Some stories smell like fresh-cut hay and sound like a gravel road under old tires. This one’s got both. Rusty grew up in the hills and hollers of southwest Missouri—working hayfields at five years old, chasing turkeys that scratched through cow manure, and hunting deer long before camo came in brand names. In this conversation, he shares decades of grit, humor, and lessons learned from farming, law enforcement, and a lifetime in the outdoors.

From food plots that wither in drought, to climate shifts that turn November hunts into T-shirt weather, Rusty lays it out plain—how weather, predators, and changing farm life have shaped the deer and turkey populations in his county. He doesn’t shy away from hot topics either: crossbows vs. compounds, baiting laws, CWD politics, and the pressures TV hunting culture puts on everyday hunters.

But the heart of Rusty’s story comes through in the moments that matter most—watching his wife take a buck during chemo, seeing his daughter drop her first deer, and remembering the old days when the check-in station was the town square. It’s a conversation about keeping hunting real, respecting each other’s choices, and passing on the legacy without losing the joy.

Pull up a chair at deer camp—this is one worth hearing start to finish.

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