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Wild Turkey Science

Recruitment is down, decoys are up | #136

Wild Turkey Science

Charlotte Nowak

Science, Natural Sciences

5.0587 Ratings

🗓️ 16 June 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, we review trending data across hunter age, hunter recruitment, decoy use, and reaping as Dr. Zach Steele, Post-doctoral associate and interdisciplinary ecologist specializing in human dimensions, walks us through his newest publication. 

Resources:

Harris, A. (2006). Turkey hunting in 2006: an analysis of hunter demographics, trends, and economic impacts. USFWS Report, 7.

Maryland Spring Turkey Hunter Survey – Results Summary. August 2017

Steele, Z.T., & M.A. Lashley. (2025). Reviewing human dimensions of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hunting research and synthesizing future directions. Zenodo.

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.

 

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. Enroll Now! 

 

Dr. Zach Steele Publications

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow 

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

 

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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

 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to Wild Turkey Science, a podcast made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow.

0:13.9

I'm Dr. Marcus Lashley, Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Florida.

0:19.2

And I'm Dr. Will Gulsby, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management at Auburn University.

0:25.9

We're both lifelong hunters and devoted scientists who are passionate about hunting, managing,

0:31.3

and researching wild turkeys.

0:33.2

In this podcast, we'll explore turkey research, speak to the experts in the field,

0:38.3

and address the difficult questions related to wild turkey ecology and management.

0:43.1

Our goal is to serve as your connection to wild turkey science.

0:57.0

Do we still need to be quiet or we've been quiet enough?

1:00.5

I think we've now been quiet enough.

1:04.7

Get some ASMR of me sipping my coffee.

1:10.0

Isn't that what it's called when people listen to it?

1:13.1

Zach, you know what I'm talking about, right? Yeah, yeah, like Peter does that with his kid Wanda all the time.

1:17.2

They put that stuff on.

1:18.1

It's supposed to be really good for kids.

1:20.3

People are like playing with like marbles or something or just pouring water.

1:24.5

Yes.

1:25.4

You know what I'm talking about.

1:27.2

When I draw that. Marcus just gaslights me to thinking, You know what I'm talking about. I'm going to have to drive that.

1:28.7

Marcus just gaslights me into thinking, making me think I'm crazy.

1:33.2

He does that all the time.

1:34.4

That was not an intentional gaslight.

...

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