Landscape level habitat corridor sustains turkeys | #158
Release Date: 11/17/2025
Are turkeys eating quail? | #169
Wild Turkey Science
Is the cause of quail decline because turkeys are eating them? Join us as we sit down with Dr. Mark McConnell to bust this myth… Resources: Check out Dr. McConnell’s Gamebird Podcast ()! Dr. Mark McConnell () MSU Gamebird Extension () () () We got bug problems | Ep 73 () Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: We’ve launched our second online wild turkey course ! Enroll in to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions,...
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Debunking the Drowning Poults | #168
Wild Turkey Science
Sometimes, the best stories are embellished but grounded in a little bit of truth… Join as we peel back the myth that poults drown when they look up at rainfall. Resources: Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: We’ve launched our second online wild turkey course ! Enroll in to learn about the principal biology, mating, behavior, food selection, human dimensions, hunter interactions, and historical context of wild turkeys. This course is...
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How often you burn matters more than when | #167
Wild Turkey Science
We discuss how repeated fire disturbance influences plant structure, fuel loads, and wildlife use, and why focusing on timing alone often misses the point. Resources: Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: Coming Soon: Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History, & Heritage! Our newest online wild turkey training is launching soon! Be the first to know when our new course launches by signing up ! Be sure to check out our comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple...
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Are fire ants causing the turkey decline? | #166
Wild Turkey Science
We explore the myths surrounding fire ants and their negative impacts on nests, hens, and poults. Resources: t Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: Coming Soon: Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History, & Heritage! Our newest online wild turkey training is launching soon! Be the first to know when our new course launches by signing up ! Be sure to check out our comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions...
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Does rain impact nest predation risk? | #165
Wild Turkey Science
Does water on a hen make it more susceptible to predation? In this episode, we comb through the literature on olfactory camouflage, dissecting studies assessing correlations between nest survival, weather, and environmental conditions, and divulging into the complicated web of ecology dynamics. Strap on your science boots for this one, it’s gonna be dense… Research papers referenced: Episodes referenced: Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: ...
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Wild Turkey Symposium Takeaways | #164
Wild Turkey Science
In this episode, we review papers that stood out to each of us from the 2025 Wild Turkey Symposium. Resources: Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: Coming Soon: Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History, & Heritage! Our newest online wild turkey training is launching soon! Be the first to know when our new course launches by signing up ! Be sure to check out our comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple...
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Turkeys in Wisconsin : A success story | #163
Wild Turkey Science
Wisconsin gamebird ecologist Taylor Finger joins us to breakdown the status of turkeys in the state. Join as he shares details on how Wisconsin has achieved successful turkey populations unlike any other state in the country. Resources: Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: Coming Soon: Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History, & Heritage! Our newest online wild turkey training is launching soon! Be the first to know when our new course launches by signing up !...
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Turkeys and Grouse | #162
Wild Turkey Science
Dr. Ben Jones, CEO of RGS & AWS, joins us to explore how active forest stewardship - from prescribed fire to targeted timber harvests and new wood markets - can restore age-class diversity and habitat for ruffed grouse and wild turkey across eastern forests. Resources: (NDA article) Dr. Ben Jones Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: Coming Soon: Wild Turkey Manager: Biology, History, & Heritage! Our newest online wild turkey training is launching soon! Be the first to know when our new...
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Why to Science | #161
Wild Turkey Science
Strap in for a philosophical episode as we sit with Dr. Dwayne Elmore and explore the complex nature of critically evaluating information in an age of information overload. Resources: Dr. Dwayne Elmore - , Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: We’ve launched our SECOND online training course focused on wild turkey biology, history, and heritage! Be the first to know when our new course launches by signing up ! Be sure to check out our comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring...
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NEW Online Wild Turkey Training | #160
Wild Turkey Science
We’ve launched our SECOND online training course focused on wild turkey biology, history, and heritage! Be the first to know when our new course launches by signing up ! Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: We’ve launched a 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! Dr. Marcus Lashley , Dr. Will Gulsby , Turkeys for Tomorrow UF...
info_outlineIn this episode, we discuss our recent paper quantifying turkey abundance, highlighting the Florida Wildlife Corridor and exploring how this project preserves turkey habitat amidst increasing development pressures. Paper will be linked as soon as it is released.
Resources:
Citizen science for turkeys Ep119 https://youtu.be/LEbFvaRhNKA?si=a1Mvzya561e0o52B
eBird https://ebird.org/home
Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation https://floridawildlifecorridor.org/
FWC Summer Brood Survey https://myfwc.com/hunting/turkey/brood-survey/
iNaturalist https://www.inaturalist.org/
Merlin Bird ID https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
Snapshot USA https://www.snapshot-usa.org/
00:00 Introduction to the Conversation
01:23 Exploring Turkey Management and Habitat
02:48 The Impact of Human Population on Turkey Habitats
05:47 Florida Wildlife Corridor: A Case Study
11:38 Quantifying the Effects of the Corridor on Turkeys
20:47 Characterizing the Landscape for Turkeys
22:49 Understanding Turkey Occupancy and Abundance
25:09 The Impact of Human Population on Turkey Habitats
28:42 The Role of the Wildlife Corridor
31:19 Challenges Facing Osceola Turkey Populations
37:33 Management Strategies for Turkey Habitats
41:47 The Importance of Collaborative Conservation Efforts
Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab
We’ve launched a 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
Donate to our wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund
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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