Dr. Wightman Takes Waddell to School on Turkey Science and Turkey Hunting
DENVER (April 22, 2026) – Dr. Patrick Wightman, the National Wild Turkey Federation’s newly appointed National Director of Turkey Research and Science – the organization’s first director-level role of this kind since the 1980s – has over a decade of experience in turkey research, and he is our special guest on this episode of The Michael Waddell Podcast, presented by Spandau Arms and in partnership with Folds of Honor and Cigars International. Without a doubt, those who chase wild turkeys are among the most passionate of hunters, and since the early ‘70s, it has been members of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) who have taken the lead not only in wild turkey conservation, but also in efforts to preserve the hunting heritage. Dr. Patrick Wightman, a PhD at the University of Georgia’s prestigious Warnell School of Forestry and National Resources, was born and raised in Western New York where he was introduced to turkey hunting by his father, and he shot is first turkey at the age of 13.
Having developed a deep, scientific curiosity and genuine love for the outdoors, Wightman went on to Paul Smith’s College in New York’s Adirondack Park for undergraduate work, then to the Louisiana State University for his master’s degree (where he studied under well-known wild turkey researcher Dr. Bret Collier), and finally to the University of Georgia (UGA), where he completed his doctorate under the guidance of noted turkey researcher Dr. Mike Chamberlain and joined his research staff. Dr. Wightman has led and been involved with a wide variety of scientific studies vital to wild turkey conservation.
In his new role at the NWTF, Dr. Wightman is continuing his ground-breaking research that uses both accelerometer and audio-recording technologies in GPS tracking units for wild turkeys. He also will be overseeing and coordinating the organization’s expansive research program, working with their network of endowed professors and keeping an eye on the overall health and well-being of wild turkeys across the country with the help of the NWTF’s National Wild Turkey Technical Committee. In recent years, the NWTF has stepped up its spending in research, and historically the organization and its partners have invested tens of millions in scientific studies aimed at boosting wild turkey numbers. The NWTF has played a key role in restoring turkey populations across North America.
The Michael Waddell Podcast is produced by Outdoor Sportsman Group and is available widely on Outdoor Channel YouTube, MyOutdoorTV, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and OutdoorChannel.com, to name a few.
In this episode, Patrick Wightman talks about his own hunting background and speaking to and serving hunters in his new NWTF role: “To me, it’s extremely important from a hunting perspective because the people I’m communicating to are the hunters, and ‘How do I communicate to a hunter if I’m not one?’ And it’s the reason I got interested to begin with… People should know that the reason why this bird is mostly still on the landscape today is because of the backs of hunters,” Wightman continued. “And that’s with a lot of game species. And that’s what people don’t understand. Through the P-R dollars, the Pittman-Robertson tax, any time we buy hunting or shooting related items, 12% of that goes to the federal government and then directly back to conservation, doing research, making jobs like mine possible, and so the hunters are who cares. It’s hard for people to grasp that at times…but hunters are some of the most passionate conservationists as well and off the back of our dollars we’ve saved species, and I believe the turkey is one of them,” he finished emphatically.”
Dr. Patrick Wightman and Michael Waddell share a true passion for the wild turkey, and Dr. Wightman’s decade plus of scientific research and Waddell’s degree in “Woods Knowledge and Redneck Biology” make for a lively, turkey hunting tour de force of a podcast. Driven by Waddell’s natural curiosity and years of personal experience raising turkeys, talking to turkeys, observing them and, of course, hunting them, Dr. Wightman and Waddell cover a wide range of topics, and the following are just a few: GPS research, gobbling, turkey travel, hunting pressure, individual behavior and how it affects survival, turkey social structure and individual personalities, “lookers and strutters,” relatedness and cooperative breeding, predation and life expectancy, hen nesting, nest fidelity and re-nesting, brood raising and polt survival, how weather affects mortality, super jakes, habitat (‘Habitat is king,’ according to Dr. Wightman) and much, much more. Also, if you’ve ever wondered if turkeys know one another, give this a listen!
“I’m thankful for the NWTF,” said Dr. Wightman. “I appreciate all the ground work that’s been laid for me to even have this opportunity… Guys like James Earl Kennamer, the CEOs of the companies over the years, all the volunteers, all the staff – I think there’s 200-300 employees in that organization. I’m the fortunate one to be able to come into this position now, but they’ve done all the work to even make this position possible. The fact that the NWTF in the last four years has invested $2 million into research directly, 35 different research projects, and when matched it’s up over $20 million over the years. That’s not lost on me, and I’m very fortunate. So, I’m excited for this time. I’m excited for how excited people are around turkey research and conservation now. I feel like it’s going in a good direction and I think, together with the research and that enthusiasm, we can make a difference for this bird.”
“I was so looking forward to spending this time with Patrick Wightman – Dr. Patrick Wightman! – and I am so appreciative of his time and the opportunity to nerd-out with him on turkeys. It goes without saying that I have been obsessed with turkey hunting my entire life, but I find myself more intrigued by the wild turkey now than ever, and I’m hungry to learn more. I cannot wait to see what Dr. Patrick Wightman does in his new role at the NWTF, and I hope he calls me with all his new findings, especially if he gets the chance to measure some turkey toes as suggested by “Turkey Man” Eddie Salter and me.
The Michael Waddell Podcast releases new episodes every other week.
Waddell’s story began in the backwoods of Booger Bottom, Georgia, where he grew up surrounded by nature, family, and a love for the outdoors. A self-proclaimed “rowdy redneck,” his passion for hunting and storytelling led him to win a Realtree turkey-calling contest, which launched his career in the outdoor industry. From guiding and filming hunts to creating hit shows like Realtree Road Trips and Bone Collector, Waddell has become a beloved figure in the outdoor world.
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