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You could hunt deer dressed in blue jeans and a sweatshirt – you, not the deer – but why? If you’re going to have a hobby, you might as well have the right equipment. You might as well dress comfortably and carry well-made weapons. There’s a reason why members of Pheasants Forever seem to have more fun than pheasants do, and we like to call it civilization.

By happy coincidence, feeding our hobbies is also good for the economy. Some day they’ll wise up in the Third World, move past their dreary preoccupation with food and shelter and get into recreation. Until then, the global recovery is largely up to us.

No problem. The nation may be too far in debt to make the payments on the smoke and mirrors, but our favorite sound is still the swipe of a credit card.

Golfers still get the uneasy feeling that their driver is at fault, and that a few hundred dollars would stop the snickering.

Bicyclists are certain that their lives would be improved if they only had a bike weighing eight or nine ounces less than their current behemoth.

But most hobbyists run up against a limited number of choices after the first couple of years. If you’re a horseshoe pitcher, even sooner.

Hunters and fishermen, however, appear to have it made. Spend an hour at the new Bass Pro Shop in Altoona, and you’ll realize that no matter how many outdoorsy accessories you own, there are an awful lot you don’t.

It’s an impressive place, from the high-powered boats to the fish-pond display to the grand entrance, which feels like a hunting lodge. That area in front of the fireplace looks like a great place to spend winter weekends, unless they figure out I’m not an outdoorsman and kick me outdoors.

A surprising amount of space is devoted to apparel, making this the Victoria’s Secret for anyone whose fantasies run more to 12-point racks.

The store contains almost enough camouflage pants, boots, socks, shirts, jackets, ponchos, caps and gloves to supply Christmas at Todd and Sarah Palin’s house. I’m tempted to try a pair of hunting socks that come with a lifetime guarantee, if the clerks don’t require proof of hunting.

Maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising, because other hobbyists, or wannabes, are equally fashion-conscious.

Many bicyclists won’t venture onto a trail without spandex shorts and a colorful, logo-laden jersey just like the professionals wear on the Tour de France. It’s so cute.

And, clearly, you don’t have to know your elbow from a knucklehead engine to wear a Harley-Davidson T-shirt.

Still, no other hobby can match the extensive line of duds along Interstate 80. Caps with the Bass Pro logo, sweaters with “The North Face” stitched in a prominent spot … old-timers claim there was a time when companies actually had to pay for advertising, but they claim a lot of things.

But that’s just the clothes. Real sportsmen buy gear that puts food on the grill, and if Lewis and Clark could have stopped here on their way west, they never would have come home. The inventory includes kayaks, ammunition and slightly more variations on fishing rods than there are species of fish. You can buy a jerky maker for $45, a fake deer for $250 or a $500 crossbow.

It would be very nice to have a 27-ounce bag of Uncle Buck’s Bonus Circus Peanuts, priced at $7.99, while you wait for fish to bite, but even nicer to have an electronic fish finder worth $2,500.

If Mother Nature hopes to protect her creatures from sportsmen who spend this kind of money, she’s going to have to come up with something better than what she has relied on so far. Mosquitoes, lightning and snowdrifts keep some people indoors, but not those who have shelled out $1,000 for a shotgun.

All in all, it’s an outdoors dream come true. For you, not the deer.