Committee advances measure allowing modern muzzleloader projectiles despite Fish and Game opposition

Representative Ron Mendive (District 5) presented House Bill 128 to the Resources and Conservation Committee, describing the measure as a limited change to allow saboted projectiles in muzzleloader-only hunts. Mendive framed the measure as a safety and ethics improvement: saboted projectiles, he said, provide greater accuracy and terminal performance and can reduce wounding loss in big-game hunting.

Ellery Tucker Williams, legislative and community engagement coordinator for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, testified that the Fish and Game Commission does not support House Bill 128. Williams described the department's prior rulemaking on modern muzzleloader projectiles and the commission-directed Hunting and Advanced Technology Working Group, noting the commission and the working group are studying technological changes and public input. Williams told the committee that in the department's 2023 rulemaking 445 public comments were received; of those, 65 percent backed expanding allowable projectile materials beyond lead, while about 9.4 percent specifically asked to allow sabots.

Greg Wooten, chief of enforcement for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, answered technical questions about how different projectiles perform, cited the department's existing rule language allowing certain polymer-tip or expandable-base projectiles, and said a saboted muzzleloader is generally a 100-yard weapon in practical effectiveness.

Nick Fasiano, executive director of the Idaho Wildlife Federation, testified that his organization did not support the bill because of process concerns: he said hunters prefer that changes to allowable technology be addressed through commission rulemaking and broad public input rather than through legislation.

Committee members debated ethical and practical implications, including whether muzzeloader-only seasons are intended to be "primitive weapon" hunts and whether saboted projectiles would materially change harvest success and wounding rates. Some members said they supported the sponsor's limited approach as a compromise; one member said the change could effectively modernize a primitive-weapon season if performance differences were large.

Representative Anderson asked for clarification of survey numbers; Williams affirmed the split in hunter support for modern muzzleloader technology and noted the working group and survey results were available on the Fish and Game website. Representative Daggart said a firearms expert in his district warned sabots could double effective range and said he would vote no. The committee ultimately voted to send House Bill 128 to the House with a do-pass recommendation; the vote passed despite recorded opposition from at least one member in committee discussion.