Opening day of firearm deer season in Kansas starts Wednesday marking the 50th anniversary of modern deer hunting in the state.

Compared to other Midwest states, Kansas’ deer hunting tradition is relatively young. The first regulated season was in 1965, when limited firearm and archery seasons were opened. Just 50 years before that, deer may have been completely extirpated from the state, as a result of unregulated market and subsistence hunting. That first modern firearm season was five days long, Dec. 11-15, and just 3,975 firearm permits were issued. Hunters took 1,153 deer that first year for a 29 percent success rate. Compare that to 2014 when 123,000 hunters killed 93,939 deer (many hunters filled antlerless-only permits in addition to their either sex permit).

The 2015 firearm deer season is Dec. 2-13, and all hunters with 2015 permits may hunt with any legal equipment, as specified on their permit. Anyone hunting deer during the 12-day season must wear hunter orange – an orange hat and a vest that has 100 square inches of orange visible from the front and 100 square inches of orange visible from the back. All deer hunters must have a deer permit and all nonresidents and residents age 16-74 must also have a hunting license, unless exempt.