Her grandchildren, too young to hunt big game animals, still go out with their family hunting trips, Pence said. While they don’t get to shoot, they do learn valuable lessons observing older hunters and helping pack out what the family shot.

“This process that I just outlined builds character,” she said. “Quality experience is worth waiting for.”

State Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, said she opposes the bill because she was not provided enough data that lowering the age would be safe. Rubel said she recently read a news story, provided by Fish and Game following an information request, about a child that accidentally shot and killed an adult after thinking the person was a bear.

“That didn’t really put my mind at ease,” Rubel said.

Bill supporter, state Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, said parents should be the ones to decide if they’re children are ready to shoot rifles.

Waiting for her children to be old enough to shoot big game animals was considered a “bummer” for both she and her children, Boyle said