahoma Conservation Commission

- Oklahoma State University Wild Turkey Fact Sheet

The Life and Legacy of Tom Kelly | Wild Turkey Science #583 Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

Join us as we explore the life and legacy of Tom Kelly through his daughter Laura Bates.

Tom Kelly, Inc. (Website) (Facebook Page) (Instagram)

Resources:

Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!

Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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

Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance 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!

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

What Is Extension? | Fins, Fur, & Feathers #582 Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

The term Extension is often used when discussing the mission of Land Grant Institutions, but we rarely take time to explain what Extension means. Join Joe and Drew as they discuss what it means to be a Land Grant Institution, their approach to reaching a wide array of stakeholders, and their views of what success in Extension looks like.

Watch the podcast on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@KSEWildlife

What's eating your turkeys | Wild Turkey Science #581 Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

We're bringing back our episode where we dig into what the scientific literature actually says about what eats turkeys at every life stage.

Resources from the episode:

Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

Want to help wild turkey conservation? Please take our quick survey to take part in our research!

Do you have a topic you'd like us to cover? Leave us a review or send us an email at wildturkeyscience@gmail.com!

Watch these podcasts on YouTube

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

Check out the DrDisturbance YouTube channel! DrDisturbance 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!

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

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