Wild Turkey Science

How to transform fields into brooding cover | #201

We break down native early successional (old field) management for turkeys — how to identify the plants that really matter, when and why to use fire versus spot-spraying,

What we've learned in four years of turkey science | #200

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.,

What Affects Jake Survival? | #199

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 Ten

We're talking about sperm, folks | #198

In this episode, we dive into turkey reproductive physiology, focusing on how photostimulation and photorefractoriness influence turkey breeding cycles.    Resources:

Are we losing the hardwoods that turkeys depend on? | #197

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 decli

How much turkey predation is actually avian? | #196

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.,

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

Dr. Mark Turner joins us to discuss his newly accepted, peer-reviewed study examining how vegetation around wild turkey nests impacts both nest success and hen survival d

When predator control works | #194

Will walks us through a recent study assessing the effects of predator removal on a ground nesting bird - the Pigeon Gullimot - and how this translates to managing predat

Which herbicides and when? | #193

In this episode, we discuss our go-to herbicides for various land management scenarios.   Resources: Herbicides | Ep 102   Get your tickets to our 2nd Annual UF

Tes shares her experience with brood imprinting | #192

Marcus sits down with Tes Randle Jolly - award-winning professional wildlife and turkey photographer extraordinaire - who shares insights from her time spent as a poult m

Don't feed the coons, folks | #191

In this episode, we dig into raccoon population densities across the literature, uncovering how food subsidization can push numbers from under 10 to over 300 per square k

Exploring new funding models | #190

In this episode, Marcus sits down with the UF Game Lab communications team   – Charlotte and Dot – to share insights into the communication and fundraising efforts for a

The Life and Legacy of Tom Kelly | #189

Join us as we explore the life and legacy of Tom Kelly through his daughter Laura Bates.    Tom Kelly, Inc. (Website) (Facebook Page) (Instagram)   Resources: N

What's eating your turkeys | #188

We're bringing back our episode where we dig into what the scientific literature actually says about what eats turkeys at every life stage.   Resources from the episo

Burning During Nesting: What the research says | #187

We're bringing back our episode with Dr. Chris Moorman on the use of prescribed fire during the nesting season.    Resources: Kilburg, Eric L., et al. "Wild turkey

Trap the pigs, folks | #186

Feral pigs are bad news for wild turkeys – but how bad, and what should you actually do about it? In this episode, we break down the latest research on pig population imp

Blackberries buffer coyote predation | #185

We break down a 2026 coyote diet study to reveal how blackberry availability actually buffers fawns from predation, and what that means for how you should be thinking abo

How science has shaped the way we hunt | #184

In this episode, we discuss how years of turkey research has directly influenced the way that we hunt.    Resources: Fist Full of Dirt: Dr. Disturbance Can Flat-Out

The Trumpet Strikes Again | #183

Gear up for another storytime episode as we swap late-season turkey hunting chronicles in this one.   Resources: Turkey Calling Tutorial: Master the Trumpet & Wingb

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

In this episode, we dive into new research findings on the prevalence and biological impact of REV and LPDV in wild turkeys.    Resources: Adcock, K. G., et al. (20