Cabela's pulls out of show after organizer drops weapons display

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Janice Podsada

Cabela's, the Sidney, Neb.-based hunting and outdoor retailer, won't attend or sponsor this year's Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show, one of the largest hunting and outdoor consumer shows in North America.

Cabela's pulled out of the show, which will be held Feb. 2-10 in Harrisburg, Pa., after the show's organizer, Reed Exhibitions, said it was dropping a display of assault-type weapons and accessories at this year's event. Reed's announcement came a week after President Barack Obama announced new gun-control measures.

On the outdoor show's website, Reed said that while it “strongly” supports the second amendment .., “this year we have made the decision not to include certain products that in the current climate may attract negative attention that would distract from the strong focus on hunting and fishing at this family-oriented event and possibly disrupt the broader positive experience of our guests.”

On its Facebook page, Cabela's said it would be a no-show at the event, where it traditionally has had a significant presence.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20130123/MONEY/701239965/1685#cabela-s-pulls-out-of-show-after-organizer-drops-weapons-display

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Good. Take your guns and go home.

[Smilo]

2. Strange there I was thinking Cabelas was about

hunting and fishing.


Never mind they are doing well in NV

[PatrynXX]

32. love Cabelas.

thought they were a hunting outfit. guess not. will have to find somewhere else then..

[paleotn]

43. That's just a cover...

The real money is in selling semi-auto assault weapons and millions of rounds of fully jacketed .223 ammo. As usual, it's all about the money and they'll do anything to protect that revenue stream.

[MynameisBlarney]

3. Not a big Cabela's fan

but they do have some really fantastic stuff in their catalogs.
Especially the cast iron cookware...and the cutlery...and the camping stuff.

But, they also sponsor the slaughter of wolves. So I quit buying from them a few years ago.
There is another outfit that sells stuff that is just as cool, but damn if I can remember the name right now.

[KitSileya]

4. Oh, I didn't know about the wolves.

During the summers, I live in walking distance from a Cabela outlet, and last summer I found some really good light-weight rain coats there. (The Willamette Valley and Bergen, Norway have surprisingly similar amounts of rain...You can never have too many rain coats in either place.) The gun part of the store freaked me out, and I made sure to avoid it, but hey, Oregon does have hunting, and friends of mine hunt, so I didn't think about it. But killing wolves.... I guess my Cabela's buy was a one-off, then.

[MynameisBlarney]

5. I don't know if they STILL do

but they have in the past, been major sponsors of "Wolf Derbies", and posted pictures of grinning idiots with guns posing over dead wolves.
It made me sick to my stomach.

Yeah..here ya go.

http://www.examiner.com/article/defenders-of-wildlife-takes-aim-at-cabelas-sponsorship-of-wolf-killing-derby

[KitSileya]

8. Thanks for that.

Yup, I guess Cabela's is out.

[MynameisBlarney]

10. No problem

[DallasNE]

6. Could You Be Thinking Of Bass Pro Shop? n/t

[MynameisBlarney]

9. Nope, Cabela's

Last edited Wed Jan 23, 2013, 06:29 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't think Bass Pro Shop sells very much in the way of guns.
But it's been YEARS since I have been to one.
They have outstanding fishing gear. I could spend entire paychecks in there.

*edit*

Heh...you meant, Bass Pro Shops might have been the other outfit I was thinking of that sold camping type stuff. Derp, lol.

I am coming down with the flu, so I'm a bit slower than usual.

[OmahaBlueDog]

12. That's a key point of which they need to be reminded.

They sell to folks other than hunters.

[MynameisBlarney]

13. Indeed.

But they haven't sold to me, or my dad since I found out about the wolf thing.

We buy our cast iron stuff straight from Lodge, Inc. or lucky finds at yard sales and thrift shops.

Been doin just fine without them.

[canoeist52]

27. If it's camping equipment you want shop CAMPMOR or REI.

Good companies with great service.

http://www.campmor.com/
http://www.rei.com/

[MynameisBlarney]

39. Thank you!

CAMPMOR was the one I was thinking about!

[tabasco]

51. Hell yeah, and Outdoor Research

Outdoor Research = lifetime warranty on products.

[PatrynXX]

34. hit the unlike

off their facebook. rather disappointing coming from them

[bobalew]

49. Bass Pro Shops

Remember it now?

[dlwickham]

53. REI

[Arctic Dave]

7. Meh.

Nothing at Cabela's you can't buy somewhere else or online.

[OmahaBlueDog]

11. You can contact Cabela's here:

https://cabelas.custhelp.com/app/ask

I'd select "feedback" from the pulldown menu.

I e-mailed them - I hope you will too (and then tell a few other friends to do the same thing).

[patrice]

33. Thank you, OmahaBlueDog, here's the email I just submitted:

I take Cabela's withdraw from the Eastern Sports and Outdoor show, because of Reed Exhibition's removal of assault weapons from their booth offerings, as Cabela's confirmed support for protection of American domestic assault weapons' markets and bigger such markets in troubled countries around the world.

Apparently these markets in countries into which US made, and NRA protected, assault weapons are flowing fully un-regulated to eventually produce the necessity of US troop killing and being killed in order to "defend" "our" "interests abroad" have Cabela's seal of approval. Hence your protection of assault weapons propaganda in a PRIVATE sports show.

Please review Senate bill S. 2205 introduced during the 112th Congress and in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee right now. In this bill the NRA, through it's wholly owned senators, seeks to prevent U.S. involvement in U.N. treaties that try to control the flow of US made and other weapons into troubled places like Libya and all over the continent of Africa.

America's history as "the Policemen of the World" and our standing non-UN treaty involvements mean that it is highly likely that US Troops will end up facing the weapons that Cabela's is protecting in some horribly sad and damned places, while you enjoy your assault weapons' profits in the comfort of your home.

You can be certain that there are many of us who will not forget your ir-responsible attitude toward what happens to ordinary Americans in OUR own streets and to OUR soldiers in Harm's Way around the globe.

Please reconsider and offer Reed Exhibitions an apology and thank them for their responsible behavior in this matter.

Thank you for reading this,
........

[freshwest]

46. Wow. Deserves a GD or Activist forum OP, patrice.

You've connected more there than most people have ever heard. Good post.

[patrice]

50. The NRA's intransigence on the assault weapons issue is due to these much much BIGGER markets. nt

[freshwest]

55. Patrice, this needs to go viral, many people don't know the reasons at all.

[patrice]

57. I have been saying it here every chance I can find, but I should investigate ways to get outside of

this sand-box.

I should look for articles about S. 2205, comment them and then share them on as much social software as I can. I actually do have a blogspot blog and a domain also of my own where I could compile things. It's just easier to hang out here.

Time to grow up. Take the next step.

[freshwest]

58. It wasn't until I heard discussion of Reagan's AWB and the market being protected that I had a clue.

In the last week or so, more details have come out and more OPs to show that the NRA has moved - into the role of an arms supplier for people abroad that cause conflict we get into - which you just put together for me. At times, it hard to think of such evil - such craven people - it does explain a lot of the OTT NRA rhetoric. This is like a smoking gun to me.

[patrice]

59. Military are probably pretty interested in what's going on with Fast-&-Furious gun markets. nt

[OmahaBlueDog]

47. Good e-mail

Mine was shorter, and basically indicated that I'd probably be making more purchases as Scheels and Bass Pro as a result.

[PatrynXX]

35. and twitter and facebook

I guess they aren't for Hunters anymore. NRA is anti hunter too. I'm against most companies who sell to hunters but are against them.

[Ezlivin]

14. Is Cabela's a corporation or a lobbying firm?

If it's after money, then why in the hell would they pull out of show because one fucking item wasn't going to be displayed?

When I see a corporation behaving like that, I know that it's no longer in the business of making money but in the business of politics.

Fuck Cabela's. I'll make sure that I never spend a dime there.

[backwoodsbob]

68. it's a PR move...no one can see this?..really?

the fishing/camping people wont be affected and Cabela's get to push there*we got your back* cred to gun owners.

Don't be surprised if there sales go up after this.

This is a genius move for them.

[kestrel91316]

15. Wow. Nothing like telling the world that you care more about guns used for murder than

for hunting and sport.

[Faryn Balyncd]

16. Cabella's number is 800-237-4444...They say that assault weapons are essential for ranchers to...

...protect their cattle from marauding coyotes, and without assault weapons they would be simply unable to kill coyotes.

Then they said they didn't understand why I won't do business with them in the future, since they do business with everybody regardless of their politics, and just can't possibly understand how I, or anyone, could be in any way offended by their choosing to boycott an outdoor show that has decided not to include assault weapons.

Then they said if they had not chosen to boycott the show, it would offend all the ranchers in Nebraska, who can't possibly defend their cattle without assault weapons, and who would be justifiably offended should Cabella's sell merchandise at an outdoor show that did not include these essential coyote-assaulting weapons.

Little did we know that Nebraska ranchers' sensitivities were in such need of coddling.

[OmahaBlueDog]

19. So, they couldn't sell me a hunting rifle to hunt coyote on my ranch?

I have to have a clip with more than 10 shots?

Perhaps I'd be served by a better scope. If the maurauding packs are that bad, perhaps I shuld install pens and feed bunks.

[redstatebluegirl]

20. Gee How Did My Dad Manage To Protect

our cattle for years with a rifle, not an automatic and old as dirt! Shot coyotes and other critters after our cattle. Just a silly silly argument. We buy lots of gift cards from Cabellas for family every year birthdays and holidays...no more. They won't miss me I'm sure....

[Sherman A1]

23. The response they gave you is

beyond absurd.

Pardon me for a bit while I......

[Capt13]

25. Funny

We have had some serious coyote problems at the golf course I work at. Some have been seen following golfers in the day and they are not afraid of people, not to mention killing the neighbors pets. One of the staff uses a cheap ($179.) little .22 from Wal Mart to take care of the problem ones. why would you need an AR15?

[AtheistCrusader]

36. Anything a .22 can do, a .223 can do better.

My Ruger mini-14 is billed as a 'ranch gun' and works well for that purpose. It is also legislatively classed as an assault weapon. vOv

[Frank Cannon]

71. Really? It does it better?

What does it do? Make them more dead? Seems like a .22 does the job just fine.

[AtheistCrusader]

72. Higher velocity, longer flatter trajectory, more mass on impact.

You can certainly hunt something as large as a coyote with a simple .22LR, but a .223 will allow greater deviation of the round from a very particular part of the animal, and still humanely end the animal's life.

I'm not big on animals suffering needlessly, so ensuring the round hits EXACTLY where I intended to place it is vital to me. .223 is superior in that regard. (AR's and the like are typically referred to as 'tack drivers' for this reason)

Follow-up shots from the two platforms can be identical, so in this case, it's a non-issue.

[intheflow]

29. Well, this show wasn't about ranchers, it was about hunting.

So that part makes no frickin' sense. Also, they themselves have drawn attention to themselves with this action; a gun show in Pennsylvania is probably not on most ranchers' radar and probably would have drawn little blowback since I'd guess most ranchers have more to do than monitor which sporting goods shows Cabela's has a booth at. So while they would have had little blowback by a few, and possibly garnered some hunting rifle sales, they've drawn national negative attention on themselves and have lost any money they could have made at the show. Stupidity on parade. These people need to get out of the midwest more.

[PatrynXX]

37. the way they shoot on youtube

I'm surprised they don't hit their own cattle in the process X_X

[mikeysnot]

17. f@*& Cabelas.

Read David Kay Johnston's Free Lunch, whole chapter of how they make WalMart look like saints on how they fleece the communities they open in. Not sure what chapter it was to point you in the correct direction, I checked it out of the library.

Read it for sure. I am reading his Fine Print right now.

[kooljerk666]

21. In Hambug, PA the residents HATE Cabellas...........

at a big Hamburger fest last summer, there were hundreds of displays & thousands of people.

Not one person talked to or stopped at the Cabella display. When i was telling 1 of the people I was with about what dead beats they are a 90 y.o. lady with good hearing burst into our conversation & had nothing nice to say about what a bunch of parasites they are.

In Philly Inquirer there was an article about Cabellas going in on I-95 in Del. I called several pols office with the Free Lunch info & people were pissed & I doubt they get invited to anywhere in DEL ever.

[canoeist52]

26. Great Book. It includes Bass Pro in that group of bad players using Walmart tactics.

They look for local and state tax breaks along with the federal gifts. Then they put the local shops out of business. We gave them up years ago.

[MynameisBlarney]

41. Aw man

Bass Pro Shops is like that too?
Bastardos!!!

[mikeysnot]

42. DKJ books have made me

a non consumer.

Fine Print is just as good. I recommend it. I have to read it in small dosages since it pisses me off royally.

[Javaman]

18. I find this amusing...

by pulling out of the show, it's a win win for gun control.

No big sponsors, no show. LOL

[intheflow]

30. Good point!

[Hoyt]

22. Assault weapons are what draws all the yahoos to gun shows.

The gun industry will all but shut down without yahoos drooling over these popular lethal weapons. I hope to see that someday.

[Demo_Chris]

24. I feel bad for the many vendors

Who paid what might well be huge bucks (thousands per 10x10 space) to exhibit and sell their products and services. This is a freaking disaster for them. I'm sure quite a few will back out assuming that they can get their money back.

[pscot]

28. I used to shop at Cabela's

but the wolf derbies put and end to that a couple years back.

[AtheistCrusader]

38. Plus all their shit is 30-50% over priced.

I go to Sportsman's Warehouse. Sometimes they even have the same stuff on the shelf. Way cheaper.

[PatrynXX]

40. Bass Pro has just been killing them

just gonna put a nail in the coffin offending the hunters this way.

Like do they know Hunters and the NRA don't actually get along. (not saying all)

We need hunting (regulated ) because no hunting then we overpopulate then it's a problem. If Cabelas wants to pull out of the Hunting genre fine. but there stores are gonna be much smaller and this has nothing to do with politics..

[PSPS]

31. I think "second amendment" has become dog whistle for "slavery."

This would make sense given the true origin of the second amendment.

[patrice]

56. I don't think that's far off from the truth NOW, 'cause these LiberTEA -publicans are NOT that

interested in paying any more than they can get away with for workers in their Libertarian paradise.

FACT, why would they pay more than the going market rate for bodies to tote their barge? In my state the going rate is $0-240. @ month for those who have been cast off by the market and qualify under extremely stringent criteria for any assistance, so these 2nd Amendment advocates, if they achieve their anti-government, anti-regulation paradise are just suddenly going to cough up anything over the federal poverty-line for jobs that someone, anyone, will take for less and less in order to keep from starving in a system that HOPES they'll just die, or shoot one another, and go away? I don't think so.

So SLAVERY it is, wage-slavery, more than 40 hours for some - or else!, or less hours for others in order to avoid employer obligations to employees working over, what, 37? hours a week maximum, all with as few authentic benefits as possible. And if you don't like it, walk away and someone else will take the insults and the slave-wages in your stead, so there's no chance of changing it.

All enforced by assault weapons toting proponents of LiberTEA, or else!!!, many with really pretty good jobs and some of those even IN GOVERNMENT. All of us are being extorted by a bunch of gangsters who threaten violence against a government that could do something about this situation, so if Republicans don't get THEIR way, screw the rest of us!

You are so completely right, PSPS, the 2nd Amendment started with the necessity of keeping slaves in line and it continues today on that same basis and 100s of millions of Americans will hear this bullshit about Liberty at the barrel of assault weapons and won't even recognze what's going on, 'cause by golly just "don't tread on me" is such such a buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

[RebelOne]

44. Before I was laid off the outdoors magazines where I had worked for 13 years,

Cabela's was one of our biggest advertisers. I think their ads tapered off. We lost a lot of advertisers and I am sure that was one of the reasons I was let go. We lost a lot of advertisers because people could not afford to go hunting and fishing.

[patrice]

52. Couldn't afford to hunt & don't have the time to, as many of us work more for less these days.

Sorry, about your lay off. I know that totally sucks!

[sir pball]

62. I've always found hunting to be a net positive..

Sure, it's an immediate hit on the cash flow to take a morning/day off to go out - but netting 50+ pounds of meat for the freezer more than makes up for it over the long run. I suppose if one is hunting for "sport" the math might be different, but that's just bloodsport in my book.

[RebelOne]

65. Our magazines were all about trophy hunting. n/t

[RebelOne]

66. Thanks. But the company was good to me when they laid me off.

I got 6 months of severance pay. And since I am over 70, I just decided to retire.

[frylock]

45. i'll be sending them a letter later this week..

explaining that i'm a gun owner, and express my disappointment in them siding with the frenzied mouthbreathers on the right. I will no longer purchase ammo or fishing gear from them.

[jerseyjack]

48. Good. Stay the fuck home.

Article about them as to how they get large tax breaks when they open up a new store. Then local sports shops get put out of business.

--- same story as Walmart.

Fuck them all.

[Owl]

54. How stupid of Cabela's. Don't they sell anything else?

[Scuba]

60. And who is Cabela's spokesman? Why it's Wayne LaPierre featured in their catalog ads.

[Evasporque]

61. They will regret that move...nt

[amandabeech]

63. I think that I just heard on MSNBC that this show has been "postponed."

Will keep posting as I hear further.

[hack89]

64. Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show has been "postponed"

Reed Exhibitions has decided to postpone, for now, the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show given the controversy surrounding its decision to limit the sale or display of modern sporting rifles (also called ARs) at the event. The show was scheduled to take place February 2-10 in Harrisburg, PA

http://www.easternsportshow.com/

[lynne]

67. About 200 exhibitors pulled out as well as celebrity guests -

- according to this article.

http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/806571_Olympic-gold-medalist-will-skip-Outdoor-Show.html

[sweetapogee]

69. I went to that show

about 20 years ago. It was even then quite huge and impressive. The event organizer just decided to postpone this years event once the list of exhibitors who decided not to attend hit 300 (out of 1200), that was either this AM or last night. They will be refunding the money paid to all of the exhibitors, this I believe so exhibitors to other events run by Reed will have confidence in the company. Reed will be out of a lot of money over this flap. So, if you are an orgainizer of an event like this, how do you think you will treat AR15s? My guess, the more the merrier unles you want your show to go bust.

Some of the comments about Cabelas in this thread are quite amusing. I live about 25 miles from the Hamburg, PA Cabelas. In our little township of 4000 residents there are two brand new national chain motels that exist just to handle the out of town visitors to Cabelas. Two Motels, 25 miles away. Allow that fact to sink in for a moment. I was in Cabelas with my partner three weeks ago and the ammo shelves were stripped bare. There were zero boxes of 00 Buck Shot and fyi, deer season is over. I looked and couldn't find one single round of .223 Rem or 5.56 NATO anywhere. And for those who don't know, the ammo shelves at Cabelas put end to end would be a couple of hundred feet long. The lines at the gun counter were like 3 people deep. Even though the christmas rush is over, you still need a get a deli-counter number to get a salesperson.

Anyway, like it or not, this single bit of news is not good for the sensible gun control movement. As far as gun sales are concerned, the pukes seem to have a lot of money to spend and are doing just that. Hate to be the one to say it but reality is reality.

[jpak]

70. Cabelas loses business to gun nut pressure

yup