EP 126 Zack McQueen

It's been two spring wild turkey seasons since Wild Turkey Lab, The NWTF, Ducks Unlimited, UTEP and Low Country Gamebird Foundation launched wildturkeyDNA — a collaborative project designed to initially uncover the genetics behind unique plumage variations in harvested wild turkeys. And, it has been a little more than a year since the first results were shared on social media accounts from birds submitted through hunter-harvested genetics samplings. In this episode of Turkey Call All Access, the NWTF's Pete Muller sits down with Dr. Michael Chamberlain to recount a year of sharing plumage findings shared on social media, updates from samples collected in year two and also discuss what is in store for year three of the projects. To learn more about the wildturkeyDNA project, visit wildturkeyDNA.com.

Research Continues to Expand What We Know About Wild Turkey Nest Predators  When the National Wild Turkey Federation invested in research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln three years ago, researchers set out to answer a relatively straightforward question: Are predators more active around areas where wild turkeys choose to nest? The answer, however, may prove to be far more complicated — and much more useful for turkey conservation.  On this episode of the Turkey Call All Access Podcast, NWTF staffers are joined by staff of AWESM Lab to recap the work that was done, get updates on the project and also look at additional work that is being done to help better manage wild turkeys in Nebraska.

While many hunters believe that turkeys were meant to be solely hunted with shotguns, hunters are picking up bowhunting for turkeys to experience something new and challenging. From having to draw birds especially close, to limiting movements while drawing back on the bow, archery for turkeys can surely test your skills as a hunter. At the NWTF's Convention and Sport Show, we sat down with Bill Vanderheyden, founder of Iron Will Outfitters, to talk about his experiences chasing turkeys with a bow, and we discussed tips and tactics that can potentially make you more successful this spring. To read more about Bill and his passion for archery, visit https://ironwilloutfitters.com/pages/our-story.  

Brent Rogers is a wild turkey hunter, historian, author, podcast guest, collector and more. And, he was the recent recipient of the NWTF Tom Kelly Communicator of the Year Award at the 2026 Convention and Sport Show for his communication effort that share the organization's mission to conserve the wild turkey and preserve our hunting heritage.  On this episode of the Turkey Call All Access Podcast, the NWTF's Pete Muller sits down with Rogers to talk about him receiving this honor at convention and hosting a seminar with members of the Primos Hunting focused on old turkey calls. Rogers is also currently celebrating the publication of his co-authored book, "The Origin and Evolution of Turkey Calls," which tells the story of the people, places and methods of early turkey call making. Muller and Rogers discuss a few of the notable stories that readers can expect.

Realtree and the National Wild Turkey Federation recently announced a landmark partnership with Realtree supporting the NWTF's Habitat for the Hatch initiative in the Southeast. Now, during the NWTF's 50th Convention and Sport Show, Realtree is celebrating it's 40th anniversary.  During the final day of the annual gathering of the NWTF flock in Nashville, the NWTF's Pete Muller and newly hired NWTF National Director of Wild Turkey Research Patrick Wightman sat down with Realtree Vice President Tyler Jordan to talk about the company's anniverary, the growth of a brand started by his father that extends beyond just the hunting community and also discuss why  Realtree is coming out big to support the NWTF's mission to conserve the wild turkey and preserve our hunting heritage. To learn more about Realtree, visit www.realtree.com.

When founder Toxey Haas launched Mossy Oak in 1986, he did so because he wanted to have a better way to hide from wildlife. Now 40 years and dozens of camo patterns later, Mossy Oak has helped countless hunters make memories through their adventures afield.  The NWTF's Pete Muller sits down with Mossy Oak's President and first official employee Bill Sugg and Director of Marketing Daniel Haas to talk the early years, the importance of turkey hunting to the brand, what it means to them to engage with the NWTF faithful each year at the Convention and Sports Show as well as what they have in store for the future! To keep up with new from Mossy Oak, visit https://www.mossyoak.com/.

As the daughter of Colonel Tom Kelly, the poet laureate of the turkey woods, Laura Bates is no stranger to the world of turkey hunting and the impact her father's books have had on so many hunters who take to the woods each spring.  With the upcoming launch of the Tenth Legion: Bootleg Revival edition, set for release at the 2026 NWTF Convention and Sport Show, Bates joins the NWTF's Jesse Warner to talk the history of Tenth Legion, the story behind the new release, stories about her dad from her childhood, both her and her dad's perceived contributions to turkey conservation and much more! To learn more about the upcoming book release, visit https://tomkellyinc.com.

With the NWTF Photography Contest, sponsored by Tactacam, currently open for submissions at https://your.nwtf.org/photo_contest/ (call for entries closes on January 10, 2026), wildlife and lifestyle photography are on our minds.  The NWTF's Jesse Warner continues conversations about wildlife photography by sitting down with Zack McQueen. You may have seen McQueen's work in the NWTF's photo contest, Wyoming Wildlife's Calendar or across social on his channels.  They talk Mcqueen's start in photography, his choice of camera equipment, specific shots McQueen worked hard to capture — like the one where you can see a turkey's gobble thanks to the steam in its breath — and much more!  To check out McQueen's photography work, visit https://www.instagram.com/z.mcqueen_photography/.

With the NWTF Photography Contest, sponsored by Tactacam, currently open for submissions at https://your.nwtf.org/photo_contest/ (call for entries closes on January 10, 2026), wildlife and lifestyle photography are on our minds.  On the episode, the NWTF's Jesse Warner sits down with talented photographer Clayton Worrell of Cedar Bluff, Iowa. They talk the origin of his photography studio name — Grizhawkins or Grizhawk, tactics used in the field to get shots he wants, setting goals for desirable images and much more! If you enjoy shooting turkeys from behind the lens just as much as you do from behind the gun, this is an episode you'll want to catch. To view Worrell's work, check him out on Instagram @Grizhawk or visit his website https://www.grizhawkins.com/. Or if you are headed to the NWTF Convention and Sport Show, you can visit his booth on the sport show floor — both 2055.  

As we know there is an elevated interest in wild turkey science within the turkey hunting community, we are working to bring you numerous updates and research summaries from the 13th National Wild Turkey Symposium in Kansas City, Missouri. This episode includes a conversation with the authors and presenters from the following papers included in the "New and Emerging Tools" session: "Investigating diel patterns of predation events in wild turkey using tri-axial accelerometer data" —- Wightman et al.(https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wsb.1631) "Use of LIDAR to examine habitat selection by incubating female wild turkeys in South Carolina" — Ulrey et al. (Presented by Nick Bakner) (https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wsb.1628) "Assessing the potential of unoccupied aerial vehicles and deep learning to survey wild turkey populations" — Schumacher et al. (Presented by Mike Byrnes) (https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wsb.1639) Additional guest includes the NWTF's Ricky Lackey To view the full symposium agenda, visit www.wildturkeysymposium.org.