Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things is more than a podcast. It’s a record of knowledge, a tool for transformation, and a beacon for those who believe that good land management is as much about community as it is about combustion.
It honors the science while embracing the stories. It respects the past while equipping the future. And in every smoky anecdote, every carefully explained concept, it carries one message: that stewardship isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution—it’s a lifelong journey shaped by fire, forage, and a little bit of wildness.
If you haven’t listened yet, now’s the time. Because the land won’t wait. And neither will the next burn window.
In this episode, Oklahoma State University wildlife professor Sue Fairbanks joins John Weir, Laura Goodman, and Mark Turner to explore why Oklahoma’s pronghorn population is declining and what five years of research revealed about their survival. From drought and fences to native grassland and the importance of protecting adult females, the conversation gives landowners a clearer picture of what these prairie animals need to thrive.
29 Sept 2026
Oklahoma Birds: Migration, Glass and Grasslands
Fall migration is underway across Oklahoma, but the millions of birds moving through the Great Plains face challenges that aren't always easy to see. In this episode of *Blazin' Grazin and Other Wild Things*, Oklahoma State University wildlife ecologist Scott Loss Ph.D. joins John Weir, Laura Goodman Ph.D. and Mark Turner Ph.D. to explore the remarkable movement of migratory birds and what those birds can tell us about the landscapes around us.
Loss explains why cold fronts and north winds can trigger major fall movements, how tools such as Merlin Bird ID and BirdCast are changing the way people experience migration, and why windows pose such a serious threat to birds. He also shares practical steps homeowners and property managers can take to make glass safer—including why one hawk decal isn't enough.
Then the conversation moves from the sky to the grasslands. Research in western Oklahoma is finding a connection between eastern redcedar encroachment and increased tick abundance, particularly lone star ticks. Even early stages of cedar invasion can create conditions favorable to ticks. It's another example of how changes in Great Plains vegetation can ripple through wildlife, livestock and human environments in unexpected ways.
15 Sept 2026
Fire Management: Stop Chasing Fixed Seasons
What if some of the rules land managers have followed about prescribed fire are actually limiting what fire can accomplish?
University of Nebraska professor and rangeland ecologist Dirac Twidwell Ph.D. joins John Weir, Laura Goodman Ph.D. and Mark Turner Ph.D. for a wide-ranging discussion about prescribed fire, wildfire risk and eastern redcedar across the Great Plains. Twidwell explains how research challenging traditional fire prescriptions showed that land managers can safely broaden when and how they burn when they understand the factors that actually drive risk.
The conversation explores growing-season and fall burning, ember transport, drought, wind, spot-fire potential and why a “good burn day” depends as much on the burn unit and its preparation as a date on the calendar. The group also digs into eastern redcedar management and a major shift in thinking: instead of waiting until trees become a costly infestation, identify and manage seed sources while surrounding grasslands are still intact.
For ranchers and land managers, the practical message is simple: build a plan around the landscape you have and the outcome you want. More burn days, better preparation and earlier action against woody encroachment can help protect forage, wildlife habitat and working grasslands before restoration becomes far more difficult and expensive.
Who has been a guest on Blazin' Grazin' And Other Wild Things
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Amy Hagerman
Dr Karen Hickman
Dr Esben Kjaer
Grady Parmley
Dr Jason Harmon
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
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