Oklahoma Wildlife Manager Receives National Wildlife Management Award

“It’s an amazing honor to get this award, especially when I’m still relatively early in my career,” Thibodeau said. “It is just amazing to be recognized, and I’m excited to bring this award back to Oklahoma and have our department recognized as well. I am so proud of the agency’s partnership with the NWTF and all of the work we’ve been able to accomplish.”

The wild turkey has been something close to Thibodeau since he was young. Thibodeau remembers going hunting was one of the few things he and his brothers would do with their dad in between deployments. The outdoors is something he’s always had a deep passion for, and it’s what motivates him to do habitat work.

Thibodeau has demonstrated outstanding dedication to managing several wildlife management areas for the benefit of the wild turkey. The WMAs he oversees total over 55,000 acres in western Oklahoma.

At the Black Kettle and Packsaddle wildlife management areas, Thibodeau has overseen projects totaling over $1,000,000, which focused on eastern red cedar removal along the Canadian River to protect roost trees and enhance habitat suitability for the Rio Grande subspecies of wild turkey.

Thibodeau also leads the Rio Grande Wild Turkey Project for Oklahoma. In that position, he is responsible for conducting and analyzing winter flock surveys, summer brood surveys, turkey harvest surveys, preparing federal aid reports for the turkey segment of the Big Game Report, attending technical committee meetings and representing the agency with NGOs.

He is also a member of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the NWTF’s National Wild Turkey Technical Committee. He promotes R3 initiatives to help spread the NWTF’s mission and has participated in several NWTF events. He teaches NWTF turkey hunting 101 classes, hosts NWTF field days on habitat management sites and helps guide terminally ill youth on turkey hunts during the state’s youth turkey weekend.

Research projects, including a study on thermal refuge and movement of large-bodied Galliforms and a study on wild turkey population dynamics and brood survival in the southwest region of Oklahoma are just a few of the projects Thibodeau works on.

“Marcus is an outstanding biologist who is on the ground creating healthy habitats for future generations to enjoy,” NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff said. “I've had the privilege of watching Marcus since the very start and he has made an incredible impact. His efforts in conserving land for the bird we all cherish is something we are proud to recognize with the Joe Kurz Wildlife Manager of the Year Award.”

About the National Wild Turkey Federation

Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 25 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. Since 2022, the NWTF has also invested over $2.3 million in critical wild turkey research that, when leveraged with partner contributions, has resulted in more than $22 million to guide the management of the wild turkey and to ensure sustainable populations. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale to deliver healthy forests and wildlife habitats, clean and abundant water, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues to unite a nation through the life-changing power of the outdoors.