Licenses for Young Hunters

Resident
Any resident of Idaho 10 to 17 years old who has graduated from an Idaho hunter education course may buy a hunting license.

Residents 10 or 11 years old who wish to hunt turkeys or sandhill cranes must buy a Youth Small Game Hunting license at any license vendor, such as a sporting goods store. They will need to provide the vendor with their hunter education certification and social security number. The holder of an adult Idaho hunting license also must accompany them in the field (accompany means being within normal conversation or hearing range without the use of electronic devices).

Hunters 12 to 17 years who wish to hunt big game, turkeys or sandhill cranes may buy a Junior Hunting License at any license vendor. Hunters who are 11 but will turn 12 before or during the big game season may buy a junior hunting license to apply for controlled hunts in May.

Nonresident
Nonresident hunters aged 12 to 17 may buy a Nonresident Junior Mentored license, and youths aged 10 or 11 can buy a Youth Small Game license (not valid for big game). Deer, elk, bear and turkey tags to go with the junior mentored license are also discounted to resident prices.

Nonresident hunters aged 12 to 17 also may buy a regular nonresident hunting license and tags if the hunter wants to hunt without the mentoring requirements listed below.

A junior mentored license and tags are available through all license vendors and have a couple of restrictions:

1. Junior mentored license holders must be accompanied in the field by an adult who has a valid Idaho hunting license (accompanied means being within normal conversation or hearing range without the use of electronic devices).
2. The accompanying adult must have purchased a tag valid for the same species in the same area (not necessarily the same hunt). Hunter education required.

The mentor does not have to have an unused tag in possession while mentoring the youth. Even if the mentor's tag is used and notched, it is still valid for this purpose. In other words, it could be at home, on the elk or deer hanging in camp, with the meat at the butcher shop.