082 - Factors Affecting Gobbling in Wild Turkeys

In this episode I discuss some of the factors affecting gobbling in wild turkeys with wildlife biologist Derek Colbert. While getting his Master's Degree at the University of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry, Derek Colbert headed up a study to determine how weather, nesting, and hunting pressure affect gobbling in wild turkeys. During his study, Derek and other volunteers gathered and analyzed over 20,000 hours of audio to determine number of wild turkey gobbles heard at 14 different listening stations on two different pieces of property in Southwest Georgia - one hunted parcel and one non hunted parcel.  The goal of this part of a larger overall study was to determine what effects different weather variables played on the amount of gobbling by male wild turkeys and whether the timing of the hunting seasons have a negative effect on the breeding cycle of wild turkeys. The findings from the study are quite interesting, and further prove the unpredictability of wild turkeys and why they are such an amazing game animal to pursue. Listen in and enjoy learning more about some factors affecting gobbling in wild turkeys.