Hunting in Idaho: Are Safety Courses Required to Hunt in Idaho? How Do I Pass Classes?

If you are 40years-old or younger in 2015 and you don't have a hunting license from a state outside Idaho, you must attend a hunter education safety course before you can purchase a hunting license in Idaho. Spring is a great time to sign up for a hunter education class, the Idaho Statesman reports.

"Courses are taught by volunteer instructors who, just like their students, want to put down the books and pick up a firearm in the fall," Brenda Beckley, hunter education and recruitment manager for the Idaho Fish and Game Department told the Idaho Statesman. "Although there may be courses available in the fall, the best time to take a course is January through August."

ALERT: Should Obama Have More Control Over Guns? Vote Now

State law mandates that anyone born on or after January 1, 1975, one of three types of hunter education safety classes, and makes access easy for residents in even the most rural areas and those without access to modern computer technology.

The number one reason the courses are required is to prevent hunting- and firearm-related accidents, but "emphasis is also placed on improving knowledge about the heritage of hunting and developing a sense of ethics and responsibility," the Idaho Statesman reports.

VOTE NOW: Is Idaho Gov. Butch Otter Doing a Good Job?

The first hunting class option is an instructor-led course. These are conducted in a classroom setting and recommended especially for youngsters between the ages of 9 and 14-years-old or anyone new to hunting. This option takes between 12 and 15 hours and is usually given during a number of weeknights and weekends.

Idaho also offers an online hunting class option that is probably the most efficient way to get your license for the first time, and only takes between four and six hours to complete the test portion. Applicants must also participate in a field day, however.

Finally, there is a self-paced workbook course option that does not require a computer. Upon completion of this course, however, applicants will still need to complete a field day.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

URGENT: Do You Support Obama's Plans for Stricter Gun Control? Vote Now

Related Stories:

• Idaho Gun Laws: How Do State Laws Apply on Native American Reservations?

• Facts about Idaho History: 7 Things You Might Not Know