Women hit the woods for firearm deer season

Bingham Farms, MI – Today is an unofficial holiday in Michigan. It's the start of deer season for hunters. Plenty of women call themselves "hunting widows" when their husbands head out into the fields and woods looking for that next trophy, but more women and even moms are getting into Michigan's great outdoors.

 

"I was feeling closed in by suburbia and I wanted myself and my kids to get out a bit," says Tricia Auten, founder of her apparel & accessories business "Pretty Hunter." Auten is a bow hunter and she noticed that there aren't many options for women hunters who want to put their outdoor lifestyle on display.

 

"I'm wearing boy's hunting pants right now," Auten says. She's also wearing a pink under layer with her "Pretty Hunter" logo on it and a quote from Annie Oakley. Auten, from West Bloomfield, hunts with a group of women friends. "We've turning the book club into a hunting, fishing and outdoor club." Auten says more mother and daughter teams are putting down cell phone and computers and are picking up bows and rifles and are hunting together.

 

"Next season, I'm taking my 9 year old daughter bow hunting." Auten says with or without a kill, it's a way for she and her daughter to connect with nature and to unplug from technology.

 

Plugging into hunters is exactly what Hyaat Chaudhary is all about.

In a non-descript office building in Bingham Farms, Chaudhary is the CEO of Carbon Media Group. It's the world's largest on-line network for outdoor life. From their office, Carbon Media runs 500 websites geared toward hunters, anglers and anyone who enjoys hiking and any other outdoor activities.

 

Reaching Michigan's outdoor enthusiasts as well as outdoor lovers around the world means big business for Carbon Media. The group sells ad space to companies that want to market directly to hunters and other outdoor lovers.

It's a multi-million dollar a year enterprise. "The average hunter spends $2500 a year on equipment." Chaudhary tells Local 4 Today. He's also a hunter himself and has transformed the office space of Carbon Media to resemble a hunter's lodge.

 

"Hunting is when I get connect with nature and disconnect from the office." Chaudhary says. Carbon Media is growing. Major companies like GM use the websites to advertise trucks to hunters. Hunting equipment company can target market its products right to hunters looking for the latest gear.

 

"Our websites also are the place where hunters discuss their Michigan adventures in our forums and share their photos and videos from their hunting experiences." Says Chaudhary.

Is hunting changing?

Moms are hunting with daughters, a local mom has started her business geared toward female hunters and a local business are all focused on the business of hunting and enjoying what Michigan has to offer.

 


About the Author:

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.