Vulnerable EP 19: DEER CAMP OPENER: Island 34 Feeds 10,000,000 Ducks! Hogs, Veterans & 193” Giant

DescriptionDeer season is OPEN and we’re kicking off Deer Camp at Five Star Outfitters the only way we know how: big stories, bigger numbers, and a pile of hard-earned lessons. Our guest is Rusty Vi of Island 34—a 2,600-acre Mississippi River island operation that turns into a private refuge feeding up to 10,000,000 duck-use days a season, sees 400,000+ waterfowl in a day during cold blasts, and runs two relift pumps pushing ~80–90K gallons/min to flood ~400 acres of corn and rice. Rusty also built wheelchair-accessible, hydraulic waterfowl pits so veterans can hunt shoulder-to-shoulder, and he’s in an all-out thermal-drone war on feral hogs. We also talk Tennessee’s velvet season, CWD realities, the power-company fiasco on 3-phase, and the Ohio opener’s early-season chess match—including the story of Rusty’s 193” “Dust” buck from Joel’s camp.You’ll hear about:Opening week at Deer Camp, Ohio — how we set up and why early can be deadlyIsland 34 explained: the numbering, the bridge, and why it’s technically Tennessee on Arkansas’ sideRefuge math: duck-use days, why corn cover beats rice for survival, and those wild pump specsVeteran hunts: ADA design, 50-ft pits, track chairs, truck lifts, and real inclusion in the blindHog eradication: thermal drones, flood tactics, air cannons, and the ugly reproduction mathTennessee velvet & CWD: tags, timing, and herd age-class differences vs OhioPower & diesel: the 3-phase price hike, diesel burn rates, and what it takes to keep water movingThe 193” “Dust” buck and why early-season patterns matter more than hypeIf this episode fires you up, smash subscribe, drop a comment with your best Deer Camp tradition, and tell a vet you want to bring them hunting this year.