Every year just after finishing the holidays but before the Super
Bowl, Peggy Tartaro, our Executive Editor, leaves snowy Buffalo behind
and I depart a rainy Seattle to meet at the SHOT Show.

	The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show is sponsored
every year by the National Shooting Sports Foundation.  We
individually cross our fingers, hope that our materials have arrived
and that whatever airport that we are changing planes in doesn't have
bad weather. I bring the tea bags and Peggy supplies the nibbles. We
meet late in the evening, exchange hugs and trade horror stories of
our travel. We ask each other what color we plan to wear the next day,
head to our hotel rooms to put our feet up and get ready for four days
of standing, walking and talking.  This year's extravaganza, the
eighteenth, took place in Dallas, Texas with more than 1,400
exhibiting companies occupying over 430,000 square feet of exhibit
space.

	The 440 page Official Directory and Buyers Guide lists vendors
of everything from airguns to videos, ammunition to training and
safety equipment. There is even a suggested itinerary in order to see
all the exhibitors along with a tri-fold map of the convention center.
In the coming months our pages will be filled with reviews by our
editors and writers of new firearms, carry methods and other products.

	Besides visiting our advertisers, I usually spend most of my
time at our booth chatting with readers and seeing the friends that we
meet once a year at the SHOT Show.

	This year I decided to wander a bit and collect a montage of
"oddities." You know, those things that you are surprised to see, are
really different or are a novel way of dealing with an everyday
product.

	I spent about two hours walking through the maze of exhibitors
and let my eyes wander aimlessly.

	I found:

	  A company called Wilderness Women, Inc. (303-922-7700) that
offers seminars in everything from bait fishing to winter camping and
snow shelters, as well as adventures like hut to hut skiing.

	  "Game Bird" gift wrapping paper in camouflage colors and
note paper cubes with mallard ducks by Aquatique (415-668-8586).

	  Louise Mandrell Commemorative Ammunition made by Fiocchi
(417-725-4118).

	  Shooting Clay pierced earrings that can be worn comfortably
with shooting muffs by Vin Table (215-628-4668).

	  A 21-speed, camouflage, all-terrain, mountain bike designed
especially for the hunter by Walker's Game Ear (610-565-8952).

	  24% lead crystal wine goblets, champagne flutes and water
pitchers with mallards, woodies, trout, elk, turkey or grouse etched
on them by Wildlife Designs (708-564-2433). They compliment the 5-
piece china settings of the same animals. The artwork has been done by
the famous wildlife artist, Philip Crowe.

	  a global positioning system by Magellan (909-394-5000) that
uses satellite technology to tell you where you are when you aren't
sure,

	  Gumption Pocket Logs (800-531-4131) that are easy to use,
preformatted log books to keep track of your shooting, archery,
fishing and sporting clay adventures and accomplishments.

	These are but a few of the dozens of the dozens of items that
caught my fancy.  I wish that I could have spent more time browsing
but I had commitments and obligations that precluded further
wandering.  I appreciate all the time that the various exhibitors
spent with me, showing their lines and demonstrating their products.
The SHOT Show is a super mall for the gun rights enthusiast.  It was a
hard assignment but someone had to do it. And lest you think that it
was all work and no play, look for a photograph of me seated on a real
Texas Longhorn Steer in a coming issue.

Parting Shots.To my friends at Zanika and Bonello Studios, I will
introduce you in another issue.  To SMG, you did a fantastic job
defending the right to keep and bear arms on your first TV appearance.
Happy 12th birthday. AMG,AMG2 and AHG ;-). TAFN. Jhvg@saf.org.