The Perfect Match
Phil Taunton
Friday, November 16, 2007
My main reason for golfing is just so I can share some quality time with Wifeus (and get something to eat) during a seasonal migration to her summer range, the golf course.
I am a big believer in “those who play together, stay together.”
And it doesn’t bother me to miss a fairway or two or blow a birdie putt allowing her to win, believe me!
Former Emporian Jared McJunkin and his wife, Angie, also like to spend quality time together, bowhunting for turkey and deer. Jared’s love of hunting is a story in itself, and he has several people to thank for getting him involved in the sport.
Though Jared never got the opportunity to hunt with his grandfather, Grandpa Floyd’s appreciation for wildlife certainly rubbed off on him.
His “Big Brother,” former Emporian Rex Traw, through their match with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Flint Hills program, also played a key role in Jared’s love of the Outdoors. Rex was Jared’s mentor and always found time to take Jared hunting.
Grandpa and Rex kindled a fire in Jared and created a deep appreciation for all things wild. As Jared got older, he did what most all of us wish we could do: turn our passions into a profession.
After obtaining both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Zoology and Environmental Biology from Emporia State University with an emphasis on wildlife, and after briefly working for the Nebraska Fish and Game Department and with Kansas Wildlife and Parks, Jared now is a National Wild Turkey Federation Regional Wildlife Biologist. He serves Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Alberta, Canada in that capacity.
Jared is living his dream. His job takes him all over these states and he has been able to see some of the most beautiful landscapes there is to see on the North American continent.
And what a jewel of a wife he has in Angie, who hunted coyotes, coons and upland game birds with her father Charlie Mayer when she was growing up. Time spent outdoors with her grandfather Bill also are remembered and cherished.
Jared and Angie were both hunter safety instructors while they lived in Emporia and enjoy passing on the hunting tradition to youth through various programs like the annual spring turkey hunting seminar at Camp Alexander and the essay contest they originated and sponsored with the Flint Hills Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Jared is sincere when he says, “I understand the importance of taking a kid hunting, as I would most likely not be doing what I love to do if someone had not taken me out as a child.”
Jared and Angie love to bow hunt, and on a recent trip back to north-central Kansas, Angie was able to harvest a nice 12-point buck. The 3 1/2-year-old deer should get Pope and Young certification.
Angie made a nice double-lung shot on the deer from her favorite tree stand, and it only went about 100 yards. Jared relates the weather was pretty warm during this eight-day, early-November deer hunt and the really big, older bucks were not moving around very much.
Other hunters were noticing the same behavior.
Perhaps better hunting lies in store for the opening of deer rifle season on Nov. 28.
Jared, my only advice to you is not to let Angie out on the golf course!
On Bow Hunting
Why Doug Wilson, one of our most avid local bow hunters, would want to hunt a grizzly bear with sticks and a string is beyond me!
A young man during a hunter education class believed that maybe Doug “wasn’t quite right!”
I really don’t know, but I sure wish I could share Doug’s enthusiasm for the sport with you. Bowhunting can be addictive.
Jared introduced Angie to bowhunting several years ago and now, she would much rather hunt with a bow than a sporting firearm.
“Bow hunting is a very disciplined sport and I enjoy every minute of it,” Angie said. “It provides an opportunity to see wildlife, both game and non-game animals alike, up close and personal and enjoy them in their natural habitats. Bow hunting is an opportunity to escape from life’s daily grind and reflect on one’s past and future while waiting for that “monster buck” to arrive.
“Being involved in the outdoors and hunting provides a sense of accomplishment and at the same time I can enjoy nature and its serenity.”
The McJunkins now live near Keystone, S.D., along with their three dogs, Deuce, a black Lab, and German shorthaired pointers, Dallas and Guinness.