Maine will have the closest Cabela's

Even though Hooksett voters approved an $18 million dollar bond to help bring Cabela's to exit 11, officials from the Nebraska-based outdoor retailer said that an outlet store wouldn't be likely until 2010.

That date flies in the face of what Hooksett residents had been told last fall. At that time, dates of Thanksgiving 2008 or the first quarter of 2009 were put forth.

However, in the face of slower than anticipated fourth- quarter earnings, Cabela's has opted to scale back its expansion plans around the country with Hooksett being on that list. Initially, seven stores were slated to open this year. Now only two will open. One in Scarborough, Maine and the other in Rapid City, South Dakota.

In a curious statement to the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper, a spokesman for Cabela's said that the company never officially announced a store opening in Hooksett despite multiple meeting with residents and officials of Hooksett.

Originally, the proposal had called for a 150,000 s/f store. That number was later scaled back to 125,000.