Gem State lawmakers are doubling down on hunting and guns this legislative session. On April 6, Idaho designated hunting as its official state sport. No surprise there, considering Idaho has one of the highest hunter participation rates in the nation. Gov. Brad Little signed the official designation on Monday with a fourth grader looking over his shoulder.
That’s because the nine-year-old, Betty Grandy of Twin Falls, led the initiative. Grandy, who is homeschooled, reportedly publishes her own newspaper, The Grandy Gazette. She included a poll in a recent issue asking readers to choose between their favorite pastimes, with three multiple choice options to choose from: fishing, rafting, and hunting. Grandy told reporters that hunting won hands down.
It’s not immediately clear what her paper’s circulation numbers are or how many survey responses she received, but state officials didn’t seem to mind.
“It’s a sport not because you hit a ball or anything,” Grandy told KTVB-7. “It’s a sport because you get out there and have fun. You can enjoy it and it gets your body moving, and that’s how it’s a sport.”
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The Idaho legislature also just passed a bill that will designate an official state gun and ask voters to decide on which firearm that should be. House Bill 932 cites the nation’s 250th anniversary and the importance of firearms throughout its history.
“In United States history, citizen militias were armed with long rifles in the Revolutionary War to secure liberty. Firearms also powered westward expansion,” the bill reads. “In Idaho, explorers, such as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805 through 1806, depended on rifles for survival while crossing Idaho’s wilderness, hunting game and protecting against dangers.”
Gov. Little signed the state-gun bill into law on Thursday. Voters will now be asked through a ballot measure in November to choose Idaho’s state gun from the following options:
- Winchester Model 1894 in .30-30
- Winchester Model 1873 in .44-40
- 1873 Colt “Peacemaker” in .45 Colt
- M1 Garand rifle in .30-06
- Colt M1911 in .45 ACP
- Remington Model 700 bolt-action in .30-06
“Just to put some people’s minds at ease, the legislative council could add an additional choice there,” Idaho Rep. Jason Monks stated during recorded session testimony, according to the Idaho Statesman. “If you’re not seeing your favorite gun on the list of items here, I would recommend you get with a member of legislative council and petition them to add something to that [list.]”
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Ten other states already have their own state gun, according to the NRA, including Utah with the Browning M1911 Pistol. Its official state sports are skiing and snowboarding. Texas’ state gun, the 1847 Colt Walker, was designated in 2021, while rodeo has been the official state sport since 1997.
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