BOISE, Idaho — Idaho is the first state in the union to make hunting its official state sport, thanks to the efforts of a 9-year-old girl from Twin Falls.
Gov. Little signed House Bill 652 on Tuesday after it easily passed through the legislature this past session.
WATCH: Find out how hunting became Idaho's official state sport
9-year-old Betty Grandy initiated the push for the new state sport earlier this year. She told lawmakers that hunting should be the choice because 70% of Idaho's land is open to hunting.
"I was reading my Idaho history book, and I noticed the fact that Idaho didn't have a state sport. So, I ran a poll with the subscribers with my newsletter, the Grandy Gazette, and hunting was the clear winner, and so I went to the governor's office and did everything that I needed to do to get this bill passed, and now, here we are." Grandy said.
While rodeo might seem like a natural fit for Idaho, four other states already claim it as their official sport.
Currently, only 19 states have official state sports. Most are common sports, with the exception of Maryland, which claims jousting.
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