Wild Turkey Science

In this episode, we explore the impacts of extreme cold weather on wild turkey populations. 
 
Resources:
 
Acorn production post (DrDisturbance IG)
 
Austin, D. E., & DeGraff, L. W. (1975). Winter survival of wild turkeys in the southern Adirondacks. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 1975, 55-60.
 
Brooke, J. M., et al. (2019). Effects of fertilization and crown release on white oak (Quercus alba) masting and acorn quality. Forest Ecology and Management, 433, 305-312.
 
Gonnerman, M., et al. (2023). Dynamic winter weather moderates movement and resource selection of wild turkeys at high‐latitude range limits. Ecological Applications, 33(1), e2734.
 
Gray, B. T., & Prince, H. H. (1988). Basal metabolism and energetic cost of thermoregulation in wild turkeys. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 133-137.
 
Haroldson, K. J. (1995). Energy requirements for winter survival of wild turkeys. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 1995, 9-14.
 
Lashley, M. A., et al. (2009). Masting characteristics of white oak: implications for management. In In: Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Association Fish and Wildl. Agencies. 63: 21-26. (Vol. 63, pp. 21-26).
 
Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may explain wild turkey decline. bioRxiv, 2025-05.
 
Lavoie, M., et al.  (2017). Winter and summer weather modulate the demography of wild turkeys at the northern edge of the species distribution. Population Ecology, 59(3), 239-249.
 
Lavoie, M., et al. (2025). Wildlife Management and Climate Change: How to Adapt Harvest Rates of Wild Turkey According to Extreme Weather Events. Environmental Management, 1-13.
 
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.
 
Seminar: Wild Turkey Management Academy
 
Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab
 
Don't miss out on a chance to win a custom Benelli Super Black Eagle 3! This 28-gauge shotgun features a 28' barrel, 3" chamber, and is exclusively dipped in Mossy Oak Full Foliage not available to the public. Enter the online raffle below for a shot at owning this one-of-a-kind gun! This is literally a one-of-one collectable item. https://e.givesmart.com/events/Nqy/
 
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 [email protected]!
 
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

Wild turkey biologist Reina Tyl joins us to unpack her comprehensive study assessing population growth of Easterns in South Dakota. 
 
Resources:
 
Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may explain wild turkey decline. bioRxiv, 2025-05.
 
Tyl, R. M. (2019). Factors Influencing Survival, Productivity, and Population Growth of Eastern Wild Turkeys in Northeastern South Dakota. West Virginia University.
 
Tyl, R. M., Rota, C. T., & Lehman, C. P. (2025). Factors influencing eastern wild turkey population growth in northeastern South Dakota. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 49, e1636.
 
Tyl, R.M., Rota, C.T. and Lehman, C.P., 2020. Factors influencing productivity of eastern wild turkeys in northeastern South Dakota. Ecology and Evolution, 10(16), pp.8838-8854.
 
Tyl, R.M., Rota, C.T. and Lehman, C.P., 2023. Factors influencing survival of female eastern wild turkeys in northeastern South Dakota. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 47(2), p.e1429.
 
Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab
 
Don't miss out on a chance to win a custom Benelli Super Black Eagle 3! This 28-gauge shotgun features a 28' barrel, 3" chamber, and is exclusively dipped in Mossy Oak Full Foliage not available to the public. Enter the online raffle below for a shot at owning this one-of-a-kind gun! This is literally a one-of-one collectable item. https://e.givesmart.com/events/Nqy/
 
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 [email protected]!
 
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

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 (Here)!
Dr. Mark McConnell (Contact)
MSU Gamebird Extension (Facebook) (Instagram) (YouTube)
We got bug problems | Ep 73 (Watch Here)
 
Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab
 
Don't miss out on a chance to win a custom Benelli Super Black Eagle 3! This 28-gauge shotgun features a 28' barrel, 3" chamber, and is exclusively dipped in Mossy Oak Full Foliage not available to the public. Enter the online raffle below for a shot at owning this one-of-a-kind gun! This is literally a one-of-one collectable item. https://e.givesmart.com/events/Nqy/
 
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 [email protected]!
 
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

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: 
 
Boone, W. W., et al. (2025). Effects of temperature and precipitation on wild turkey brood survival in the southeastern United States. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 49, e70003.
 
Healy, W. M., & Nenno, E. S. (1985). Effect of weather on wild turkey poult survival. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 1985, 91-101.
 
Roberts, S. D., & Porter, W. F. (1998). Influence of temperature and precipitation on survival of wild turkey poults. The Journal of wildlife management, 1499-1505. 
 
Wiley, J. W., & Wunderle Jr, J. M. (1993). The effects of hurricanes on birds, with special reference to Caribbean islands. Bird Conservation International, 3(4), 319-349.
 
Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab
 
Don't miss out on a chance to win a custom Benelli Super Black Eagle 3! This 28-gauge shotgun features a 28' barrel, 3" chamber, and is exclusively dipped in Mossy Oak Full Foliage not available to the public. Enter the online raffle below for a shot at owning this one-of-a-kind gun! This is literally a one-of-one collectable item. https://e.givesmart.com/events/Nqy/
 
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 [email protected]!
 
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

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:


How does burning outside of the dormant season affect pine survival and growth? (Fire University Ep 15)
 
Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab
 
Don't miss out on a chance to win a custom Benelli Super Black Eagle 3! This 28-gauge shotgun features a 28' barrel, 3" chamber, and is exclusively dipped in Mossy Oak Full Foliage not available to the public. Enter the online raffle below for a shot at owning this one-of-a-kind gun! This is literally a one-of-one collectable item. https://e.givesmart.com/events/Nqy/
 
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 [email protected]!
 
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