Wild Turkey Science

We step back to synthesize what's changed in wild turkey science since the show began and where the biggest open questions still remain.
 
Resources:
Huang, M. H., Demarais, S., Brookshire, W. C., & Strickland, B. K. (2022). Analysis of supplemental wildlife feeding in Mississippi and environmental gastrointestinal parasite load. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, 995437.

Huang, M. H., Demarais, S., Strickland, B. K., & Brookshire, W. C. (2022). Identifying aflatoxin exposure risk from supplemental feeding of deer. The Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 58(2), 384-388.

Impacts of vegetation structure on hen survival and nest success | Ep 195

Landscape level habitat corridor sustains turkeys | Ep 158

Longer the snood, bigger the brood | Ep 68

Population dynamics & season dates in Mississippi | Ep 02

REV and LPDV: New research on turkey disease | Ep 182

Rosenberg, K. V., et al. (2019). Decline of the North American avifauna. Science, 366(6461), 120-124.

Shea, S. A., et al. (2026). Retroviral Infections Affect Survival and Clutch Size of Female Wild Turkeys. Ecology and Evolution, 16(4), e73383.

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.

Turner, M.A., et al. (2026). Vegetation composition and structure influences female wild turkey survival during incubation. Journal of Wildlife Management.

 
Enter our raffle for a chance to win a Wild Turkey Science hunt with Dr. Will Gulsby and Dr. Marcus Lashley at the historic Westervelt Hunting Lodge: https://e.givesmart.com/events/Qam/
 
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. Craig Harper of the University of Tennessee rejoins us to share results from recent research assessing annual survival and resource selection of juvenile males in Tennessee.
 
Resources:
Bones, J. T., et al. (2026). Vegetation response varies by season of burning in pine woodlands across the southeastern US. Fire Ecology, 22(1), 19.

Pollentier, C. D., et al. (2014). Survival and productivity of eastern wild turkey females in contrasting landscapes in Wisconsin. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 78(6), 985-996.

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.

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.

Stevenson, E. R., et al. (2019). Resource selection by coyotes (Canis latrans) in a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem: effects of anthropogenic fires and landscape features. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 97(2), 165-171.
Wilhelm, S. R., et al. (2026). Fire frequency and timing influence bee–flower interactions: a case study from an oak‐pine savanna restoration on the Cumberland Plateau. Restoration Ecology, e70533.

 
Enter our raffle for a chance to win a Wild Turkey Science hunt with Dr. Will Gulsby and Dr. Marcus Lashley at the historic Westervelt Hunting Lodge: https://e.givesmart.com/events/Qam/
 
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 turkey reproductive physiology, focusing on how photostimulation and photorefractoriness influence turkey breeding cycles. 
 
Resources:
Dawson, A., et al. (2001). Photoperiodic control of seasonality in birds. Journal of biological rhythms, 16(4), 365-380.

Turkey Predators | Ep 06

 
Enter our raffle for a chance to win a Wild Turkey Science hunt with Dr. Will Gulsby and Dr. Marcus Lashley at the historic Westervelt Hunting Lodge: https://e.givesmart.com/events/Qam/
 
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

We're bringing back the episode where we dig into decades-old crop-content studies to quantify exactly how much of a turkey's diet is acorns, and what the trends in declining oak forests mean for the future of wild turkeys.
 
Resources:
Alexander et al. (2021). Mesophication of oak landscapes: Evidence, knowledge gaps, and future research. BioScience, 71(5), 531-542.

Burk et al. (1990). Wild turkey use of streamside management zones in loblolly pine plantations. In Proceedings of the National Wild Turkey Symposium (Vol. 6, pp. 84-89).

Byrne, M. E. (2013). Nesting ecology of wild turkeys in a bottomland hardwood forest. The American Midland Naturalist, 170(1), 95-110.

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

Marable et al. (2023). Seasonal Resource Selection and Use of Hardwood Regeneration by Translocated Wild Turkeys in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Diversity, 15(9), 1007.

McShea et al. (2007). Forestry matters: decline of oaks will impact wildlife in hardwood forests. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 71(5), 1717-1728.

Nelson et al. (2022). Fine‐scale resource selection and behavioral tradeoffs of eastern wild turkey broods. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 86(5), e22222.

Nelson et al. (2023). Age‐based shifts in habitat selection of wild turkey broods. The Journal of Wildlife Management, e22494.

Norman & Steffen (2003). Effects of recruitment, oak mast, and fall-season format on wild turkey harvest rates in Virginia. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 553-559.

Norman et al. (2022). Hunting and environmental influences on survival of male wild turkeys in Virginia and West Virginia. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 46(2), e1284.

Schemnitz, S. D. (1956). Wild turkey food habits in Florida. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 20(2), 132-137.

Thogmartin, W. E. (2001). Home-range size and habitat selection of female wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in Arkansas. The American Midland Naturalist, 145(2), 247-260.

 
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 bid on our live auction items? Email c.nowak@ufl.edu or send a DM to our UF Game Lab Instagram or Facebook. 
 
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!
 
Enter our raffle for a chance to win a Wild Turkey Science hunt with Dr. Will Gulsby and Dr. Marcus Lashley at the historic Westervelt Hunting Lodge: https://e.givesmart.com/events/Qam/
 
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

Will leads us through a deep dive of the scientific literature on the relative contribution of avian predators to wild turkey predation.
 
Resources:
Hughes, T. W., et al. (2005). The impacts of predation on wild turkeys. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2005, 117-126.

Palmer, W. E., et al. (2005). Effect of field borders and nest‐predator reduction on abundance of northern bobwhites. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 33(4), 1398-1405.

Speake, D. W., et al. (1985). Mortality of wild turkey poults in northern Alabama. The Journal of wildlife management, 49(2), 472-474.

Wightman, P. H., et al. (2025). Investigating diel patterns of predation events in wild turkeys using tri‐axial accelerometer data. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 49, e1631.

The Westervelt Lodge | #176

When Predator Control Works | #194

MSU Gamebird Program Instagram, Facebook

Wildlife Investments Instagram, Facebook

 
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 bid on our live auction items? Email c.nowak@ufl.edu or send a DM to our UF Game Lab Instagram or Facebook. 
 
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!
 
Enter our raffle for a chance to win a Wild Turkey Science hunt with Dr. Will Gulsby and Dr. Marcus Lashley at the historic Westervelt Hunting Lodge: https://e.givesmart.com/events/Qam/
 
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