If you grew up in Idaho, you probably remember the first time you shouldered a rifle or sat behind the wheel with your parent in the passenger seat.
Both moments carried that same mix of excitement and nerves—the thrill of new freedom paired with the weight of new responsibility. Around here, learning to hunt and learning to drive have always been part of growing up. They’re two different paths toward the same goal: teaching young people to respect what’s in their hands and to think before they act.
When we teach a young person to hunt, we don’t just hand them a firearm and send them into the woods. We start slow. We talk about safety, awareness, and respect for the land and for life. We walk beside them, guide their decisions, and encourage patience while they are learning.
Anthony Quarrels of Bellevue, Idaho, knows this rite of passage well. He has fond memories of his grandparents taking him camping and teaching him to hunt. The first lessons started in the car.
“We’d drive an old ‘43 Willys Jeep. Every time we got in the car, it was number one, buckle up. Number two, no phones. And number three, pay attention to your surroundings.”
Anthony has been hunting since he was eleven. Now, he’s passing those memories on to his daughter. Like his grandpa before him, Anthony is passing on the importance of safe driving along with safe hunting.
“I always say to her, if you’re taking a firearm on a hunt, make sure you’re traveling with an unloaded weapon,” he said. “It’s about looking out for the community and getting there and back safely.”
The 2024 Idaho Crash Report makes it clear why this guidance matters
Teen drivers make up a small portion of Idaho’s licensed drivers, but they’re overrepresented in crashes. In 2024, more than six thousand crashes in Idaho involved drivers between 15 and 19—thirty-nine people were killed in those crashes. This was the most crashes involving teens in the last five years. Most involved inexperience, distraction, or speed. Each crash is a reminder that teens need time, example, and steady mentorship.
This week is Teen Driver Safety Awareness Week. Each year it falls right in the middle of hunting season, and that feels right. Both are about trust. Both are about responsibility. And both depend on adults who stay involved long after the first license or first hunt. The same habits that keep a hunter safe—scanning ahead, paying attention, and knowing when to slow down—are the same ones that keep a young driver alive.
Good mentors know that lessons stick best when they’re lived, not lectured. Teens learn more from watching how we act than from hearing what we say. They notice when we put our phones away, when we stay calm, when we show patience instead of frustration. Every drive together is an opportunity to lead by example.
This fall, as Idaho families head for the high country or the open road, let’s treat both traditions with the same care. Whether it’s a rifle or a set of car keys, both deserve respect—and both depend on mentors willing to guide, listen, and lead.
