Episode #114 Tracking Ducks with GPS Technology And The Role of Food Sources in Duck Nutrition

Cory Highway is a waterfall biologist and PhD student at Tennessee Tech University. His research focuses on understanding how ducks are reacting to the landscape and hunting pressures in West Tennessee. Cory's work involves tracking duck populations using GPS transmitters and studying their movement patterns. He also investigates the impact of disturbing duck refuges on hunting success. Cory emphasizes the importance of bridging the gap between scientific research and public understanding, especially in the field of waterfowl conservation. In this conversation, Cory Highway discusses his research on duck movements and behavior in Western Tennessee. He explains how his team used GPS transmitters and shotgun recording units to track the movements of ducks and analyze their behavior. They found that ducks tend to stick close to refuge areas and are less likely to move if they have a safe area with abundant food. They also discovered that birds in closer proximity to other refuges were more likely to be harvested. The research aims to understand how the landscape and hunting pressure affect duck movements and hunter success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices