WildAg Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This month we are joined by Dr. Jordan Giese, Research Assistant Professor at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University - Kingsville, to talk about prairie strips and his research on bird responses to prairie strips in row crop acres. From songbirds to Ring-necked pheasants, Dr. Giese shares how prairie strips can be beneficial for a range of wildlife within agricultural landscapes. Whether you are interested in birding, hunting, wildflowers, or soil health, prairie strips offer immense benefits for farmers across the Midwest.  

Resources: 

• Science-Based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips (STRIPS) 

• Prairie Strips farmer and landowner testimonials 

Dr. Jordan Giese [website, @birdnbiologist] 

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] 

Nathan Pflueger [website] 

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] 

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne] 

Watch these podcasts on YouTube 

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us! 

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/ 

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/ 

Music by Humans Win 

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin 

What makes the Great Plains such a productive agricultural hotspot? And why are some fields just more productive than others no matter what? It turns out the secret is in the soil. This month we are joined by Dr. Ray Ward, founder of Ward Laboratories, to discuss how our soils came to be and how a better knowledge of your soil can lead to healthier farms and ecosystems overall. With a PhD in Soil Fertility and personal farming experience, Dr. Ward shares how practices like cover crops and diversifying an operation can lead to massive benefits – in soil health, water quality, wildlife abundance, ecosystem health and farmer profitability.  

Resources: 

• Ward Laboratories 

• Ward Labs Resources 

Dr. Ray Ward [website] 

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] 

Nathan Pflueger [website] 

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] 

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne] 

Watch these podcasts on YouTube 

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us! 

We are dedicated to bringing important information and new ideas to listeners just like you. Help us keep WildAg going by donating to the podcast: https://nufoundation.org/fund/01155570/ 

Or, learn more about how your organization can sponsor episodes: https://awesmlab.unl.edu/wildag-sponsorship/ 

Music by Humans Win 

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin 

This month we are joined by Dr. Mike Chamberlain, National Wild Turkey Federation Distinguished Professor at the University of Georgia to talk about the state of the wild turkey across the country and what the future looks like for this iconic bird. 

Resources: 

• Wild Turkey Lab 

• Ongoing research: Wild Turkey Ecology in Western Nebraska 

Dr. Mike Chamberlain [website, @wildturkeydoc] 

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] 

Nathan Pflueger [website] 

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] 

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne] 

Watch these podcasts on YouTube 

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us! 

Music by Humans Win 

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin 

This month we are joined by Luke Meduna, Big Game Program Manager at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to talk about all things deer-related, from hunting and disease to the inside scoop on management. 

Resources: 

• Big Game Guide 

• 2024 Big Game Recommendations 

• River Anterless Nebraska Unit Map 

• Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 

Luke Meduna [website] 

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] 

Nathan Pflueger [website] 

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] 

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne] 

Watch these podcasts on YouTube 

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us! 

Music by Humans Win 

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin 

This month we are joined by Dr. Mitch Stephenson, Range Management Specialist at University of Nebraska, and Kaitlyn Dozler, Virtual Fence Program Manager at University of Missouri, to talk about Kaitlyn's research with virtual fencing and how it can be safely used for conservation on ranchlands. 

Resources: 

• Influence of virtual fence on heart rate response in beef cattle 

• Precision Livestock Management on Extensive Rangelands 

• University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture 

Dr. Mitchell Stephenson [academic profile] 

Kaitlyn Dozler [website] 

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] 

Nathan Pflueger [website] 

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] 

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne] 

Watch these podcasts on YouTube 

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us! 

Music by Humans Win 

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin 

This month we are joined by Mr. Bob Bettger, a fifth-generation Nebraska landowner and producer, to tell his story – both the benefits and challenges – of integrating conservation practices into his operation. 

Resources: 

• Federal Conservation Programs (Farm Service Agency) 

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] 

Nathan Pflueger [website] 

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] 

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne] 

Watch these podcasts on YouTube 

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us! 

Music by Humans Win 

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin 

This month we are joined by Ted LaGrange, Wetland Program Manager at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, to discuss the incredible benefits that wetlands offer, the challenges facing them, and opportunities for farmers to work with wetlands.  

Resources: 

• Wetlands of Nebraska 

• Landowner Habitat Programs in Nebraska 

Ted LaGrange [email] 

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] 

Nathan Pflueger [website] 

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] 

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne] 

Watch these podcasts on YouTube 

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us! 

Music by Humans Win 

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin 

This month we are joined by Buddy Huffaker, Executive Director of the Aldo Leopold Foundation, to discuss Leopold's legacy on wildlife management and what it means for modern conservation.  

Resources: 

• The Aldo Leopold Foundation 

• 75th Anniversary Edition A Sand County Almanac 

Buddy Huffaker [website] 

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] 

Nathan Pflueger [website] 

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] 

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne] 

Watch these podcasts on YouTube 

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us! 

Music by Humans Win 

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin 

This month we are joined by Carlos Villarreal, Nebraska State Soil Scientist at USDA-NRCS, to discuss all things soil health in Nebraska and beyond.  

Resources: 

• Soil Health Basics and Benefits 

• Unlock Your Farm's Potential: Dig a Little, Learn a Lot 

• Unlock Your Farm's Potential: Discover the Cover 

• Unlock Your Farm's Potential: Do Not Disturb 

Carlos Villarreal [website] 

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] 

Nathan Pflueger [website] 

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] 

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne] 

Watch these podcasts on YouTube 

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us! 

Music by Humans Win 

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin 

This month we are joined by Sam Wilson, Furbearer Carnivore Program Manager at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and Jason Clark, Conservation Forester at the Nebraska Forest Service, to discuss mountain lions in Nebraska.  

Resources: 

• Medullary Configurations Illustration 

• Mountain Lion Management in Nebraska 

• ***Updated population estimates in Nebraska (updated 6/27/2024) 

Sam Wilson [website] 

Jason Clark [website] 

Dr. Andrew Little [academic profile, @awesmlabdoc] 

Nathan Pflueger [website] 

AWESM Lab [website, @awesmlab] 

Nebraska Pheasants Forever [website, @pheasants_quailforever_of_ne] 

Watch these podcasts on YouTube 

If you enjoy this podcast, leave a rating and review so others can find us! 

Music by Humans Win 

Produced and edited by Iris McFarlin