Woohoo! It’s finally here!
That’s right, it’s kinda like a second Christmas coming around the bend as I begin to pack my bags for the SHOT (Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trades) Show in Orlando, FL! I fly out tomorrow afternoon, arriving late in the evening.
Here’s what the rest of the week looks like:
Wednesday morning will find me on the firing line at the media “Range Day” events, sponsored by various firearms and ammo manufacturers. During this event I’ll have the opportunity to try out the latest in guns, ammo, and optics. The shoots basically line up the benches with all of the various new offerings, and then turns the members of the media loose to start shooting. Because of the large number of participants, the range stays “hot”. I won’t be able to actually check targets and do accuracy tests, but I will be able to get a feel for the new guns’ fit and finish. I’ll also be able to try to break some clays with the new shotguns.
Wednesday night will be fun too, as I’ve been invited to join Native Hunt CEO, T. Michael Riddle at dinner in Orlando. Also attending the dinner will be bloggers, Albert Rasch and Holly Heyser (if she’s recovered enough from recent surgery to attend), and Jesse (from Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors), as well as some of Michael’s local friends and family.
Thursday is officially the first day of the SHOT Show itself, and I plan to be through the doors shortly after they open. I am still figuring out my plan of attack, because the show is far too large to cover everything that is available. I’ve tried to describe this show before, but it defies description. If a writer doesn’t have a plan and tries to just “wing it”, it will take only a few hours to reach a state of total mental overload. I do intend to keep a tight focus on non-lead ammo, so I’ll be chasing down sources at the many ammo-makers’ booths. Hopefully I’ll have some more good information to help hunters and shooters plan ahead for the lead ammo restrictions we’ll probably be seeing more of over the coming years.
On Thursday night, the NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation) will be hosting the “State of the Industry” dinner. 
This is a great opportunity to meet people in the outdoors industry on a less formal basis, and to network with other outdoor media folks. Bill Engvall will provide entertainment for the event, and I’m looking forward to an evening of his humor.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be a continuation of days on the Show floor. As the week develops, I’ll be using these days to follow up leads, and to explore new topics. One of the things I’m hoping to find out about is how various elements of the industry are responding to the growing popularity of hog hunting. I’m also hoping to have time to talk to some of the outdoor television and video production companies to find out what we can look forward to in this rapidly growing media outlet.
In keeping with my look at outdoor media, I’m hoping to be able to get access to the Outdoor Channel’s annual, Golden Moose awards again this year. This event is the big, annual awards show for the outdoor television and video industry. It’s an awesome and energy-filled evening that I think is much more exciting and interesting than the Emmy awards or even the Oscars! Keep an eye on the link I just provided to see some real-time coverage of the entire event!
I’ll be providing as many updates as I can over the course of the week. There are computers there in the Press Room, and I’ll have my laptop back at the hotel. We’ll also be runnng real-time updates over on Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors forums too, if you want to check in over there from time to time.
That sounds like a great time. Try not to let yourself get too overwhelmed. Yeah, like I feel sorry for ya:):):)