SOUTH HUTCHINSON � Across Kansas the trail cams and camouflage are out, the stands are set up and, for more than 14,000 hunters, buck fever has set in.



Archery season for deer opened Monday. The deer season lasts until Dec. 31. According to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, 14,396 archery-alone permits�already have�been issued to hunters. The department estimates that number will continue to grow, as the season has only begun. Also, about 27,000 any-season permits have been issued to Kansas residents. Holders of any-season permits may hunt deer during any of the specified seasons provided they use the designated weapon. Last year the department issued 18,950 archery-only permits.



As far as Evan Theis, head archery technician at Heartland Outdoor, 1 Heartland Drive, South Hutchinson, can tell, the sport seems to be on the rise. On a good week the store might sell five to seven new bows. The most popular items are compound bows, he said, followed closely by crossbows.



Theis, who�has been hunting with a compound bow since he was 13, said he hasn�t had the opportunity to go hunting yet this season, but has gone on several scouting trips and seen quite a few quality bucks. Theis hunts south of Haven near Cheney Lake.



Theis said the sport has grown quite a bit, thanks in part to advancements in the equipment, archery taught in physical education programs, and TV hunting shows. However, Theis also credits popular films like �The Hunger Games� and �The Avengers,� which both feature archers as main characters, for really bringing archery into the forefront of popular culture.



�It really makes me happy to see the sport growing,� he said. �It�s something you can do at any age.�



Theis also said archery is not a sport just for hunters. Target shooting can be equally fun, he said.



Theis estimated that, over the past several weeks,�he has performed more than 100 bow tune-ups or restrings. Many hunters typically will bring in their equipment for a tune-up, he said, just prior to the season or near the beginning.



J.C. Stroup of Great Bend took his compound bow in on Tuesday for a tune-up. Stroup said he hasn�t had the opportunity to hunt for several years, but is excited to get back out in the field.



�It just takes time if you�re going to do it right,� he said. �You just get a thrill with the animal being about 10 yards away.�



Stroup said he grew up rifle hunting, but switched in high school and prefers bowhunting.



�It gets your heart rate going more,� he said.



Stroup said he has yet to score a big buck with his bow, but he�shot a boar on a hunting trip in Texas. Stroup said he plans to hunt this year in Stafford County.



Lance Darrow, an officer of the Salthawk Archery Club, said the club maintains a steady membership of about 70 to 80 year-round. About 90 percent of the members are hunters, he said.



Members who pay a yearly fee of $40 have 24-hour access to the club's shooting range. The club also offers regular 3-D shoots that pit archers against one another to see who can most accurately shoot life-size animal targets. Darrow said the public is welcome to participate in the monthly shoots. The club is sponsoring shoots on Sunday and on Sept. 28. For more information, visit www.salthawkarchery.com.