From left to right: Jorden Rauscher (son of Joe Rauscher), Jason Gohdes (son-in-law of Joe Rauscher), Joe Rauscher (owner), Carrie Ogaard (sister of Joe & Jim), Jim Rauscher (owner), and Jenner Rauscher (son of Joe Rauscher).

A long history of outdoor enthusiasts

Joe’s started as a Buick repair garage in 1930. When founder Joseph J. Rauscher recognized his customers’ need for live bait, he began selling minnows. The garage soon became known as Joe’s Live Bait and quickly grew to include a wide range of outdoor activities. In August 1959, Joe’s son and daughter-in-law Joseph D. and Loretta Rauscher purchased the store. They added the ski business in 1963 and continued to expand the store through several additions.

The current Joe’s Sporting Goods store opened in August 2003, and our online store followed soon after to serve customers nationwide. Today the store is owned by Joseph H. and James Rauscher, sons of Joe and Loretta. As a family-owned and operated business since the beginning, we’re committed to providing our customers with the highest quality, best value, and finest service in the outdoor industry. If you’re passionate about the outdoors, you can always count on Joe’s to get you there.

Enjoying the outdoors together

There are a lot of reasons people spend time outdoors: to get in touch with nature, to spend time with others, to better themselves, or to be active. No matter what your reason, we want to be with you. We are committed to staying active within our community by participating, organizing, and donating our time and efforts to a wide variety of events and organizations. Here are some of the many organizations we actively support in their mission:

Children's Cancer Research Fund
Children's Cancer Research Fund
American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
Courage Center
Courage Center
National Guard
National Guard
Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited
Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever
Como Zoo
Como Zoo
The Ski Challenge
The Ski Challenge
St Paul Winter Carnival
St Paul Winter Carnival
Jon Francis Foundation
Jon Francis Foundation
Gun Clubs