Idaho Elk, Mule Deer and Black Bear Blog

Couple Spots Still Available for 2026 Idaho Spring Bear Season

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:42:58 GMT

It’s only April 15 and some Idaho areas are just opening up to spring bear season literally today. We have been open for 2 weeks and out putting bait out.

We sell bear bait here in Challis, Idaho and what is fun about that is getting to meet a bunch of bear hunters throughout the state. I have been asking some of my regulars to call me and let me know when the bears start hitting their baits as many have speculated on an early season this year.

Well, last week I got the call. One of my long-time customers called and said his first bear hit and that is almost 3 full weeks earlier than normal.

It is seriously time to get out and hunt Idaho spring bears and here is why. Central Idaho, compared to other parts of the west, is a true an anomaly. It is such a large piece of public roadless real estate that (in my opinion) the only 2 things that really affect our elk, deer and antelope populations is weather and predators and with these last few mild winters we have had, the survival rate has been good for those species, but more prey makes for more feed for predators.

It seems like all the “bad press” on elk number declines gets blamed on wolves, but we must not forget that black bears are predators too and need to be managed. So, if you don’t have plans for spring bear hunting in Idaho (yet) give us, another outfitter or at least get out yourself to do your part to protect our elk, deer and antelope babies that will be hitting the ground very soon!

Good luck, happy hunting and remember to take a kid hunting with you!

George

Idaho’s 2025 Spring Black Bear Season is Officially Open

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 21:22:02 GMT

It’s officially official; Idaho’s 2025 Spring Bear Hunting season is finally open…just in time for a spring snowstorm of course, but hopes are still high for an amazing season this year. It has been a fairly mild winter, and the hills are showing more dirt every day. We are already heading out to get the baits set and camps ready.

If you haven’t made plans for your spring bear season yet, or you simply have a bad case of cabin fever, why don’t you give an Idaho spring hunt a try this year? We are offering fully guided over bait, behind hounds or spring bear hunt drop camps this year. There should be an option for anyone interested in getting out and chasing these Idaho bruins.

Happy hunting! Get out and enjoy YOUR public lands! And, as always, take a kid along!

Idaho’s 2025 Spring Black Bear Season is Just Around the Corner

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 10:00:00 GMT

I know, I know, the holidays just got over and it is still cold and white outside, but what a perfect time to begin thinking about what is truly important, where are you going to hunt spring bear this season?

Idaho’s 2025 spring bear season, I predict, is going to be one for the record books. Why? I am so glad you asked.

1. First, last fall’s berry crop was non-existent. Bears were out late scrounging for whatever they could find to eat and probably even cheering on would be deer and elk hunters, so that they could take a turn at a gut pile for some pre-winter calories.

2. Because of such a lackluster berry crop last fall, I predict that the bears will exit their dens far earlier than “normal” this year seeking to pick up on some lost calories from last fall.

3. This winter has started slow and continued so far to be very mild. What does that have to do with bears you ask? Now I am no biologist, but without heavy snow, big game survival (deer, elk, and antelope) will hopefully be much greater than usual leaving not that many carcasses for bears exiting their winter slumber hideouts to eat, so they head out on a journey for food that they will certainly find in abundance at our bait sites.

4. We will have lots of those bait sites loaded heavily with some of the best tasting (yes, of course we taste our bear bait) icings and sugar laden goodies you can imagine. A hungry bear will not be able to resist them, and we will keep the baits full, so the bears always have goodies to come back to!

5. If, on the off chance we get one of those sneaky nocturnal type bears, we will have dogs on hand as back up in case the need arises to get the job done.

6. Oftentimes, bear baiting gets a bad rap from the nonhunting world, but studies have proven that bear baiting is the best way to protect females with their young as new babies are almost always right at their momma’s side as she fills her belly at our bait sites. These females with cubs are protected and add an additional level of enjoyment in just enjoying watching “the show” as the cubs learn to navigate the woods with their mothers.

So, as you find yourself getting back to “normal” life after the holidays, why don’t you break up the daily doldrums by asking one of your coworkers, friends, relatives or best of all one of your own kids, nieces or nephews if they would like to join you out in Idaho for an opportunity at one of Idaho’s famous color phase black bears and Contact Us to book your hunt.

Hope to see you in the woods! And, as always, remember to take a kid hunting!

Cure Cabin Fever with an Idaho Spring Bear Hunt

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 22:49:22 GMT

The first day of spring is officially here! It has been a long time coming and it can mean only 1 thing: Idaho Spring bear hunting season 2023 is literally only days away!

With this winter feeling like it has been the longest winter in the history of all mankind…at least here in Challis, Idaho, cabin fever is running rampant, and we are ready to get out, start setting bear baits, shoeing horses and mules, riding colts, setting camps and simply enjoying watching mother nature come back to life after a long winter’s siesta.

If you haven’t made plans for your Idaho spring bear hunt yet, you are in luck! We still have a few openings for this spring, and they are indeed a sure cure for cabin fever. We offer hunts from Sunday through Friday beginning early May and can accommodate groups up to 4, 6 if it is all in one party. We love seeing kids and women in camp and can reserve a full camp for your family outing. Non hunting observers are always welcome with hunters in our camps as well.

If you have already made plans and find yourself in need of quality affordable bear bait, check out our inventory of affordable bulk bear bait. If you are simply heading out to the woods to hunt bears spot and stalk or have already engaged the services of another outfitter, then best of luck to you! Take lots of pictures, take time to soak it all in and most of all, take a kid hunting with you if you can! Remember, someone once took you hunting for the first time!

Contact us today about scheduling you for your 2023 Idaho spring bear hunt with Castle Creek Outfitters or Wild Idaho Outfitters, your bulk bear bait needs, bear baiting tactics or to simply talk Idaho hunting. It is certainly one of our favorite subjects!

Happy Hunting,

George

Spring Means Babies

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 22:44:27 GMT

Ten days. Only ten days until spring officially starts. The start of spring means different things to different people. Some celebrate with a Spring Equinox party, some start seeds in the house for the garden, some go shopping for a new wardrobe, some just crab about winter never ending. Me? I start writing foaling dates on the calendar and dreaming of the kind of foals we are going to have!

Here at Darling Creek, the first foal could come as early as April first. That’s only 21 days away! I always say foaling is like Christmas only better. You can look and imagine what’s going to come out but it's always a surprise. A surprise in color, size, sex, personality, and amazing every single time that all of that could fit in the mare.

I’m feeding every day watching the mares get bigger and slower and more miserable. We were originally going to have 25 foals in 2023. Two of the older mares didn’t conceive. They will go for a vet visit next week to see what needs to be done for them to conceive later this spring. Another mare had a foal way too early and another just doesn’t look bred anymore.

For the foals coming, there is a lot of excitement on my part for different reasons. We have 2 mule babies coming, one out of a new mare we purchased last winter that turned into a great horse for hauling outfitting clients and one out of a tried and true mare. My old faithful mare Annie, that is 27 , is foaling once again with a horse foal. Her foals are always the best and it is amazing she can carry a foal once again! Her oldest “foal” is 19 and her youngest – on the way! Then there are all the new mares we bought last year coming with babies. Will they be fillies or colts? Will they be bay or black or buckskin or gray? Hopefully everything will go smooth and there will be no rushing a mare to the vet or rushing the vet out to Darling Creek. I’m praying now that winter will break and spring will truly arrive so mares aren’t foaling in the cold. The mares and babies will be fine if it does have to happen in a snow storm, but I’ll feel better if it’s warmer and more spring like!

Our mares “foal out”, which means they have their babies outside and the babies jump up right away, grab a suck of milk and follow their Mommas on gangly legs. The babies from the minute they drop are developing feet and legs, bone and muscle, brain and coordination by being able to jump up and go. I’ve read that horses raised this way are called the “special forces” in the horse world. By the time they are starting to be ridden, they already know how to climb up and come down a mountain, cross a creek or a bog, step over logs and run on uneven ground. This is good training for making great mountain horses- ¾ of the battle is over before you even throw a leg over them. If you don’t think this is important, try riding a stall raised horse in the rugged mountains like The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. It is a wreck in the making. BTW, Darling Creek Livestock supplies all of the livestock for Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters.

We put a lot of time and care into our stock from picking and raising the mares, stallions, and jacks to training them so they are safe and reliable mounts. This is of utmost importance and something we don’t take lightly. That horse you ride to your drop camp and you are frustrated with because you don’t have the skills is taking care of you. Unbeknownst to you, she saved a little boys life the season before when he jumped off too fast and hung his foot in the stirrup and was laying under her. She kept her footing and her wits about her when Camas Creek was raging in the spring. She is smart enough not to fall off that narrow crumbling trail. These are the kind of babies I am anxiously awaiting. These are the kind of babies that I have ridded their Mommas and Grandmas and Daddies for miles and miles through all kinds of weather and conditions. These are the kinds of babies, I put my kids and grandkids and outfitting clients on and never look back, because I know they are safe! These are the babies come this time of the year, I can hardly wait for them to arrive! These are the mares I am watching their beautiful swollen bellies, anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring and their Christmas packages! To me spring means horse and mule babies at Darling Creek!

Contributed by Kelly Swingruber (Wrangler for Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters)

Ultimate Hunt Combo Possibilities

Tue, 25 May 2021 05:00:00 GMT

This year, for the first time ever, we are offering what I would consider an ultimate hunting combo.

In our Castle Creek Outfitters area, we have a very unique opportunity to hunt more species at one time than I am aware of anywhere, especially considering most hunts are closed by this time and most people are relegated to sofa surfing, watching hunting channels and patiently waiting for next season.

December, in area 28 of central Idaho only, one can hunt (provided they have the proper tags) elk AND deer with archery equipment. This time frame allows for harvest of either sex of both species, increasing your odds of success with a bow.

Big deal you say? We can already do that in September in most states. Stay with me. This is where it gets good. By December, the snow has begun to fly making tracking of mountain lions possible, add to that some wolf and coyote hunting opportunity and if late enough in December (after December 15th), you can even add bobcat to your wish list making this an amazing combo (in my opinion of course).

All over the counter elk and deer tags sold out within hours this year, but due to special outfitter set aside we are in possession of exactly 2 elk and 2 deer tags, and we want to share them with someone willing to “play in the snow” and chase as many animals at one time as possible.

We would intend to conduct this hunt (obviously) in December, and have you hunt deer and elk on your own during the day while your guide takes off before daylight to seek out fresh lion tracks that he can turn the dogs loose on and get after. When he finds a set to turn the dogs loose on, he would come find you and get after a cat. This would alleviate a lot of the boring down time usually associated with predator hunts and add to the affordability factor we are aiming for with this hunt.

Elk and deer would need to be harvested with archery equipment, but any predator hunting could be done with a firearm allowing better opportunity at wolves and coyotes.

This is our idea, and we are certainly open to others, but keep in mind that there are only 2 elk and 2 deer tags available.

A Couple Spots Still Left for this Spring Bear Season

Mon, 24 May 2021 21:48:33 GMT

The weather has been unseasonably warm and dry this year and the water level on the creek has been pretty steady helping us avoid the radical highs of a “normal” spring runoff, bears are active, and we got ‘em on camera.

We are looking forward to a productive spring bear season and have just a couple spots still available for June. So, if you don’t have any concrete spring hunting or fishing plans and can get away on short notice, contact us about dates and times for an Idaho spring bear hunt with us!

Happy hunting!

Spring Bear Drop Camps

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 22:34:39 GMT

With Idaho’s 2021 spring bear season beginning this week, we are grateful that we are pretty much booked up on our guided hunts, but new for 2021, we are offering spring bear drop camps for those DIY hunters who to prefer the challenge of hunting on their own and more of the spot and stalk element of bear hunting.

This is a more affordable option over guiding, puts you in charge of your own schedule and may just be the ticket for that pent up wintertime cabin fever!

We will pack you into a back country camp, drop you off, show you a couple of pre-baited sites you can sit in the evenings and leave you to your own hunting experience. We will then come pick you up at a predetermined time and hope to hear tall tales of faraway places and hopefully be able to congratulate on a well-placed shot on an Idaho bear!

For more info on this new option from Wild Idaho outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters this year, contact us!

Best of luck with spring bear hunts this year and remember to get out and enjoy YOUR public lands!

Aaaand They’re Gone!

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 11:00:00 GMT

As has been the case for many a year, Idaho put their nonresident big game hunting licenses and tags up for sale on December 1, 2020 at 10 am.

It didn’t take long for those who logged on to the fish and game website to buy them that day to realize that it was going to take a little effort and a great measure of patience as there were literally thousands upon thousands of would-be nonresident Idaho hunters with great hopes and anticipation of getting an early Christmas present in the form of an elk and/or deer tag of their choosing.

Sadly, for many, their dreams of hunting this great state of Idaho were dashed at checkout when the tags were sold out more rapidly than one could enter their credit card number in the checkout cart.

Again, sadly, Idaho resident hunters were successful in reducing the number of nonresident tags so dramatically this year that many of the units’ tags sold out in literally hours verses weeks and months as in the past.

All hope is not lost however, as Idaho hunting outfitters will all have an allocation of tags this year available for nonresident hunters who choose to book with an outfitter for their 2021 and beyond Idaho hunting adventures.

So, if you still have an inclination to hunt Idaho, contact us or another Idaho outfitter and get “on the calendar” for next year and get out and enjoy YOUR public lands!

Post Season Trail Cam Pics Still Plenty of Bears Left for Next Year

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 10:00:00 GMT

We had a successful spring bear season this year, taking several nice bears, half of which were color phase. Game cameras show there are still plenty of bears left in our area to hunt this fall or next spring. For example, bear season closes on the June 30^th and on the evening of June 26^th a hunter sat on a bait until approximately 9:45 pm, by 10:37 pm a nice sized cinnamon bear was chowing down on the bait. The bear had us figured out and was only coming out at night, you say? Presumably, the same cinnamon bear was back for more chow by 7:43 the next morning. After that, the bait was quiet for a while, then presumably the same bear came back again on July 5^th at 1:30 in the afternoon with another adult cinnamon, and a cub appears on a few frames. A client had shot a cinnamon on this same bait early in June, which was the only bear we took off it this spring

Another camera showed 4-5 black bears and 1 cinnamon visited a bait site during the same time frame; only one bear was taken off this bait this spring. Nearly all our baits were literally licked clean by July 7^th, after being rebaited the last week of June. I can’t imagine how many bears inhabit the mountains of Central Idaho, and I don’t believe for a second that anyone knows. Though, I speculate that sport hunting isn’t putting the slightest dent in the population.

Good hunting,

Joe Cavanaugh

Positive Attitudes and Hunting Success

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 10:00:00 GMT

When I met my bear-hunting client a few of weeks ago, one of the first things he told me is that he usually has “pretty good luck on hunting trips like this”. As we all know, luck is a good thing to have on one’s side, but it’s difficult to obtain on-demand. Later the hunter informed me that what he really wanted was a nice cinnamon-phase bear, as he had already taken several other color phases of black bear. I told him he had chosen the right area, which he had because Unit 28 produces a high percentage of color-phase bears; though I what I was thinking is, he better pray for a dose of exceptionally good luck. The first evening on bait he shot an absolutely beautiful cinnamon bear with chocolate feet. Positive attitude or just plain luck—you decide which one was the winning factor. Having either one can’t hurt your odds of success and having both is better yet.

Good hunting,

Joe Cavanaugh

Happy Memorial Day

Fri, 22 May 2020 10:00:00 GMT

Memorial Day is here again, signaling the unofficial start of summer. There’s much more to it however, than picnics and beaches. Memorial Day is an official Federal Holiday in honor of military personnel who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. We shouldn’t forget that. Even if you don’t know anyone personally who has given their life for our freedom, you could still visit a national cemetery, attend a parade, or just sit down and reflect on our great country and what it took in lives to make it great.

God bless America,

Joe Cavanaugh

Idaho Resumes Sales of Nonresident Licenses and Tags

Mon, 18 May 2020 12:45:00 GMT

We’re back on track again for spring bear. As of May 16, 2020, Idaho hunting licenses, tags, and permits will be available to buy online, at retail vendors, or by calling (800) 554-8685.

A temporary suspension of some nonresident licenses, permits, and tags sales had been imposed by the Idaho Fish & Game Commission the first week of April, due to COVID-19. This mostly affected tags for black bear, cougar, and gray wolf. The 14-day self-quarantine for people entering Idaho has also been relaxed by the governor. So, if you want to hunt spring bear in Idaho this year, you can now purchase a hunting license and tags, as well as stay in hotels and eat in restaurants here.

For more information on licenses, tags and seasons, see:

https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/fg-will-resume-sales-nonresident-licenses-tags-and-permits-10-am-may-16

Good hunting,

Joe Cavanaugh

Choosing Prime Bear Bait Locations

Fri, 08 May 2020 05:00:00 GMT

You could argue around the campfire all night long as to what’s more important for successful bear hunting—the type of bait, or the location where you put the bait. The fact is, they’re both important, as they work in tandem to attract bear and hold bear to a specific area. It is common however, for hunters to choose a bait site based solely on what’s advantageous to them, and then try to draw the bear to it from afar, using stinky bait. This tactic can work, though a better method is to find a secluded spot and place the bait close to where you think a bear will pass and where the bear feels comfortable.

When selecting prime bait sites, I first look for travel corridors and natural choke points that constrict game movement. In the Northwoods, lakes, swamps, and rivers often funnel game; in mountainous country look for funnels and corridors created by cliffs, rock outcroppings, saddles, and drainages.

Bear rarely approach a bait in daylight without having adequate forest or brush for concealment. Don’t expect to lure bear out of heavy cover in order to give you a clear shot in the open. Bear live in the woods, that’s where they feel comfortable and they don’t like leaving it.

Another important consideration when selecting a bait site is the hunter’s blind. It too should have a concealed approach and use the predominate wind direction to your advantage. The blind should conceal the hunter well, and it should be comfortable enough for you to remain quiet for long periods while focusing intensely on the forest’s shadows. Since bears normally come to baits in the evening, the blind should be facing east with the setting sun at the hunter’s back. This will make it easier for you to see the bear and more difficult for the bear to see you.

When it comes to selecting a location for a bait site, the easy way is seldom the best way. Scout your area well and put some thought into it. Stay as far away from roads, trails, and parked ATVs as possible. Set the bait near perennial game trails, and spend equal time in selecting a concealed blind where you can see the bait well. If you do it right, you’re apt to put more time into hunting for a bait site, than hunting for the bear itself.

Always check with state-specific hunting regulations for rules and requirements for baiting bear, as regulations vary considerable from state to state.

Good hunting,

Joe Cavanaugh

All-American Birthday of the Month: Mountain Man James Beckwourth

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 04:01:00 GMT

When I had the idea to acknowledge birthdays of early trappers and explorers of the American West, I quickly found that very few of them had recorded birth dates. Most were born in log cabins to frontier parents, who were more worried about survival than traveling back East to find a courthouse. A unique exception is the birth of James Beckwourth, which was recorded in Virginia on April 26, 1798. Beckwourth was born a slave, which likely made registering his birth the same as registering property. What makes his birth into slavery unusual is his white master was also his father, Sir Jennings Beckwith, a nobleman of Irish and English descent. His mother was a slave of African descent. (James later changed his last name to Beckwourth.)

Beckwourth’s father eventually executed a deed of emancipation for his son; and the family moved to Missouri in the early 1800s, where James apprenticed under a blacksmith. In 1824 the young Beckwourth joined one of the first beaver trapping expeditions, led by General William Ashley of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. He was present at the first mountain man rendezvous at Henry’s Fork, Green River in 1825. If there’s one thing about Beckwourth’s life that’s for certain, once he got a taste of freedom and adventure—he couldn’t get enough it.

Beckwourth continued to roam the West during the fur trade, and at some point, was accepted by the Crow Indians, with whom he lived for 6 – 8 years. With the Crow, he distinguished himself as a fearless warrior. All I can say is, any outsider who distinguished themself in combat with the Crow Indians had to have been a badass SOB.

At the end of the fur trade, Beckwourth joined the US Army to fight in the second Seminole War in Florida, serving under General Zachary Taylor. After that adventure, he moved back to the American West to trade with the Indians, and later helped establish a trading post at the present-day site of Pueblo, Colorado. In the 1840s, Beckwourth rode out to California where he practiced “horse trading”, which he had learned from the Crow. During the gold rush he gambled professionally, and is credited for discovering Beckwourth Pass through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. After California, he again ended up in Colorado Territory, where he frequently hired out as a scout for the US Army. Throughout his travels he reportedly had several wives of various races and ethnicities and fathered several children. In his late 60s, Beckwourth returned to a Crow village in Wyoming, where he lay down and died.

No doubt, James Beckwourth deserves credit for making the most out of what was handed to him. Born into slavery, he ended up knowing freedom like few others. He chose where he roamed and what he did. Only in free society such as America could a nobleman raise a son with a slave woman, who would become James Beckwourth.

God Bless America,

Joe Cavanaugh

The End of Winter and the beginning of Spring Bear Hunts

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 21:52:10 GMT

Anybody else getting antsy yet? I sure as hell am. Stuck working in the cold and watching the weather roll in everyday, just daydreaming of spring.

Down here in Texas we don't get “spring fever” the same as our friends up north. The grass has been green mostly all year, and we have only had a few days that dropped below 30. But I still get worked up being stuck down here in the mud. I want to be in the mountains.

I spend my days dreaming of riding a horse down the ridge lines and across the creek bottoms. That sweet smell of the pines in the early mountain morning, and the daily rain storms that spit on you for just long enough to make you put a raincoat on, but not enough to really need one. I think of the long horseback ride back to camp in the middle of the night, when the only way to know that you're almost home is the smell of the campfire burning somewhere in the dark ahead of you.

But most of all I miss that moment when a bear creeps out in front of the bait, impossibly silent for a predator of that size. When you somehow forget how breathing works, and you have to stop from shaking. It's buck fever, but with touch of spice. Fear. That's what that pit in your stomach is. Because you’re still hunting, but you’re suddenly aware that you might not be as far above the food chain as you thought.

That's what I'm pining for: Spring Bear Hunts.