Wild Turkey Science

Dr. Marcus Lashley & Dr. Will Gulsby

Wild Turkey Science is a science-based podcast bringing you the latest research on wild turkey ecology and management. This podcast is part of the Natural Resources University podcast network and made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow.

  1. 2D AGO

    Are fire ants causing the turkey decline? | #166

    We explore the myths surrounding fire ants and their negative impacts on nests, hens, and poults.   Resources:   Allen, C. R., et al. (2004). Red imported fire ant impacts on wildlife: a decade of research. The American Midland Naturalist, 152(1), 88-103.   Brennan, L. A. (1993). Fire ants and northern bobwhites: a real problem or a red herring?. Wildlife Society Bulletin (1973-2006), 21(3), 351-355.   Jones, J. C., Hodges, B. N., Tegt, J., & Butler, A. B. (2015). INVASIVE NON‐NATIVE SPECIES AND WILD TURKEY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2015, 89-103.   Martin, J. A., et al. (2015). Incubation and predation ecology of Wild Turkey nests: A cautionary case study regarding video camera surveillance. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2015, 295-301. t   Twedt, D. J., Wilson, R. R., Henne‐Kerr, J. L., & Grosshuesch, D. A. (2002). Avian response to bottomland hardwood reforestation: the first 10 years. Restoration Ecology, 10(4), 645-655.   Wojcik, D. P., et al. (2001). Red imported fire ants: impact on biodiversity.   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   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 here!   Be sure to check out our 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

    44 min
  2. JAN 5

    Does rain impact nest predation risk? | #165

    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: Bakner, N. W., et al.  (2019). Incubation recess behaviors influence nest survival of Wild Turkeys. Ecology and Evolution, 9(24), 14053-14065. Boone, W. W., et al. (2024). Robust assessment of associations between weather and eastern wild turkey nest success. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 88(2), e22524. Braun, M. S., et al. (2018). Birds, feather-degrading bacteria and preen glands: the antimicrobial activity of preen gland secretions from turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) is amplified by keratinase. FEMS microbiology ecology, 94(9), fiy117. Conover, M. R. (2007). Predator-prey dynamics: the role of olfaction. CRC Press. Fluen, T. (2008). A comparative analysis of evolutionary changes in island birds. MSc Thesis, University of Canterbury, Christchurch. Grieves, L. A., et al. (2020). Food stress, but not experimental exposure to mercury, affects songbird preen oil composition. Ecotoxicology, 29, 275-285. Grieves, L. A., et al. (2022). Olfactory camouflage and communication in birds. Biological Reviews, 97(3), 1193-1209. Lehman, C. P., et al. (2010). Ground roost resource selection for Merriam's wild turkeys. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 74(2), 295-299. Lowrey, D. K., et al. (2001). Influences of selected weather variables on predation of wild turkey females and nest success. In Proceedings of the National Wild Turkey Symposium (Vol. 8, pp. 173-178). Potier, S., et al. (2018). Preen oil chemical composition encodes individuality, seasonal variation and kinship in black kites Milvus migrans. Journal of Avian Biology, 49(7), e01728. Reneerkens, J., et al. (2002). Sandpipers (Scolopacidae) switch from monoester to diester preen waxes during courtship and incubation, but why?. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 269(1505), 2135-2139. Reneerkens, J., et al. (2005). Switch to diester preen waxes may reduce avian nest predation by mammalian predators using olfactory cues. Journal of Experimental Biology, 208(22), 4199-4202. Reneerkens, J., et al. (2006). Discerning adaptive value of seasonal variation in preen waxes: comparative and experimental approaches. Acta Zoologica Sinica, 52, 272-275. Reneerkens, J., et al. (2007a). Parental role division predicts avian preen wax cycles. Ibis, 149(4), 721-729. Tuttle, E. M.,et al. (2014). Variation in preen oil composition pertaining to season,sex, and genotype in the polymorphic white-throated sparrow.Journal of ChemicalEcology40, 1025–1038. Whelan, R. J., et al. (2010). Short-chain carboxylic acids from gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) uropygial secretions vary with testosterone levels and photoperiod. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 156(3), 183-188. Webb, S. L., et al. (2012). Landscape features and weather influence nest survival of a ground-nesting bird of conservation concern, the greater sage-grouse, in human-altered environments. Ecological Processes, 1, 1-15. Episodes referenced: Effectiveness of trapping across game bird species | #08 Which vital rates are most important to turkey populations? | #13 Brooding and nesting cover (Part 1/2) | #29 Brooding and nesting cover (Part 2/2) | #30   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   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 here!   Be sure to check out our 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

    1h 22m
  3. 12/29/2025

    Wild Turkey Symposium Takeaways | #164

    In this episode, we review papers that stood out to each of us from the 2025 Wild Turkey Symposium.   Resources:   Collier, B. A., & Chamberlain, M. J. (2025). The Notorious PIG: wild pigs are not primary predators of wild turkey nests. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e1618.   Danks, Z. D., et al. (2025). A national standardized wild turkey brood survey: The first 6 years. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e164   Moscicki, D. J., et al. (2025). Multi‐scale evaluation of eastern wild turkey nest‐site selection and nest survival. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e1635.   Ogawa, R., et al. (2025). Is wild turkey habitat selection spatially consistent? A three‐decade meta‐analysis in Mississippi. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e70000.   The Wildlife Society Bulletin - Wild Turkey Symposium   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.   Ulrey, E. E., et al. (2025). Use of LiDAR to examine habitat selection by incubating female wild turkeys in South Carolina. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e1628.   What does wild turkey nesting cover look like? (Video)   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   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 here!   Be sure to check out our 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

    1h 16m
  4. 12/22/2025

    Turkeys in Wisconsin : A success story | #163

    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:   Lashley, M. A., et al. (2025). Decreased female survival may explain wild turkey decline. bioRxiv, 2025-05.   Legends of turkey research | #50   Pollentier, C. D., et al. (2021). Gobbling across landscapes: Eastern wild turkey distribution and occupancy–habitat associations. Ecology and Evolution, 11(24), 18248-18270.   Ogawa, R., et al. (2025). Is wild turkey habitat selection spatially consistent? A three‐decade meta‐analysis in Mississippi. Wildlife Society Bulletin, e70000.   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   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 here!   Be sure to check out our 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    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

    51 min
  5. 12/15/2025

    Turkeys and Grouse | #162

    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: EQUIP Food Plots, Feed or Fire: The Real Costs Per Pound of Deer Forage (NDA article) Ruffed Grouse Society   Dr. Ben Jones benj@ruffedgrousesociety.org   Our lab is primarily funded by donations. If you would like to help support our work, please donate here: http://UFgive.to/UFGameLab   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 here!   Be sure to check out our 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    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

    1h 2m
  6. 12/08/2025

    Why to Science | #161

    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: Pre-Print: Lashley et al. (2025) Female Wild turkey survival meta-analysis   Dr. Dwayne Elmore - Tall Timbers, Publications   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 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 here!   Be sure to check out our 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    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

    1h 9m
  7. 12/01/2025

    NEW Online Wild Turkey Training | #160

    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 here!   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    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

    42 min
  8. 11/24/2025

    AL results on LPDV in wild turkeys | #159

    We dive into Will's recent research assessing the effects and prevalence of Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus (LPDV) in wild turkeys in Alabama.   Resources:   Alger, K., et al. (2017). Risk factors for and spatial distribution of lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV) in wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in New York State, USA. Journal of wildlife diseases, 53(3), 499-508.   Goodwin, C. C., et al. (2024). Experimental infection of domestic turkeys with lymphoproliferative disease virus of North American origin. Veterinary Pathology.   Shea, S. A. (2021). Retroviral infection dynamics in Maine's wild turkeys. The University of Maine.   Thomas, J. M., et al. (2015). Molecular surveillance for lymphoproliferative disease virus in wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) from the eastern United States. PLoS One, 10(4), e0122644.   Ostrander, K. N., et al. (2025). Histomonosis and Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus in Male Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in Alabama, USA. Journal of Wildlife Diseases.   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    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

    39 min
5
out of 5
568 Ratings

About

Wild Turkey Science is a science-based podcast bringing you the latest research on wild turkey ecology and management. This podcast is part of the Natural Resources University podcast network and made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow.

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