Aw, shoot

By now, either through word of mouth or those hard-hitting TV news reports, you have probably heard about the new Cabella’s store in Dundee. Yes, the “world’s foremost outfitter” has set up shop downstate to meet everyone’s outdoor needs. During a recent visit to this family-friendly spectacle, I was particularly weirded out by the wall-to-wall glee caused by the veritable Noah’s Ark of stuffed exotic animals and an arsenal of firearms that would make David Koresh proud. Even if you don’t hunt or even particularly like being outdoors, there is a nice enough selection of clothing, strange food products and goofy camping gadgets to make the trip both worthwhile and amusing. In particular, I found a paint-damaged foam duck ($2.99 in the Cabella’s Bargain Cave), Uncle Fred’s Jerky Cure ($4.99 — because real men jerk their own meat), and Wild Pheasant Wings for Bird Dog Training ($3.99 — because I thought you should know). Other than the scary crowds, the most annoying part about Cabella’s is its annoying habit of putting its own label on products it doesn’t make. You have to look real close to find out the damn shirt is actually made by Columbia for Cabella’s. If this all sounds like too much for you, there is always the Web site, www.cabellas.com, which is currently under construction but might get working soon.