As The Hunt Begins, Deer Widows Have Some Fun
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- This weekend thousands of deer hunters around Minnesota headed out to their tree stands as the firearm season opened Saturday at dawn.
Both men and women will try to bag that prize buck, but the deer hunt has a reputation for being a guys weekend.
But as the rifles are loaded, the sound of pins crashing comes courtesy of women at AMF Southtown Lanes in Bloomington.
An annual bowling tournament marks the start of a girls' weekend for Delpha Chouanard. Chouanard and many of her competitors are known as deer widows; ladies who've been left behind for the annual deer hunt.
"We'll bowl, and then we'll go and we always rent a room, we stay overnight and we'll come back tomorrow and bowl again," Chouanard said.
Before the bowling tournament came into being, Chouanard said she used to stay home and clean. But since she and other deer widows have reclaimed the weekend for fun, local businesses have taken notice.
Malls are also offering big savings. Albertville Outlet Mall, for example, featured a three-day sale for deer widow weekend. Businesses said they are expecting to see up to a 10 percent boost in sales by tapping a relatively untouched market that's been around for decades.
While some deer widows seek friendly competition at the bowling alley, others seek luxury. This weekend also marks the beginning of the first annual Women's Expo, which combines the activities of pampering and shopping, in northeast Minneapolis.
Expo organizer Emily Betlach said the expo is like a big party that lets herself and her friends celebrate themselves.
"If guys can do it, why don't we?" she said.
