PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Growing up in Thayer, Mo., Hayley Honeycutt always wanted to be outside, whether she was working with cattle or carrying a rifle or fishing pole.
With a passion for agriculture gained on her family's beef farm and a strong love for the outdoors, she's now landed what she calls her "perfect job."
Today, Honeycutt is Wayne County's new conservation agent, replacing long-time agent Mic Plunkett, who recently retired.
Honeycutt graduated with a general agriculture degree from Missouri State University in 2013, but took a different turn in her career path.
"I always wanted to go into agriculture teaching," she said, "but I found out I have a passion for law enforcement."
An internship with the Mountain View, Mo. Police Department led to her graduation from the Missouri Sheriff's Academy in 2014.
After a full-time stint back at Mountain View, Honeycutt entered the Missouri Department of Conservation's agent training class last spring and graduated in October.
"Getting in Wayne County was a dream come true," she said, because she's close to her Oregon County hometown and because there was no real culture shock.
"I'm in love with it," Honeycutt said of her job. "I love the law enforcement aspect of it. There's a lot of acreage to learn, but having a partner (fellow agent Alan Lamb) has really helped me."
Honeycutt loves to hunt "just about anything," a skill she essentially taught herself, and she spent a lot of time taking her brother, who has cerebral palsy, deer hunting.
She also enjoys a variety of fishing, though walleyes and trout are her favorites.
"We were raised trout fishing" on the nearby Spring River, she said.
Looking ahead, Honeycutt said, she's ready to "dig my heels in" and become part of the community. "I don't foresee wanting to leave any time soon."
"We're family people, and the community feels close to us," she said. "I also found out pretty quickly the more friends you have, the easier your job is ... you have eyes everywhere."
If you need to contact Honeycutt, she can be reached by telephone at 573-576-8533 or by email at hayley.honeycutt@mdc.mo.gov.