Bowhunting season officially began in many states across the country on Saturday, but animal rights groups like PETA have been fuming against this type of hunting in particular.

The archery deer season opened this weekend to the delight of many eager hunters in states such as Kentucky, where a strong nut crop is likely to result in a good season, with archers tagging 5,000 to 6,000 deer in that state in the month of September, according to a Courier-Journal report.

With strong food supplies thanks to a wet spring and summer, deer populations will increase and bucks won’t move around as much to find food.

But it’s not a wonderful time of year for everyone, as animal rights activists like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have long railed against the practice.

PETA argues that quick ills are rare, and many animals suffer long and painful deaths after being severely injured but escaping the hunter. They say that hunters often follow blood trails to their suffering victims, and sometimes never find them. A study by the Oklahoma Fish and Wildlife Agencies determined that 50 percent of deer shot with an arrow were not recovered, and some deer survived up to a week before passing from their wounds. Up to 82 percent of shots miss the target.

Government regulations in the United States attempt to maximize lethality and game recovery by having a minimum draw weight, a minimum width of head of the arrow, and a restriction on bars. The bowhunting season typically begins in late August to early September in northern states, and happens a little later in the South.