Abstract:

Wild turkeys have been extensively studied throughout their geographic range. Despite decades of foundational research, ongoing work continues to demonstrate that our working knowledge of the species’ mating system, behavior, and response to anthropogenic activities is lacking. I will present contemporary research on how hunting impacts various aspects of wild turkey behavior and vital rates, how female behavior during reproductive periods is more nuanced and complex than previously believed, and how social structure within populations reveals that dispersal in wild turkeys doesn’t function as previously inferred. Collectively, my presentation will reveal that we continue to learn many aspects about wild turkeys that we believed we already knew.



Speaker’s Bio:

Mike Chamberlain is the Terrell Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. Mike has been with the faculty at UGA for 12 years, after spending 11 years in a similar position at Louisiana State University. He obtained a B.S. from Virginia Tech, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Mississippi State University. Mike has conducted research on various wildlife species throughout his career, with much of his work focused on applied questions directed at management of those species and the landscapes they inhabit. Since his days as a graduate student, Mike has consistently conducted research on wild turkeys, with that research now spanning 25 years. In recognition of his work on wild turkeys, the National Wild Turkey Federation has presented him with the Henry S. Mosby Award for excellence in research, and the Tom Kelly Communicator Award for his social media and outreach efforts focused on wild turkey research and management.