Can a 16 year old use a rifle in Idaho?
I posted another question similar to this (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101213225624AARw7pZ&r=w) but I’m not getting much feedback so I’m going to try again and this time narrow it down.
I’m 16 and live in Idaho. I spend A LOT of time in the mountains, not just camping trips, but just trecking for miles, during the winter at least once a month, and during the summer bare minimum a couple days a week, sometimes a week plus a month. Anyways although the bow is a great hunting weapon, and can even be more, at my skill level, its not exactly the thing to get me out of a tough situation, takes to long to load, aim, fire, and reload. So I’m looking to get a gun. Would prefer a revolver so as not to take up weight but of course thats out of the question so never mind. Next is a rifle. Now before we go any further I am not going to do anything illegal, so chill on comments, if I sound like I am considering something illegal, it is due to my ignorance, and that is EXACTLY why I am posting here to find out what the laws are.
Obviously due the insane amount of time I spend in the mountains, I can’t always be with my parents supervision, they cant exactly drop whatever they are doing and come with me a week at a time. That and although they don’t have a problem with me using guns, they dont want one under their roof, so could they buy one that I could use, keep it at a friends house, and is there some sort of class or permit I can take/get that will alow me to use it without supervision? Or could I borrow one from a friend? What defines a straw purchase exactly? And what is just borrowing someones rifle? Any help you can give me is great, and if you would look at my other question too that would be awesome.
That all sounds great.
Have you ever seen ‘Brokeback Mountain’?
Call me.
You need parental supervision , I understadnd where youre coming from because I was a mountain boy too.I believe you have to be 18 to own a shoulder arm. You can burrow someones rifle but if something happens illegally (not saying youre a bad person o rplanning something bad), you and they will get in trouble.
I would look into these:
http://www.henryrepeating.com/rifle-survival-ar7.cfm
As to the legality, I’m not sure about Idaho’s laws as I don’t live there, but here you can have a rifle and even a handgun on you as long as you are supervised by a parent and are using it “for legal and sporting purposes.” Although I know that doesn’t help much because you said your parents won’t be with you. Either way good luck, I was like you once and it’s really a great way to grow up! Better than constantly sitting in front of a screen eh?
I don’t really see a problem with borrowing a rifle. Some LEO/Game Wardens might have a problem tough.
If I were a game warden and saw a minor [you] in the woods with a rifle. Providing your hunting and camping is allowed, and you have a current hunting license, a note from the owner of a rifle saying your allowed to use it, a note from a parent saying they know what your doing and your hunting with a rifle, and I didn’t see you doing anything illegal. I would let you be on your way after checking to make sure you have safety gear and making sure someone knows were you’ll be hiking into and out of. I’m reasonable tough, some LEOs are not.
Here’s the State gun laws for Idaho: http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/IDSL.pdf
This is taken from Idaho state law about firearms:
“It is unlawful for any person under the age of eighteen years to possess or have in possession any weapon, unless he has the written permission of his parent or guardian to possess the weapon; or is accompanied by his parent or guardian while he has the weapon in his possession. An adult shall accompany any minor under the age of twelve years in possession of a weapon. It is unlawful for any person under the age of eighteen years to possess or have in possession any handgun.”
“any minor under eighteen years of age who is on real property with the permission of the owner, licensee, or lessee of the property and who has the permission of a parent or legal guardian or the owner, licensee, or lessee to possess a firearm not otherwise in violation of the law”
“any resident or nonresident hunters with a valid hunting license or other persons who are lawfully engaged in hunting; and any person traveling to or from any of these activities with an unloaded firearm in his possession.”
-Idaho state law under Possesion
So it looks like your fine. I would print out these papers and carry them along with the rifle. To act as your “Freedom Papers” if you should come across an over zealous officer.
Here is the state law once again, read it it know it, and carry the paper with the rifle.
http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/IDSL.pdf
I’m an 18 year old mountain enthusiast from Idaho so I understand your concerns. In Idaho it is illegal for a minor to be in possession of a handgun without adult supervision or written consent of the owner of the firearm. You can however pack around a rifle. But it has always been my understanding that if you’re going to pack around a rifle you should have a hunting license. That’s pretty darn inconvenient. My suggestion is to make friends with an 18 year old with a sidearm or get a can of bear spray. That crap will chase off anything.
I would guess that ID has no minimum age for owning or possessing a firearm. The site below implies that you must be 18 to possess a shotgun or rifle. It implies the same for KS. I know in KS there is no minimum age for owning or possessing a long gun. I live in KS and have been giving long guns to my oldest son since he was 10. When he was a minor, him and a buddy or two would take their AR-15s or bolt action rifles or whatever, sling them over their shoulder and head out on their ATVs coyote hunting. It is all legal in KS. I checked several other sites on the web and none listed a minimum age for possessing a long gun. I would call a local game warden, district attorney or county attorney, or sherrif’s department, in that order, and see what they say.