Bass Pro Shops — Local services in Kansas City

What to say about Cabela's, well when I first started going there they were family owned. It was..still is a nice place. But a lot has changed. When it went from family owned to a publicly owned company, that's when things began to change. I live nearby so I went there often. Not always to buy something, but for the atmosphere. Got to know a few of the guys there. One day I asked around because you could tell that they had made some staffing changes. Turns out they had fired most of their full time employees. The word was it was over money. Guess they wanted to pad their bottom line, or the Ceo's wallet. Just a bad way to make money. Then I noticed that the part time employees who survived the purge, were being replaced. Met one of them one time, and found out he was fired for not pushing their credit cards. The weird thing is they started to sell a Cabela's brand of tractor, now we are not talking lawnmower size, but the size you would use on a small farm. During all this I found myself going there less and less. Now Bass Pro owns them. They got rid of the tractor's, but also got rid of the layaway for firearm's ..go figure. It was always a little expensive, time will tell how Bass Pro Shop will take care of it in the future. Still a nice place. 05/18/22, the store has changed a lot since Bass Pro bought them out. It would still be a better place to go if buying a gun than one of the Bass Pro stores, but the whole flavor that made Cabela’s, well Cabela’s has changed. Years ago you could go there and buy some nice military rifles, and handguns. That is all gone. They used to have gun racks that were two racks tall, they took all those out in favor of single height racks that are on wheels. Which means they have less of those guns to display. It seems that everything gets packed up each night and put in a big safe they have. Probably the result of being robbed too many times. The cafeteria is gone as a result of Covid, not to come back as they sold all the equipment and now use that area for fulfillment of orders. They shut down the shooting gallery (not sure if that will be coming back). The fudge shop is gone (it looks like they still have fudge for sale, but it is produced offsite, along with the candied nuts they used to make there). Just a lot that used to make the place special is now gone. The prices are still high. I did find a Cabela’s brand of cast iron pan there a month or two ago, but it was made in China. The stand that they had outside that sold kettle corn is gone. Now that was operated by someone other than Cabela’s, but it is still gone. They do have a lot of gear for sale, so that remains. If you want to get a feel of how Cabela’s used to be visit the main Bass Pro shop in Springfield Missouri. The local Bass Pro shops are a watered down version of that. Now it may have changed, but the last time I visited there a few years ago it was pretty neat. Some change is good, some not so good. In the case of Cabela’s not so good. 09/07/23, have you noticed, they took down the Cabela’s signs on the side of the building , and replaced them with Bas Pro signs? I have to be honest and say I miss the old Cabela’s. The one that offered old military rifles, and pistols. The one that offered layaway on those guns. The gun library had such a diverse offering of rare and antique guns. The cafeteria with its offerings of different kinds of burgers. It is not the same. 04/25/24, A friend told me that Bass Pro Shops deliberately made changes, so that Cabela’s would fail. That would explain a lot. He indicated that after building 2 Bass Pro Shops in KC, they did not want competition from...

I had a very distasteful experience with Bass Pro in the Legends area of KCKS today. I went in with a collectible rifle, hoping to get an appraisal and a quote from their gun library for purchase. This is a somewhat rare firearm.

I stopped at the gun check in counter, and proceeded to have my rifle inspected. I had already disassembled the bolt from the rifle, and was holding it apart from the rifle to minimize any damage. The check in person reviewed my rifle, inserted an OBI (open bolt / empty chamber indicator) and then proceeded to grab a very beat up trigger lock from a drawer.

I stopped her from clamping that device on my trigger guard. The internal part of that lock does not have any padding or means to protect the firearm; my rifle has some silver inlay on the trigger guard and this lock was going to put the finish of the rifle at risk.

I asked to speak with a manager, who came over and said that it was company policy that firearms need to be inspected and LOCKED WITH A TRIGGER LOCK (this makes no sense to me, as Cabelas / Bass Pro corporate policy allows for concealed and open carry in stores where not prohibited by state law).

I told her that I was not willing to allow the finish on my rifle to be damaged, and that I had no objection to letting their employees carry the rifle to the gun library for assessment. I then asked if I could bring my own trigger lock on the rifle, and give them the keys to hold. She then said no, that the corporate policy required it to only be a store lock.

I smelled BS, and asked to see the corporate policy in writing. She said it was against their policy to show policy to customers.

I called her out on her BS and she continued to argue. At that point I was done.

There is nothing more infuriating than someone making up policy on the spot and promoting their opinion as gospel. In a close second place is policy which is simply moronic.

If Cabelas allows concealed carry of weapons in the store, and even allow open carry of holstered weapons (without a trigger lock), by customers, why would they not allow carry of an inspected and unloaded firearm (without a trigger lock) which is being solely handled by THEIR firearm experts while the firearm is in the store?

This manager is in very serious need of retraining. Both in company policy as well as in integrity.

I will not be allowing Cabelas to purchase any of my firearms. I suspect that they have lost my business as a customer as...

As a 20 plus year active duty Army Soldier, I have experienced many forms of teamwork, dedication, and selflessness, but the kindness I received from Jason and Cannon stands out in a deeply personal way.

I came into the store with only a minor knowledge of fishing, hoping to make some finishing purchases and learn how to properly set up my gear. Jason and Cannon did not just sell me equipment. They took the time to patiently explain the differences between rods, reels, and tackle, and walked me through the best options for my needs. They answered every question I had and shared their knowledge in a way that was approachable and encouraging.

What truly moved me was the care they showed beyond the sale. I am a single widowed father to a medically complex 5 year old daughter who uses a wheelchair. Much of my life is spent balancing active duty military service with caring for her. This means attending countless medical appointments, handling unplanned surgeries, and doing everything I can to make sure she has opportunities to experience joy despite her challenges.

When it came time to check out, Jason and Cannon immediately offered to help me carry all of my purchases to my car while I wheeled my daughter alongside them. They went a step further by showing me exactly how to use the new fishing pole and even caught a few bass to show my daughter. Seeing her light up with excitement at the sight of those fish was a priceless moment for me.

In a world where customer service can often feel rushed or impersonal, Jason and Cannon demonstrated genuine patience, kindness, and humanity. I am incredibly grateful for their time, their expertise, and the compassion they showed toward both me and my daughter. They reminded me that true service is not just about what is sold but about how people are treated.

Thank you, Jason and Cannon, for turning what could have been a simple shopping trip into a moment of joy, dignity, and human connection for me and my daughter. You have my utmost respect...