As a kid growing up in Gasconade County, Kyle Lairmore spent his days hunting and fishing in the forests and fields that surrounded his home.
"I took for granted those opportunities were there for me," he said.
Now 35 years old, Lairmore supports the mission of the Missouri Department of Conservation by serving as shooting range coordinator and overseeing hunter education. The job is a perfect fit for Lairmore, who earned a bachelor's degree in fish and wildlife management in 2001 and a master's degree in public affairs in 2012 from the University of Missouri.
He was promoted to his current job in October 2013, but first arrived at the department in 2005.
"We educate kids and adults on how to be safe, knowledgeable, responsible and ethical hunters," he said.
Rewriting the manual for instructors is one of his responsibilities. Lairmore's job also involves making sure the state's 75 shooting ranges are safe and well-maintained. And he helps with various events and programs, including the governor's annual youth turkey hunt.
"Sometimes I get more excited about a kid harvesting his own turkey than he does," he acknowledged.
Hunter education was developed in the 1980s, but today's students want information available across multiple electronic platforms, such as on their iPhones and tablets. And so that's another initiative he's working on.
When he's not at work, Lairmore serves as the executive director of a not-for-profit organization called Mid-Missouri Outdoor Dream Inc. that helps support the dreams of people with disabilities who want to hunt and fish. The program - which is supported by Lairmore's extended family - brings people out to the family's Gasconade farm and finds ways to adapt the hunting experience to each individual's needs.
Located near Owensville, the farm is covered in timber, food plots and warm-season grasses.
"I live in God's Country," Lairmore said proudly.
Often the folks who participate are veterans wounded in battle or children with debilitating injuries or illnesses. But all who qualify are invited.
"Our goal is to introduce everybody to the outdoors. We're trying to provide them with an opportunity they don't normally have," he said.
Lairmore said it's important in life to pick something to be passionate about and cultivate it.
"Everybody should give back in one way or another," he said. "My passion is the outdoors. I think it's important to find a way to share it with others."