Audra Skuodaitė - Women with bows and arrows

Children playfully scamper around a room adorned with bows and taxidermied deer mounted on the walls. A group of men keep a watchful eye on them while enjoying a football match on the TV. Meanwhile, in a nearby room, women armed with bows and arrows put their target archery skills to practice. This is what Ladies' Night looks like at the "Untamed Archery" shop in Osceola County, Michigan.

Kaila Hower (co-owner of Untamed Archery), Samantha McCrimmon and Kenzie Rogers shoot their bows during Ladies' Night at Untamed Archery in Marion, Michigan. Ladies' Night is a female-only target archery league meant to provide women a safe space to practice archery skills.

Brian Hower (left), the co-owner of Untamed Archery, and his friend watch football on the TV, while also keeping an eye on children in the shop. Brian and Kaila bring their four children to the shop during most of the target archery league events at the shop.

A hunting county

Hunting is more than just a hobby in Osceola – it is part of the county's culture and identity. It is also a valuable food source, allowing the residents of the county to stock their freezers with locally-sourced meat.

“It’s really nice to fill our freezer,” said Kaila Hower, the co-owner of “Untamed Archery” store. “Especially right now with the grocery prices like they are. You want to know where the meat comes from. You get sick of buying stuff in the grocery store.”

Osceola is also one of the most active counties when it comes to hunting in the state of Michigan. In 2023 alone, a total of 1,238 deer were reported as harvested in Osceola County, which has a population of 23,105 residents. This ratio puts Osceola county at the top fourth position in Michigan, with Alcona, Lake and Arenac counties being the top three.

"There's not a ton of people that don't hunt,” said Brian Hower, Kaila’s husband and co-owner of “Untamed Archery” store. “Firearm season is more popular. I'd say most people archery hunt and almost everybody rifle hunts."

"It's very much a part of how we grow up,” Kaila Hower said. “We get school off on the opening day of deer season. There's no school on November 15. And I think initially it was because nobody showed up."

An old target depicting a deer is on the side of a bench.

Wooden stands display a variety of bows and other archery equipment available at the store.

gIRLS CAN HUNT TOO

While many women hunt in Osceola County, they are often perceived as less experienced than men. Kaila Hower and her friend Samantha McCrimmon, a frequent visitor of Untamed Archery, are actively trying to change that.

Kaila Hower remembers that although hunting has always been part of her environment, it had always been men who were encouraged to hunt.

"My church growing up hosted a hunter supper. So the ladies in my family we were always cooking all day. I was usually watching kids," Kaila Hower said. "So they were cooking, I was watching kids and the guys were out hunting."

Kenzie Rogero brings a set of arrows to use for Ladies' Night league at Untamed Archery.

Samantha McCrimmon shoots her bow during Ladies' Night at Untamed Archery.

It was Samantha McCrimmon’s father who took her hunting when she shot her first deer as a child. Now she wants to be that role model to her daughters.

"I like that my girls know that 'Hey, we can hunt too. And we don't have to go out with our boyfriends or dad,'" McCrimmon said. "My daughter shot her 8-point deer with me. Her dad did not take her, I took her. It was with a gun, but it was still cool because now she wants to hunt all the time."

Brian and Kaila's daughter helps the women take out their arrows from the targets during Ladies' Night.

Welcoming space for female archers

Marion natives Brian and Kaila Howers both share a passion for archery. In 2018, they opened "Untamed Archery" when they moved back to Marion. Soon after, Kaila Hower started the women's league called Ladies' Nights to help women overcome the intimidation that comes with archery , a male-dominated sport.

As a woman and a mother of two young daughters, Hower said it was important to break the stereotype that archery and hunting is only reserved for men.

"I didn't want my girls growing up thinking that guys were the only ones that shoot," Kaila Howel said. "We wanted people to feel comfortable and that they could have a night where they can come in and can ask all the questions they want without extra pressure."

Kaila Hower holds her son while Samantha McCrimmon interacts with the baby.

Although not as competitive as other leagues, the scores are kept and calculated at Ladies' Nights.

Samantha McCrimmon started bow hunting 10 years ago after some initial encouragement by her husband. She has participated in most of the leagues and events held at Untamed Archery. McCrimmon couldn't help but notice the differences between coed and female-only leagues.

"I just think [ladies' nights are] more a place where girls can come and shoot and just have fun, while winter leagues with the boys are more serious," Samantha said. "I don't care when I'm here on girls’ leagues. But when I have to step up with the boys, I feel like I have to prove something."

Making archery more accessible

A mother of four children, Kaila Hower arranged a children’s corner within the shop, creating a space accessible to parents who can't leave their kids at home. The space is decorated with a playroom rug, colorful chairs, a variety of toys and a TV with cartoons on to keep children entertained.

“We have to bring our kiddos,” Kaila said. “If we ever got into a situation when we consistently have moms bringing kids, I have older nieces that could come in and help watch over them.”

Kaila and Brian Howers’ oldest daughter plays with her youngest brother in the children’s corner. Kaila Hower said she paid attention to what women needed and said she would even hire a baby sitter for the Ladies’ Nights if more women wanted to bring their children.

Women’s bows are traditionally classified as youth bows. Kaila Hower has changed that in the shop. Now the bows at the shop are classified by their poundage rather than gender or age.

"That drives me crazy – 'it's a girl bow, it's a chick bow,'” Kaila said. “Please don't say it like that. Because really, anybody could shoot that bow. There's no reason that a guy can't pick that up and shoot it."

Samantha McCrimmon said she appreciates the effort Kaila and Brian Howels put into making this shop inviting for everyone.

“The atmosphere here is different than other places that I have shot at,” McCrimmon said. “You can have fun and just be yourself, it's a little more relaxed. It is really because it's more warm and inviting here”

Brian Hower holds his son in his arms and talks with his daughter while his wife Kaila Hower participates in the Ladies' Night league.

Untamed Archery store welcomes customers from all over Michigan.