When you’re out target shooting, be sure to follow these best practices from Tread Lightly to protect your safety and the safety of others.
Please remember that exploding targets and fireworks are prohibited on Idaho public lands
Target shooting is generally allowed on national forest and BLM lands as long as it’s done in a safe manner, without damaging natural resources or improvements on public lands. Across all BLM-administered lands and Forest Service lands, discharging or using firearms, weapons, or fireworks is not allowed in developed recreation sites such as campgrounds.
Please follow the following tips when you’re target shooting:
- Never shoot from or over any road or highway.
- Always use a safe backdrop.
- Exploding targets are prohibited on Idaho’s public lands.
- Do not use plastic pellets, tracer rounds, exploding rounds, or steel-core rounds.
- Do not attach targets to plants or place targets against rocks, plants, or solid objects. It is illegal to deface or destroy trees, signs, outbuildings, or other objects on federal lands.
- Pack in your targets and carry out all litter, brass and shell casings. All targets, shell casings, debris and trash must be removed.
- Cross-country travel is not permitted outside of OHV Open Area boundaries, so please stay on designated routes.
- Do not shoot into a cave or inside a cave.
- Do not disturb, destroy or damage any prehistoric, historic, or archaeological resource, structure, site, artifact, property.
- Be sure to pack out and dispose of all garbage, including targets, paper, cans, and bottles.
- Practice safe gun handling by:
- Treating every gun as if it is loaded.
- Never letting the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you do not intend to shoot.
- Keeping your finger off of the trigger until your sights are on the target and you are ready to shoot.
- Making sure of your target and what is beyond.
- Be sure that you are not consuming alcoholic beverages while discharging a firearm.
Curious where to go? Here’s an interactive map with local shooting areas near you, provided by the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
See Tread Lightly tips for responsible shooting practices.