Where do you buy your gear?
 

Hey I'm doing a little research for a project, and have a couple of questions for you.

Where do you buy most of your hunting gear/equipment? Online or in a store? Why? What's your least favorite part of the process?

I prefer waffles over pancakes as each cell of the waffle tends to capture a small amount of syrup.

It depends on what it is I'm buying. A lot of things are online from Cabelas because of their great customer service and return policy, although that has decreased after they went public. I will not buy footwear or clothes online, as I want to look at the actual product and try it on for a perfect fit before I make the purchase. I do that most of the time at a Cabelas store when I'm in an area close to one during hunting trips. Paying for it is obviously the least favorite part whether it's online or in the store!

Oops! You mistakenly posted on the wrong forum! :P
This one is probably more your style!
https://m.facebook.com/pages/Waffle-Lovers-Annomoymus-for-those-addicted-to-waffles-P/110418348972219?id=110418348972219&refsrc=https%3A %2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FWaffle-Lovers-Annomoymus-for-those-addicted-to-waffles-P%2F110418348972219

Thanks for your reply! Aside from paying for stuff, is there anything else about buying online that isn't fun for you?

#1 Cabela's

#2 Bravo Company

#3 Opticsplanet

#4 Individual links for specialty items

BUY it once - look at ALL the reviews and get a lifetime warranty when at all possible !!!

I like Topgun, will not buy footwear unless I try it on first. Clothes and equip from Cabelas and Sportsmans guide and local sportings goods stores and ammo from Graff and Sons online and from local sporting goods stores. As far as fun, I do not consider shopping as fun either in person or online, just a necessary task.

Thank you all for your responses! I'm trying to identify what is the most painful, least enjoyable aspect of buying hunting gear online(besides actually spending your hard earned money).

Nope, not in the wrong section. See far too many posts like this where someone comes here, asks a few questions and then never comes back. Since my post was off topic, I am at least glad you picked that out.

For me, I buy hunting equipment in store but use online to check reviews and stock status. Bass Pro, Cabelas, Gander Mountain are all within a little drive for me and sometimes I will even go to the store, try on the gear i want and then find the gear at a better price online, most of the time i will buy it at the store though. Biggest issue for me would be the massive amount of gear that is available when alot of them are identical through and through and the pricing is getting ridiculous due to gimmicks.

I much prefer honey over syrup on my pancakes waffles and French toast. I prefer peanut butter and honey sandwiches over peanut butter and jam.

I buy a bunch from Williams Gun sight Company Davison Michigan.

http://www.williamsgunsight.com/

Also use the fishing tackle grab bag also Davison Michigan. They carry good warm clothing ideal for ice fishing and hunting.

Hate to buy crap made in China and watch for that made in the USA tag for top quality foot wear.

Also like the store within 50 to 75 miles so I can take things back that are not what I felt they were when I bought.

Stopped going to Gander Mountain, all reloading supply's locked up and impossible to get someone to unlock it. Only cost maybe a quarter more at Williams.


Stopped going to Bass Pro Shop is in a shopping mall near a big city and caters to city slickers and rich people.

Cabelas is to far away and to have them ship stuff is stupid costly when they refuse to us flat rate USPS shipping to save me 20.00 in shipping cost.

:D Al

I have a couple of questions for you:

1) What kind of research?

2) What is the project?

3) Where do you get your hunting gear/equipment?

4) Do you even hunt or fish?

5) What are you going to do with the info/data after the "research" is complete?

6) Who are you working for?

7) Why should I bother giving you any info if you don't have the courtesy to give me some about you?

Bye-Bye

I find that stores usually have way to much of what I don't want/like and not enough of what I do like/want.

I suspect this to be the case with most serious experienced outdoorsman.

I don't really require that much equipment but when I do I for the most part know exactly what I want and they usually don't have it.

I order it online.

Least favorite part: Sifting through a bunch of gimmicky junk only to find out they don't have what I want.

There are some exceptions that the stores carry and I will just go get.

One example this time of year is crappie jigs. I don't want to buy packages of 5 with the wrong sized hooks and packages of 5 tubes.

I want 100 unpainted jigs with the right sized hooks......not 5 with the wrong hooks.

Look at North Woods Outdoors

Unlike other areas, where I either buy online at Amazon or local store, I shop at a variety of places for hunting gear. I will buy on Amazon if I can get it cheap and of the same quality. I bought a game cam at Dick's sport shop. I bought a used cross bow from a neighbor. I bought another bow from Gander Mtn. And still another bow for my son at a pro shop that did setup and had a shooting range. I might buy something at Walmart if I know the brand is good, but generally their stuff (like arrows and broadheads) is often cheap junk, but they do carry some better brands. For arrows I stop at a local sports shop and he has the good ones. If I were buying a new compound, I would go with HuntersFriend.com as many here have recommended it. So in short, I get the gear anywhere and everywhere.

My least favorite part is missing a deer because of some cheap arrow/broadhead I made the mistake of buying! I guess another negative is getting bombarded with SO MANY products that, according to the "experts", I must have! For this reason, I almost don't like going to Gander Mtn to shop for gear.

sportsmens guide warehouse has two hang on stands and 20ft of climbing sticks for 100 bucks, cant beat that for hanging double sets.

Sportsman Guide always has a deal somewhere. Just have to be looking at the right time!

Gear Buying
 

I get most of my stuff from either Cabela's online or from the local Dick's Sporting Goods. Dick's is the most convenient because it's only 20 minutes from my house. The problem with them is their hunting inventory usually stinks and the employees have no technical knowledge. Cabela's only draw back is the shipping costs. It's about 45 minutes but I usually save the driving and gas and buy online.

Anything but footwear and firarms which I go to a brick and mortar store I usually get from Cabelas, Sportsmans Guide, Ammo from Graff and Sons. Dicks sporting stores around here are ok I guess if you ant basket balls soccer ball baseballs etc. Other wise they don't have crap and their staff is hunting, gun and fishing stupid.

I buy from Cabelas, Wing Supply and some other on-line places on occasion. Like others, I have to try on footwear and prefer to check the clothing out in person whenever possible.
We don't have much selection of sporting goods in my small city so I buy more on-line than in the store.

Since I'm from Vermont, I prefer maple syrup to honey on pancakes or waffles.

I prefer to buy online because I can usually do a lot of research and find the lowest possible price. I mostly buy from Cabelas but my loyalty is to who can offer me the lowest price with free shipping.

I don't like when I need to return an item.

My top 3 are Dicks Sporting Goods, Field & Stream, Cabelas

I buy everything at stores with the exception of hard to get gun and reloading parts. I like to physically handle stuff before I buy and prefer new items.