My wife Decided that we needed to go to Branson MO, this weekend to shop. I can not complain because it has been 20 years since we were up there. While we were there I decided to go to Bass Pro Shop in Branson and pick up a pair of Coveralls. That was my first mistake, people everywhere and not a pair of coveralls in the entire store and very few pair of anything camouflage in the store. So She said lets just run up to Springfield and see what the main store has, just 30 miles so why not. Get up there and the store had maybe 20 pair of cover all in stock and only two patterns. The whole section for camouflage hunting clothes was disappointing so was there selection of hunting equipment. Now if you wanted to buy other stuff to wear other than hunting camouflage that would be your store, but it sure is not a hunting store anymore.

Branson and Springfield Basspros on a Sunday before Christmas sounds like a personal nightmare. Bass pro/cabelas has become a joke for actual outdoor gear, just tourist nic nacs, crappy beef jerky, and redhead junk.

Basspro is becoming just another department store in a plaid flannel shirt.
Try Sportsman's Warehouse, still pretty good, happy their deal to be bought out by Cabelas failed.

Bass are fish. Its a fishing store. I have to admit I liked cabelas and bass pro both best when they each only had one store and their business was primarily mail order from catalogs. No internet. They sold better quality stuff. Now that they are are corporate and one company I dont buy much from them.

Agree 100% Danny. Loved those old cabelas books, every once in a while they’d send us the hardback! Was almost 2” thick , full of quality stuff

Boy I agree Danny. Can't count the hours I sat in my old Man's recliner with that big catalog. There were 3 things I would just set and look at. I'd go back and forth between the bear whitetail bows, the Hawken muzzleloaders and the 14 ft Jon boat with that mercury 9.9. The 12 year old me didn't know how I was gonna get them but I knew once I got those 3 things that life was gonna ok!

I drive on the frontage road that a Cabelas/Bass pro is on every day. Since Bass Pro bought them out they have gone down hill so far that I don't even consider stopping anymore.

Scheels.
Tho to be honest I think they are slipping a bit to the dark plaid side as well.

Osky

I ordered alot from Gander Mountain and The Sportsman Guide back in the day!

I'm with Danny too!!

I'm still wearing two pair of Cabela's boots I bought well before the merger. Redhead products are mediocre at best and I suspect the Cabela's brand isn't far behind since Bass Pro bought them.

Bass Pro does have some great fishing gear. I do like Sportsman's Warehouse better for most stuff, though.

When Gander Mountain was going strong, their Guide Series clothing couldn't be beat. Still have some flannels and a nice cammo hunting coat.
Wish I had the foresight to stock up on their Guide Series flannels. Some of the best I've ever wore.

I noticed that at cabelas out here a few weeks ago

Now here's the catalog that supplied most of our hunting and fishing needs back in the day.

Could not beat Herters. If I remember correct they were bought by Cabelas.

Haven’t shopped at a Bass Pro in about 20+ years. I had been hired on with my company about 2 years and got sent to Atlanta for school. I’d been saving my money for this trip and even had the wife’s blessing. I go in in short, t-shirt, and flip flops. Find most of what I need and only had one more thing I was looking for. I was told to talk to the 4 guys at the gun department. Well, some suits were at the counter looking at guns, 2 guys, and had all 4 of the workers attention. When I went to ask one of them that wasn’t engaged with an actual customer I was told I’d have to wait…so I did. I waited patiently and after the 2 suits left with nothing one guy walked up and asked what I needed. I told him and he said they kept it in the back and he’d get it for me. I waited about 15 minutes and asked the only guy remaining what was taking the other guy so long and he said he had went to lunch, maybe he could help me. I politely told him no thanks and pushed my buggy to the checkout counter. I let them ring everything up and was asked cash or charge? Told the young lady neither and to get a manager.
I explained everything that happened and what was my total again? He looked at the register and said $854. I told him they could go ahead and restock all $854 because I was going to go home and order it from Cabellas. Once Cabellas sold out I quit using them as well.
I did buy my Idaho license from a Cabellas, but it was that or poach, lol.

Those were the days my friends, we thought they'd never end . . .

The profit margin for clothes is 10 times that of outdoor gear. Once a store/brand has a reputation for outdoor stuff they appeal to the guppies (gullible urban professionals). The CEO then perceives an opportunity to ruin the brand and get a huge bonus from short term profits before the brand goes belly up. Out goes the nasty taxidermy and in comes the pajamas. Pretty soon the CEO is rich and the country has lost another source of quality outdoor gear. Abercrombie and Fitch, LL BEan, Gander, Cabelas and the list grows.

Gotta say, expecting to find the shelves full of camo, while Deer, Duck and all the other hunting seasons are still going on, is a little foolish!

Big Bob: was not expecting to find shelves full, But there shelves were full but there whole area for hunting cloths is not as big as a small 2 car garage.