Within the last year she's found another outdoors passion -- target shooting.

It began with shotguns to bust clay targets with her dad. More recently she's tried rifles and handguns.

Last weekend she punched close paper targets with a variety of handguns and a .22 rifle, then laid repeated shots on target with a .30-06 out to 100 yards.

She openly relished demolishing gallon water jugs with the high-powered rifle.

"I'm all about that," she said. "That's my kind of thing to be doing."

Cara's love of shooting has grown so deep she lists it as a part of her "perfect day" in media interviews...

Once she crowns her successor in December, Gorges wants to pursue another outdoors passion: For years her schedule has kept her from taking the hunter education class needed to allow her to hunt.

A recent law change that allows adults a calendar year grace period without the class is just what she's needed.

"I really want to get into hunting," Gorges said as she walked away from a target range. "I think that's something I'll love. I can't wait...."