With the release of The Hunger Games books and movies, the sport of archery has seen a surge in popularity amongst not only boys, but many girls. The sport, usually associated with those wearing camouflage and orange caps, is being embraced by mainstream teens, not necessarily interested in hunting, but the sport of archery itself.

In DeKalb County, there are a few people acting on the new-found popularity by opening a club that has been absent from the local scene for several years. The group is forming the Blue Springs Archery Club.

"We’re building a 3D course back in DeKalb County," David Agee told the Review. "We had one about 15 years ago called Indian Creek Archery Range. That’s now gone, and we’re trying to get people back into the sport of archery."

Field archery is a sort of blend of archery and golf. A course is set up with different layouts and ranges, presenting varying challenges to shooters for each target. Archers will shoot in groups as they navigate the course. The course helps archers become more proficient at targets by challenging him or her with unusual terrains and distances. A subclass of field archery, 3D archery uses life-size three-dimensional animal targets made from foam.

David, with the help of his wife Dama, are building a field archery 3D course that will be available to all who want to participate. "A 3D course has a minimum of 20 targets that are setup on different stakes," Agee explained. "This course is being setup throughout five acres of woods. The targets range from 45 yards, to the closest target being 20 yards. There will be a kid’s stake also, with a maximum of 15 yards for all kids."

The targets are shaped as different game animals, ranging from whitetail deer, wolves, javelinas, and other animals. Each target has different scoring marks, making the scoring process a learning experience. "If you hit the target anywhere on the body it’s a five score at least," Agee said. "Then, there is an eight ring, a 10 ring, and what we all like to shoot for, the 12 rings. That’s the kill shot, the one you want to make the score the highest. We will have at least 20 targets at every shoot, but we want to eventually get 25 targets."

The club is also coming at a good time for the area with the formation of an archery team starting this fall at DeKalb Middle School. "I want those kids to be able to come out here and see what it’s like in a real-world setting."

Agee said that the volunteer effort is working hard to have the course ready by late summer. "Right now we are still working on getting all the targets. We have 15 right now, and we should have the last five targets by the first of weekend in August. Hopefully we’ll be able to have our first shoot around the end of August, or the first of September. A lot of places only have shoots from late February into September, because September is when archery season starts, but we hope be able to have shoots year round."

According to Agee, there will be no club dues to join, but there will be a fee to shoot at the events. "This is just a club we’ve started to help young people, and those who like archery, get back involved in the sport. We’re selling advertisements to sponsors along the course. We’re trying to get sponsors to support the club, and help it grow. We’re working really hard. It’s expensive and we need the support of the community to help make it a success. It’s not just us [David and Dama], Steve Jones is helping with this also. We’ve spent several dollars out of our own pockets so far."

Agee said that the shoots will involve not only local archers, but archers from all around the south. "This will not just be local people coming to these events. These events are held in Manchester, in Sparta, Kentucky … we go everywhere to shoot, and those people have already committed to come to the events in DeKalb County."

If you want to join the Blue Springs Archery Club, or would like to be a sponsor for the club, you can contact David at 615-418-6874 or you can contact the club through their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/roups/786793988008163/.

"We’re really excited about this," Agee said. "Steve and I have talked about doing this for more than a year now, and we finally decided that talking wasn’t going to get it done. I also have to give a big kudos to my dad. He said ‘If this is what you want to do, I’ve got the place.’

Participants will have to have their own bow. For those interested in following the footsteps of Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games, the recurve is the bow of choice, but Agee says the club will welcome anything from a compound, recurve, crossbow, to a longbow. Agee plans to also teach courses in archery.