How To Hunt Turkey - Wild Turkey State Of The Union

In this episode of 'How to Hunt Turkey' from Sportsmen's Empire, host Dan Johnson sits down with Patrick Whiteman, National Director of Wild Turkey Research and Science at the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). Whiteman shares insights into the current state of wild turkey populations across North America, emphasizing that while regional challenges vary—particularly in the Southeast where habitat loss and fragmentation are critical—there is still hope for conservation. He discusses the NWTF’s $2.3 million annual investment in research across 26 states, focusing on key priorities like abundance estimation, disease monitoring, habitat quality, predation, and harvest regulation. A highlight of the conversation is Whiteman’s groundbreaking work using GPS and audio loggers on turkeys to study gobbling behavior, predation timing, and individual variation—offering unprecedented data on turkey ecology. He also addresses the myth of 'turkey doom,' urging hunters to get involved in conservation through organizations like the NWTF, even if they’re public land hunters. The episode ends with a call to action: support science, understand the bigger picture, and enjoy the hunt with purpose.