Wild Turkey Science

If you're wondering which oaks to plant for turkeys, you'll want to tune into this recycled episode with Dudley Phelps, Mossy Oak Nativ Nurseries plant expert and co-host of the Gamekeeper Podcast, to learn about his go-to species and successful strategies for planting trees to attract turkeys.
 
Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab
 
Resources:
Boggess, C. M., et al. (2021). Facultative seed predators drive community-level indirect effects of mast seeding. Forest Ecology and Management, 502, 119713.
 
Harper, C. A., et al. (2021). Plant community response and implications for wildlife following control of a nonnative perennial grass. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 45(4), 618-629.
Mossy Oak Nativ Nurseries
 
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

Dr. Mike Muthersbaugh, Upland Gamebird Biologist for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, joins us to disclose the status of turkey populations in the state, management challenges, and ongoing research efforts to improve hunting experiences and conservation strategies.
 
Resources:
Wild Turkey Data Dashboards: Fall, Spring

Fink, D., et al. (2024). eBird Status and Trends, Data Version: 2023; Released: 2025. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. 

 
Dr. Mike Muthersbaugh - Email, Publications
 
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

Mark Wiley, Forest Gamebird Biologist for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, joins us to share insights on wild turkey populations, management strategies, and recent policy changes in the state. 
 
Resources:
Debunking the Drowning Poults | #168

Legends of turkey research | #50

Ohio Fall and Spring Hunting Season Reports

Smith, C. R., et al. (2026). Annual survival and resource selection of juvenile male wild turkeys in central Tennessee. The Journal of Wildlife Management, e70255.

What Affects Jake Survival? | Ep 199

Wild turkey populations in PA (Part 1/2) | Ep 25

Wild turkey populations in PA (Part 2/2) | Ep 26

 
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

In this episode, we dive into the literature to explore the complex relationship between body condition, reproductive success, and population dynamics in wild turkeys.
 
Resources:
Badyaev, A. V., et al. (1996). Habitat sampling and habitat selection by female wild turkeys: ecological correlates and reproductive consequences. The Auk, 113(3), 636-646.

Healy, W. M., & Nenno, E. S. (1985). Effect of weather on wild turkey poult survival. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 1985, 91-101.

Lashley, M., et al.  (2026). Wildlife feeding increases risk of male wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) to hunter harvest. bioRxiv, 2026-04.

Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may help explain wild turkey population decline. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e1642.

Londe, David W., et al. "Review of range‐wide vital rates quantifies eastern wild Turkey population trajectory." Ecology and Evolution 13.2 (2023): e9830.

Norman, G. W., et al. (2001). Reproduction of eastern wild turkeys in Virginia and West Virginia. The Journal of wildlife management, 1-9.

Palumbo, K. (2026). FACTORS INFLUENCING EASTERN WILD TURKEY (MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO SILVESTRIS) PRODUCTIVITY AND NESTING CHRONOLOGY IN WEST VIRGINIA.

Porter, W. F., et al. (1983). Effects of winter conditions on reproduction in a northern wild turkey population. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 281-290.

Thogmartin, W. E., & Johnson, J. E. (1999). Reproduction in a declining population of wild turkeys in Arkansas. The Journal of wildlife management, 1281-1290.

Tyl, R. M., et al. (2020). Factors influencing productivity of eastern wild turkeys in northeastern South Dakota. Ecology and Evolution, 10(16), 8838-8854.

Vangilder, L. D., et al. (2000). Reproductive ecology of eastern wild turkey females in the eastern Missouri Ozarks. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2000, 53-59.

 
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

Dr. Alex Potash joins us to explore the ecological role of squirrels, focusing on their impact on oak regeneration and how animal behavior influences forest management strategies.
 
Resources:
Chester, M., Beck, J., & Potash, A. D. (2025). Observation of a grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) suggests that some rodents can vomit. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 103, 1-4.

Horn, C. C., et al. (2013). Why can't rodents vomit? A comparative behavioral, anatomical, and physiological study. PloS one, 8(4), e60537.

Potash, A. D., & McCleery, R. A. (2026). Predation risk alters prey caching behavior and resultant tree establishment patterns.

Potash, A. D., et al. (2020). Ecological drivers of eastern fox squirrel pelage polymorphism. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 8, 119.

Potash, A. D. (2023). Predators, Prey, and Acorns: An Exploration of Predator Distributions, Prey Behavior, and Ecosystem Process in the Southeastern US. University of Florida.

Prince, A., et al. (2016). Resource selection by southeastern fox squirrels in a fire-maintained forest system. Journal of Mammalogy, 97(2), 631-638.

 
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