I am going to cabelas tomorrow, I guess I shouldn't ask thier advise on a climbing treestand haha. maybe I will just so I can post thier answers. I've only been there once and I was soo in awe of the store and all the stuff that I don't think I said 6 words all day. This time I am mentally prepared.

Cabelas, Bass Pro, Gander Mt., any of the box stores are K Mart dressed in camo. They have their redeeming qualities, such as the occassional hot staff member and their staggering displays, but other than that you are better off going to a local store that specializes in hunting gear.

The main reason I go is to take my son because he loves the displays and the fish tanks. Sometimes I'll buy some videos from there, but normally they get my money online.

The one good thing abouthavingone in my area is for treestands. You can a lot more about seeing a stand in person than in a catalog and it saves on shipping. They all have a better selection than local stores as well.

If you're looking for a good deal, they're not the place to go, but they are good at what they do.

I agree about the Pop Guns. I worked at the KC store for 2-3 years, and they drove me crazy! The Bargain Cave and Tent Sales aren't what they used to be. Back where there were just a handful of stores, the tent sales were awesome! Lots of good deals that Cabelas wanted to just get rid of. Now they're based on percentages of list prices & profit margins, so all the stores can be on the same page.

The knowledge of the staff is hit or miss. There is a lot of people working who really do know their stuff. But there are newbies as well.

The really good people have left like kshunter and I

He is correct there are some good guys left, but their numbers are shrinking

Dundee's tent sale went to 75% off, I was shocked. I went to a tent sale in Owt store in Minn., it was nuts[8D]

wehave a cabelas opening next spring in Maine. It will be good to have another choice other than LL Bean to choose for hunting gear. I order alot of clothes and boots from cabelas, I will be glad to actualyy try them on before purchasing/ordering them. Since I am new to archery I go to my local proshop for archery gear where I get alot of hands on advice and tips.

Their stock Jump 3.50 today I own a pile of that stuff

Fortunatly I have not had a bad experience at our local BPS. I knew what I needed through friends and research. When I asked the salesman the questions for which I knew the answers, He answered alog the same lines. But than again, Not many stores for archery or hunting period in my area without having to drive a great distance.

TECHNICALLY, the guy is right. ACC stands for Aluminum Carbon Competition. It's the survivor of the two original arrows of the type, ACC and ACH - Aluminum Carbon Hunting. ACH's were killed off because they were heavier and the speed junkies ignored them. Not his fault people use target arrows for hunting these days.

The only thing that keeps me coming back is the fact that my wife lets me run all of our monthly expenses through the Cabela's Visa to get the Cabela's bucks. Not much as far a percent return but at least I get to spend it all on hunting. IMO, kind of makes the price of stuff cheaper.

I hope the people on wall street don't read this postor back down the price will go.

Cabelas can be useful and you have to love just being in there occasionally. However, it's not always what it is cracked up to be. I mostly shop in the bargain caves when I go to one. Although, I was recently in the store in Hamburg, PA and couldn't find a thing worth buying. Still, occasionally they do have good deals and are a good place to go if you need an item quick and know exactly what item it is. Plus, you have to admit that there customer service in general and especially when there is a problem seem to be better than the competitors (ie bass pro, etc)

One other thing I think you have to give them "props" for is their adherence to serving or trying to serve the true outdoorsman, unlike some of their competitors (LL Bean, Orvis), who have become a place for "dandies" and "democrats" to buy their wives a nice yellow "hiking shirt" and wicker wine basketfor when theygo bird watching.