Legends of the Wild, Episode 13: "Chasing Mallards Through Timber: Rusty Creasey on Management, Migration, and Mentorship"

Podcast: Legends of the Wild (Field & Stream)
Host: Sam Soholt
Guest: Rusty Creasey
Release Date: December 3, 2025
Duration: ~1hr 3min

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Sam Soholt sits down with esteemed Arkansas duck manager and outdoorsman Rusty Creasey. The conversation journeys through Rusty’s upbringing in rural Arkansas, his career evolution in duck habitat management, his innovative techniques for sustaining duck populations, the changing nature of duck migration, and the crucial role of mentorship and ethics in the hunting community. Rusty’s storytelling is vibrant—mixing humor, wisdom, and deeply held convictions about conservation and tradition.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rusty's Origins in the Outdoors (02:24–09:32)

• Background: Grew up in rural Arkansas; outdoors was “all I knew”—spent time hunting, fishing, and foraging with family.
• Influence of Family: Father, uncle (manager of Coca Cola Woods for 40+ years), and older brother were key mentors.
• Life Lessons: Stories about first hunts as a child, the seriousness with which he approached even hunting sparrows, and gaining trust and responsibility.
  • Quote (Rusty, 05:01): “You got two choices: right, right; wrong, wrong. If you’ll always do right, you’ll be fine. I learned that at a young age.”
• Transitions: Left college for work in ag business, ultimately took over managing the legendary Coca Cola Woods after his uncle became sick.

2. Coca Cola Woods: A Case Study in Habitat Management (10:04–14:45)

• What is the Coca Cola Woods?: A storied, timber-rich hunting property in Arkansas, originally owned by the Coca Cola bottling company of Memphis.

  • Rusty describes instituting rest areas and food plots, learning from practices on nearby refuges.

• Habitat Improvements: Focus on not just hunting, but building rest and feeding zones to hold birds, manage pressure, and improve long-term hunting quality.

• Bittersweet Farewell: Rusty’s emotional departure due to limited creative freedom; wanted to expand his reach and share knowledge more broadly.

  • Quote (Rusty, 13:22): “When you meet kids… and they tell you what you said or done changed them, I’m like—now we’re really starting to make a difference. Now we’re using our platforms for something that counts.”

3. Current Work: New Lands and Applying Experience (14:50–18:15)

• Transition to Beecham Woods: Rusty now manages a new property (“Beecham Woods”), similar in character to Coke Woods, but with new challenges and opportunities.
• Testing His Ideas: Applying the same management tools—food plots, rest areas—proved they work in new settings.
  • Quote (Rusty, 17:37): “Anything you do… the worst thing that happens is you learn something when you try something new.”
• Club Model: Not an outfitter—private owner hosts friends, family, and business associates. Rusty guides but there’s no commercial hunting.

4. The Science & Art of Duck Management (19:45–25:07)

• Pressure & Quality: Managing hunting pressure, creating sanctuaries, and being mindful about how, where, and when you hunt extending productive seasons.
  • Quote (Rusty, 22:25): “I’m thinking way ahead—on day 60 I still want to be shooting ducks, still want to be holding ducks.”
• Quiet Guns—A Real Advantage: Advocates use of sub-gauges (20ga, 28ga, .410) in timber to reduce noise disturbance and hunting pressure.
  • Quote (Rusty, 24:07): “You can have a volley with a .410 and by the time you got your ducks picked up, you could be calling ducks again.”

5. Innovative Hunting: Bowhunting for Ducks (25:07–29:45)

• Bowhunting as a Management Tool: Rusty recounts hunting mallards with a bow—primarily to avoid making noise and educate birds, keeping the area ‘fresh’ for special guests.
  • Quote (Rusty, 26:51): “I have gone out before and shot four times with a bow, killed four drake mallards, and been back at the lodge by 7am.”
• Ethics of Shooting on the Water: Defends shot selection, emphasizing the skill of finishing birds and ethical hunting.

6. The Migration Discussion: “Short Stopping” & Habitat Pressures (29:45–41:59)

• Changing Patterns: Acknowledges southern hunters’ frustrations with more birds wintering farther north (“short stopping”) but stresses that ‘weather drives ducks.’
• Role of Private and Public Land: Explains how private lands holding birds with food & sanctuary benefit public hunters too, especially when water rises and birds redistribute.
  • Quote (Rusty, 35:14): “If it wasn’t for private landowners… I don’t think there’d be a lot for public land guys to chase.”
• Farming and Food Availability: Advances in agriculture mean less waste grain and less food/unharvested crops for ducks, making “every seed count” more than ever.
• Conservation Divide: Host Sam highlights that prairie breeding grounds are vanishing up north while southern habitat is changing to make ducks’ survival harder; efforts needed at both ends.

7. Imprinting and the Changing Landscape of Migration (39:12–42:00)

• Imprinting on New Wintering Grounds: Discusses how young ducks will only migrate as far south as their mother teaches them—after several mild winters, this could shift migration bands northwards permanently.

8. Living the Dream: The Allure & Ethics of Southern Timber Hunting (43:07–46:44)

• “Dream” Timber Hunts: Rusty reflects on the childhood dream for many—hunting southern flooded timber, the “duck capital of the world.”
• Non-local Hunters & Conservation Funding: Encourages embracing out-of-state hunters as vital to wildlife conservation funding through license revenue.
  • Quote (Sam, 44:51): “Out-of-staters spend a whole lot of money on licenses and all that goes right back into the coffer…”

9. Mentorship, Grace, and Social Media (48:12–51:52)

• Importance of Mentorship: Rusty emphasizes patience and encouragement for new (or out-of-state) hunters, noting many lack mentors and need accessible guidance.
  • Quote (Rusty, 49:00): “I can’t say it gets ignored—but it gets overlooked—that a lot of people are self-taught or learning from social media.”
• Using Platforms for Good: Talks about receiving messages from parents whose kids learned skills or ethics from his content. He argues social media can be a force for good if used right.
• Balance: Wrestles with the tension between reducing hunting pressure but also wanting more people to hunt for the future of the tradition.

10. Ethics Start at Home—Parenting & Hunting Values (52:55–58:59)

• Setting High Standards: Rusty shares his old-school values about manners and respect—insists these are foundational not just to hunting, but all of life.
  • Quote (Rusty, 54:28): “If you expect a kid to respect you and be 150 yards away… don’t expect them to have respect in the field if they don’t have it at home.”
• Raising the Next Generation: Advocates for hands-on, consistent parenting, and always leading by example.

11. Closing Thoughts—Self-Belief and Service (60:42–62:33)

• Perspective on “Making It”: Rusty pushes back on the idea of ever “arriving”—it’s about constant improvement and generosity.
  • Quote (Rusty, 61:06): “Making it—that’s an invisible place you never get to. You always strive to be better tomorrow than you were today.”
• Giving Back: Shares stories about how what you give to others often rebounds as a gift to yourself.
  • Quote (Rusty, 62:27): “You think you’re doing something for them, and you are. But at the end of it, you look back—man, they did something for me.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Family & Mentorship (05:01):
  • “If you’ll always do right, you’ll be fine. And I learned that at a young age and my parents trusted me and I was always safe with a gun.” —Rusty
• On Habitat Management (13:22):
  • “Now we’re really starting to make a difference—now we’re using our platform for something that counts.” —Rusty
• On Imprinting and Migration (39:32):
  • “After three years you’ve got however many that’s never made it as far as Arkansas or Louisiana... I never thought about it that way. That’s great.” —Rusty
• On Using Social Media Positively (49:00):
  • “We can make a difference with social media when it’s used [right]… teach life lessons and teach right from wrong.” —Rusty
• On “Making It” and Personal Growth (61:06):
  • “Making it—that’s an invisible place you never get to. You always strive to be better tomorrow than you were today.” —Rusty

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Start | Notable Topics | |-------------------------------------------------|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Rusty’s upbringing and family influences | 02:24 | Growing up in Arkansas, early hunting/fishing stories, role models | | Introduction to Coca Cola Woods | 10:04 | Origin, management philosophy, innovations | | Leaving Coca Cola Woods | 12:31 | Emotions, mentorship calling, growing reach | | New property—Beecham Woods | 14:53 | Applying management at a new site, testing expertise | | Duck management strategy—pressure & guns | 19:45 | Managing pressure, using sub-gauge guns, ethics | | Bowhunting mallards as a management tool | 25:07 | Quiet hunting, innovative approaches | | Migration and “short-stopping” debate | 29:45 | Bird patterns, food shortages, private/public dynamic | | Imprinting and shifting migration | 39:12 | Climate, duck generational learning, changing routes | | Southern timber dream, non-resident hunters | 43:07 | Allure of Arkansas hunting, conservation funding | | Mentorship, outreach, and social media wisdom | 48:12 | Importance of example, using platforms, grace for new hunters | | Manners and universal respect in outdoors | 52:55 | Linking life skills and field ethics | | Making it, the journey, and giving back | 60:42 | Continuous improvement, humility, unexpected returns from serving others |

Where to Find Rusty Creasey

• Website: rustycreasey.com
• Instagram: @rustycreasey
• YouTube: Rusty Creasey

For Listeners

• Giveaway: Leave a review of the episode (details mentioned at 59:05) for a chance to win a Rusty Creasey signature duck call and some Field & Stream merch!
• Final thought (Rusty, 61:38):
  • “You can’t ever think you’ve made it, because if you think you have you probably end up going backwards… I never want to say that I made it. I just want to be better tomorrow than I was today.”

This episode is a can’t-miss for waterfowl enthusiasts, public and private hunters alike, and anyone interested in the intersection of conservation, community, and the outdoors.