Weekend in the Eastern Oregon

Here in Oregon, October 3 meant the statewide deer rifle season opener. I did not draw a tag this year but my boyfriend Matt did. Matt has never hunted for deer before, and since I didn’t draw a tag, I was going to be his guide in the Sled Springs Unit.

We met up with Chevalier Advertising office manager/bookkeeper Sherri and her husband Sam Saturday morning to hunt. It was a cold and rainy day. Sam, Matt and I loaded into the truck and headed out to a field and started walking. Grouse would flush every 300 yards; they would often startle bedded doe, but no bucks in sight.

Matt and I split off from Sam at a wooded area. Sam went into the woods while Matt and I skirted an alfalfa field. Sam must have driven deer out of the woods because two doe came running out and stopped about 20 yards in front of Matt and I. We stood completely still while one doe blew at us and the other one stood there and didn’t notice us. I am pretty sure that was the closest Matt has ever been to a deer. It was pretty cool.

A few hours later, and with no luck, Sam took us up the hill to show us where they hunt elk. The higher we went, the more it snowed. I couldn’t get over how gorgeous Eastern Oregon is and how fortunate we are to be able to hunt there.

Daylight was getting shorter by the minute and we decided to head back down to camp. We would stop every so often to glass. I am so glad I had my Nikon Monarch X binoculars they gathered so much light at sunset!

Then it happened, Sam spotted a doe and a buck by an abandoned barn about 100 yards away. Legal shooting light was fading fast and this buck wasn’t going to wait all day. I told the boys, ‘you have one minute!’ As soon as Matt declined the shot, Sam had his gun to his shoulder and a shot off.

The buck ran about 30 yards and dropped, and excellent shot! Sam was like giddy like a girl that just got asked to prom! Sam showed Matt and I how to field dress the beautiful eight point whitetail and we were all in the truck in no time.

I asked Matt why he declined the shot and what he said made me smile, “Sam has been hunting this area for 11 years, he has earned that buck.” What a great guy!

Cold, wet and tired, back at camp we ate our hamburgers and retold the story over and over to everyone at camp. What a great weekend!

Gear List:

Nikon Monarch X 8.5x45 Binoculars

Nikon Fieldscope III 60mm ED

Winchester Power Max 30-06 Sprg

Girls Day at the Range

Sheriff Jim Wilson wrote a great article in last months Shooting Illustrated (Sept. 2009) about self-defense. He says, "In American society, as a general rule, men accept the responsibility of providing protection and security for the women in their lives. When it comes to personal defense, however, this theory gets pretty weak because, regardless of our gender, we are each responsible for our own safety."

I completely agree and think Sheriff Jim would be proud as yesterday my mom and I brushed up our shooting skills at the The Baron's Den, a local gun shop and shooting range.

KRISTIN SHOOTS THE TAURUS SLIM 9mm

We had a great time shooting the Taurus SLIM (709) 9mm and Taurus Milenium Pro (111) 9mm. Shoot-N-C targets we placed 7-yards downrange and we went through about 150 rounds in one hour.

It would be foolish for my Mom and I to rely on anyone else but ourselves if our lives were in danger. Plus my mom and I are better shots than most of the men in our family anyway :)

KRISTIN'S MOM SHOOTS THE TAURUS PT111

If you are ever in Eugene, OR stop by The Baron's Den and say hi. They have a great selection of products, their staff is very knowledgeable and friendly and you can even rent a Tommy Gun to shoot at their indoor range. My mom and I also took our CHL class there.

Check back later in the week to read about Shannon and her moms' BOW pheasant hunt.

Firearms Training on the Couch

One of the coolest aspects of my job is the necessity of product knowledge. It is important that I know the ins and outs of all my clients’ products so I can successfully promote them. For me that means doing things like shooting new guns, learning new laser systems and testing out the latest safes. Pretty hard work, but somebody’s got to do it!

Lately a product that I have been “field-testing” a lot is the new LaserLyte Laser Trainer Pro (LT-PRO). This product, which features a universal adapter for most popular calibers, fits into the barrel of the firearm. A sound-activated laser displays a red dot where the bullet would have hit.

The LaserLyte LT-PRO is great because:

1. It saves TIME.
2. It saves MONEY and AMMO.
3. I can train on my COUCH.

It is very important for firearms owners to train on a regular basis. This great product gives me the chance to train at home when I can’t make it to the range. I also like to think up self-defense scenarios at home and practice what I would do. It never hurts to be prepared for the worst.

Installing the LaserLyte LT-PRO:

- Make sure the firearms is UNLOADED
- Install provided batteries
- Screw on the universal adapter to fit your gun
- Insert the unit into the firearm
- Practice away

The unit runs of off three 337 batteries that provide about 3000 shots. LaserLyte highly recommends the use of snap caps. Happy shooting!

Shooting With Friends

This past week I had the opportunity to take a few friends out that were interested in learning about firearms and might not normally have the opportunity to go shooting. I think it is important to teach people outside the industry about how safe and fun shooting can be. Many people are afraid or unsure about firearms simply because they have never been around them.

shooting a 9mm for the first time

We drove to some BLM property outside of Portland that is legal to shoot at in designated areas. After a detailed safety talk and ensuring that everyone had proper hearing and eye protection we started out by shooting the new Taurus SLIM (709). The SLIM is a lean, light-weight 9mm that holds 7+1 rounds.

The target of choice for the day was a Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C Silhouette Target Kit that contains a cardboard silhouette and replacement adhesive targets. These targets are great!

Next up was the Taurus Judge, .410/.45 Colt revolver. I will never forget the reaction to the first round my best friend shot out of the Taurus Judge. She simply said "WOW" with the brightest eyes and then asked where her shot went. She thought she had missed because it was easy to see the holes in the target from the 9mm she had been shooting earlier.

After securing the firearm I walked her up to the target to show her that she had filled the entire target with holes from one shotshell fired. She was amazed and decided that if she ever bought a gun that would be the one for her. This was also the perfect hands on way to explain the difference between ammo types.

All and all the afternoon was a success. Everyone had a fun time shooting. It was a great opportunity to showcase the importance of the Second Amendment and how safe firearms can be.

Pasa Park August 2009

Last week I had the opportunity to spend some time at PASA Park in Barry, IL field testing some of Taurus' new product offerings with the InterMedia Outdoors crew. I always have a great time visiting PASA as Dick Metcalf and his staff are always so gracious and put on great events.

PISTOL RANGE AT PASA PARK

This trip to PASA I assisted Taurus in presenting some of the 2009 new products. The main handgun field tested was the Taurus Judge Public Defender.

The Public Defender is Taurus' latest addition to the overwhelmingly successful Taurus Judge line of revolvers that shoot .410 shotgun shells as well as .45 Colt ammunition. This firearm can be an excellent choice for personal defense as well as just having fun shooting with friends. Requests for a slightly more compact Judge have been pouring in and Taurus delivered. To make the Judge more compact Taurus built the Public Defender on a smaller frame, shrouded the hammer and took half an inch off of the barrel. A great addition to the line!

KRISTIN SHOOTS THE PUBLIC DEFENDER

FOR THE FIRST TIME

WELCOME FROM KRISTIN HUNT

Hello and welcome to the Chevalier Advertising Blog. My name is Kristin Hunt and I am part of the amazing public relations team at Chevalier Advertising. Currently I handle the public relations efforts for GunVault, LaserLyte, Nikon Birding, Rossi USA and Taurus USA. The outdoors industry is a great business to be a part of and I love my job.

Originally from Eugene, Oregon, I grew up in a very outdoors oriented family. Summers were spent camping and fishing, while winters were spent snow skiing. I graduated from University of Oregon's (GO DUCK'S!) School of Journalism and Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations. Lately I enjoy shooting (my favorite gun is the Taurus Judge) and hiking (with my Nikon EDG binoculars of course).

Check back to read about my adventures across the country from testing out the latest firearms and accessories to nature watching at some of the most beautiful preserves in the US.