Congrats.Good luck to him.

There are a few, but the feelings are mutual....and we both know it.

There are two occupations that I wouldn't do.
Be a game warden.
Run an outdoorsman store.

Both require you to be where you don't want to be during the season you want to be participating in.

I owned a bait and tackle business for a while. Well actually...it owned me! If you're gonna be successful in the bait and tackle business plan on being there at least 12 hours a day 7 days a week.

As a game warden, I go exactly where I want to go when I want go there.

If I decide to prop up this store I will call the shots at my own pace as it will be on my retirement time.....no body else's.

Not sure what your occupation is but I will guarantee you that I spent more days and nights outdoors than you did in the past 12 months.

Most likely spent more time in a treestand than most in 2020....

Peace out!

All great points have been made. I reckon similar things were said to Larry Potterfield, the Cabelas bros., Keith Winkler... Life speeds on the bold and favors the brave. Go down swinging

I like that^^^^

My parents owned an outfitting business in Minnesota years ago. The outfitting supplied the majority of the income, but they also had the store front. If you can get in good with any local outfitters/guides, that definitely helps. I know from my own work, focusing on "need it now" necessities over "might get it later" wants definitely helps businesses.

If I'm looking at a $150 electronic call, I'm going to shop around for the best price. If I am fishing and my ratchet strap breaks, I'll pay three times over market value. Conceal Carry courses may be worth looking in to. My LGS has one every Sunday, makes about $600 from one day of work, and floats off that for the rest of the week. Not bad for a one man shop. Consignment is always a good way to get product for cheap. Where I work now, we do FFL transfers for $25. I offered to consign some guns for 10% to the owner, was told no because they didn't want the extra work. It's the exact same amount of work doing a firearm transfer vs. consignment. Not sure if you were looking at getting an FFL, but there is always money to be made with it, the price isn't that bad, and it opens ya up to a ton of extra income. With that you can have a gunsmith doing his own work on a 1099 in your shop.

With Cabelas becoming a clothing shop, it's always nice seeing more local stores and I wish you the best!

Good luck with the new business!

At a time when we all could use a good sporting good store in our neighborhoods,and get away from internet business,nobody seems to have any thing good to say about opening one.

Let me know when you open.

I think that unfortunately, ADC has a semi valid point. There are probably a fair number of shady people, who don't like you. I think some other people would avoid buying hunting, fishing and trapping supplies from an ex, high ranking, game warden just because they fear that they will be scrutinized heavily, even though they don't plan on doing anything illegal. They may fear that they'll say something that could lead to an investigation or get them in trouble. Most people, even good ones, are uncomfortable around law enforcement and ex law enforcement.

Keith

Buck (Zandra).... the only reasons I gave to think twice about the venture came from personal experience. On hunting forums there are always the guys who talk about supporting the local guy. In fact they support the local guy when he has his annual duck calling contest with all of his stuff on sale and shells at about wholesale. In my experience, the guys who REALLY support small hunting/fishing business have never even been on a forum. They appreciate the human contact, experience and service. They know they didn't get the cheapest price but they don't care.

As for the Cabela brothers, they started incredibly small and turned the dirt every day, just like I did. When you start a small retail business, you go to work every day and you feel it. No 5 year plan or business forecasts, just a gut feel for demand and your customers.

Just my opinion. But I hate when guys talk about supporting the local guy then talk about the great price they got from somebody else on the internet.

A very successful homebuilder I knew would tell his customers that there were three things... great product, low price and good service..... then he would tell them that they could have two of the three.

Pete

I only see a tag on one of those deer!!!

Lol......if I had to depend on Tman members for my business I'd say about 80% of yall are more paranoid than a meth head when it comes to game wardens.

Shhh! Dont tell anyone or Ga may change the law and make us start tagging them again. That green tag was put on at a WMA check station by DNR game mgmt staff. That buck is a public land buck.

I was semi-joking but I agree. I'd be tight lipped, buy my bait and leave, nothing to see here.

All joking aside, SW, no matter what you hear, remember it's NOT in your best interest to go along with every fiber of your being and rat on them. Word travels very fast these days, if you are found to be a snitch, it'll hurt the business, maybe really bad. We had a fur buyer with a big mouth years ago, it took a couple years but people found out. We have another fur buyer who could likely get half his customers arrested. lol Kids shining a few coons, an occasional deer out of our huge herds for fresh venison meals, a couple over the limit on panfish... really ain't worth losing the business over.

Nice public land buck! Heck, a nice buck anywhere...

Business may not be good with the outlaws, because I refuse to put money ahead of ethics and sportsmanship. Not concerned about a kids shining/shooting a few coons, but a grown man ought to follow the rules. I do.

If I follow thru with this business.....the honest law-abiding folks are welcome. The poachers can shop elsewhere if theyre concerned about dealing with me & what I've spent my entire life promoting. The language filter on Tman wont let me say what I want to type right now...

I got lucky on that buck. Took 3 seasons to get selected to hunt that area....30 hunters on 2500 acres. 1st afternoon of 4 day hunt and he comes walking up river bottom at 4pm. 75 yd rifle shot.