Bears induce immediate feelings of excitement, fear, caution or, perhaps, all of the above.
This one, a black bear, shiny, deeply furred and unblemished, caught my eye, it staring back at me from a perch some 40 or 50 feet high, safely out of reach of most anybody or anything that might be an unfriendly threat.
The bear appeared relaxed enough, partially hidden by a pine needle curtain, and safe enough in the towering fir.
Although the bear held much of my attention, it left enough for me to realize that I was just an arm’s length from another human, a rather thin fellow decked in his angling best, bent into action with a seven weight fly rod bowed to its max in a furious battle with an angry rainbow trout.
The fisherman stood his ground, waders knee deep in stream water.
But just as I was about to cheer the man and the fish on to a harmless draw, a glance upward focused on a pair of bone-heavy bull moose nose to nose and both spitting mad.
Of course, all these outdoor snapshots aren’t outdoors at all. Each animal, every fish and all the birds are indeed real but mounted by skilled taxidermists and featured in realistic dioramas and in living color.
For sure, the walls here at the Bass Pro Shop in Rossford, Ohio, are adorned with creatures from around the world, sometimes hung high in glass-eyed shoulder mounts, flying overheard in flocks or perhaps half-in and half-out of an artistic mural so realistic and perfect in every way that one has to study each wall, then do it all over again just to find more carefully hidden creatures.
This Bass Pro Shop is just one of over 90 throughout the continent, and along with about 130 Cabela’s stores, have captured the attention and devotion of shoppers and outdoor enthusiasts young and old.
In fact, the outdoor specialty biggies have become nothing short of highly ranked visitor attractions.
Many long weekend trips and full-fledged vacations are built around a day or two at one of the Bass Pro Shops or a large Cabela’s store.
No questions about the shopping experience but if buying is the only thing that brings one to a mega outdoor store like this, it would be a shame.
That fellow in the stream could be the guy down the street and the battling bulls, something all hunters dream of seeing in the flesh.
According to my Bass Pro store guide, the thousands of wildlife mounts are owned by the company with many donated by individuals or families.
The dioramas are certainly worth viewing, but it’s the huge mural-like high walls that are absolutely awe-inspiring.
Each was hand painted by an artist working from a towering scaffold.
Now add to all that an aquarium holding just about every freshwater fish listed in a fish of North America handbook.
According to a store associate, it appears that the Cabela’s side of the Bass Pro Shop corporation will lean a bit toward the hunting sports while the Bass Pro Shops will be catered slightly more to the fishing crowd.
The Rossford Bass Pro Shop is number 54, with nearly 40 additional Bass Pro’s built after it opened.
The original is in Springfield, Missouri, and features an extremely interesting ceiling over the lunchroom that appears to be the surface of a lake, allowing the lunch crowd to enjoy a grilled cheese while seeing the world through a fish’s eyes.
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