Idaho Elk, Mule Deer and Black Bear Blog

Time to Apply for Formerly OTC Tags this Year in Idaho

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 02:08:26 GMT

Seems the only constant in life is change and that adage seems to hold especially true in the hunting world. It seems to me that meetings are held and changes made “just because” every year and this year is no different!

Beginning December 5, 2025, nonresidents who want to hunt elk and deer in formerly OTC units will need to apply for those tags. The application period runs from December 5 to 15, 2025 with results being posted in early January 2026.

Now that we are 5 days into this process, what have we learned? One thing to remind you of is that these are only for formerly OTC tags and this draw is not about any trophy species (Moose, Sheep, or Mountain Goats), nor does it involve controlled hunts for elk, deer, bear, or antelope. These applications and draws will still take place in the spring.

Second thing we learned is that Idaho is NOT a “techy” state and do seem to make what you think would be easy, as challenging as they can. So, to apply it appears to be a three-step process.

1. Review the regs supplemental section to learn the number of the hunt you want you apply for.

2. Purchase your license online.

3. Then and only then do you need to click on (from your own personal account of course) the “Submit An Application” button and with the knowledge you gained from step one, you can now apply for a tag.

You can apply for up to 5 hunt choices on each application so it would seem that you are more than likely to get a tag, it simply may be your last-choice hunt if you apply for more than one.

We apologize for the repeated emails in this period to remind you. Not to be a pain, but because we often get busy and say, “I’ll apply tomorrow”, then the 16th shows up and now you are stuck hunting with an outfitter who still has tags instead of being able to hunt on your own. So, think of these emails as simply “gentle reminders” to stop procrastinating and apply for those tags you think you want to be able to continue your tradition of hunting in some of the lower 48’s most amazing country…Idaho!

Finally, if you want help, advice or just to vent about the drawing process, please contact us and we will be happy to assist or simply listen.

Best of luck in the draw and most importantly, always remember to take a kid hunting with you!

George

Idaho Big Game Application Season 2024

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:00:00 GMT

Let the games begin! This year it seems as though it took almost missing the application deadline and then finding out 2 short weeks later that I drew an Idaho spring turkey tag, to realize, oh, yeah, it is “application season” in the western states and Idaho is not exempt from this seasonal activity.

I guess I am showing my age when I can say, “I remember when you just bought a tag and went hunting”. But sadly, those days are indeed behind us now. Here in Idaho though, while we are still blessed enough to have over the counter or “OTC” tags available, some zones do require even residents to plan ahead and purchase as soon as they come available.

Although we do still have many OTC opportunities, there is indeed still a need to draw for the “trophy” species as Idaho labels them. Some states refer to them as “OIL” or “once in a lifetime tags” and that is the reason for this gentle reminder.

Coming up in April is the time to apply for sheep, mountain goat and moose here in Idaho and this year we are offering guided sheep and moose hunts for anyone lucky enough to draw a bighorn sheep or moose in one of our outfitting areas.

Oddly enough, although we seem to see mountain goats each year, we operate in one of the areas where no goat tags are issued, so we don’t have the opportunity to pursue that species, but if you have interest in one of the others, either moose or sheep and are not sure where to apply, where we operate or even just want to talk hunting, contact us and we will happily discuss which hunts we believe will work for you!

As always, happy hunting and be sure to take a kid along with you!

Winter 23-24 Predator Hunting (Mt. Lion/Wolf/Bobcat)

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 00:05:00 GMT

It’s winter again here in Idaho and that can only mean one thing! Wyley can’t function without thinking about chasing mountain lions! I swear the boy was born for this and simply wants to do it as often as possible.

What does that mean for you? It is time to book that Idaho predator hunt you have always been talking or thinking about but haven’t pulled the trigger on. We have openings for 2 more hunters this winter (2023-2024) between now and when the snow quits flying.

Speaking of snow. Lion hunts are always a bit more successful right behind fresh snow, so this year we are offering “last minute” hunts to those who are close enough or have the freedom enough, to “jump and run” when the forecast says there will be snow. We will be conducting these hunts from late February through April. Our pre-scheduled hunts will be in January and early February as it seems that those are the most consistent snow months here in central Idaho.

For the “last minute” hunts there is no commitment required on your part other than to put your name on a list. We will start contacting people first come first served to see who might be available when the weather seems that it wants to cooperate.

If this sounds like something you may be interested in or you already know you want to hunt an Idaho mountain lion this winter for sure, please contact us and let’s get you on the schedule or the list asap!

Working for Idaho Wildlife

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 11:00:00 GMT

Heath’s Triple Crown

What we hoped to accomplish in 1 week took almost 13 months and 3 trips to Idaho, but it finally happened. Heath F. is an avid hunter and wanted to pursue predators and wanted to get what we would deem the “Triple Crown” of lower 48 predators in the form of a wolf, black bear, and mountain lion.

He sought us out and in early January 2021 he came out on a predator hunt for all three and we were successful in getting him a wolf. Fast forward to August 2021. He calls up and says he has some vacation to burn, and do we have room for a bear hunter in fall bear camp? Well, of course we did, and he wanted to take advantage of the fact that he already had his hunting license from earlier in the year and this time he was successful on a respectable color phase black bear.

After the bear, we knew we had to have him back to try for the third leg of the “Triple Crown” and after a few scheduling challenges, we finally connected in late January 2022, and he scored on a nice specimen of a Mountain Lion completing his goal.

In Idaho, central Idaho specifically, where the landscape lends itself very well to wildlife and predation is a true threat to healthy ungulate populations, hunting these predators is a true benefit and much needed management tool to grow healthy populations of elk, deer, mountain goats, and sheep in our little slice of heaven!

Heath did his part to help with the population and we thank him and congratulate him on 3 very well-placed shots and some very serious effort!

Maybe it’s time for you to get out and enjoy your public lands and do a little predator hunting while you are there?

Happy hunting!

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!

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

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

Castle Creek Outfitters Welcomes Joe Cavanaugh: Our New Blog Writer

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 05:00:00 GMT

If you hadn’t already noticed, Joe’s been writing our blogs since the January 31st post. Cavanaugh comes to us with a wide range of experience in the outdoors, and he’s also a graduate of Boise State University, with a BA in English/writing. He worked professionally as a copywriter for Bass Pro Shops before joining us, and his book The Jungle Hunter was published by Safari Press in 2000 (now out of print). Cavanaugh started guiding big game hunts in Idaho in 2013, and he will be guiding for Castle Creek Outfitters and Wild Idaho Outfitters this year, full time.

Cavanaugh’s hunting experience started in the north woods of Minnesota, hunting whitetail bucks and black bear. At the age of 20, he traveled to Central America where local hunters introduced him to hunting in the jungle. He expanded his range to the jungles of South America, where he organized a series of DIY hunting trips, always in the company of local market hunters, Indians, or cowboys, into some of the largest expanses of wilderness left on Earth. These DIY hunts resulted in taking 3 jaguars, numerous tapirs, all 3 species of peccary, 5 species of South American deer, water buffalo, and numerous species of birds and medium-size game that most people would only see in zoos.

During the 1980s, Cavanaugh embedded with the Guatemalan Army as a photojournalist in the mountains of Quiche province. He also lived in an Indian village in Eastern Bolivia for 3 years, where he fished for the local market; and later he worked as a fishing guide in the same area. In Bolivia he survived a severe case of malaria, which took him 10 years to recover from. The bushcraft and survival skills Cavanaugh has picked up along the way would be difficult to match.

Joe Cavanaugh did not grow-up hunting the West—he came here as an adult and started from scratch. Since then he’s learned the terrain, the habitats of our game animals, and the license/tag process. George McQuiston, owner of Wild Idaho Outfitters and co-owner of Castle Creek Outfitters, met Cavanaugh in a remote corner of the Frank Church Wilderness, where he had backpacked in all alone and shot a bull. We’re sure Cavanaugh’s insight on going West and learning to hunt new species in new habitats will be beneficial to all our readers. Cavanaugh offers practical advice, based on years of hands-on experience. He values woodsmanship and an understanding of nature over high-tech equipment. Castle Creek Outfitters hopes you enjoy reading Cavanaugh’s blog posts, and that his advice helps you enhance your hunting success.

Good hunting,
Castle Creek staff

Trail Conditioning: Physical Prep for Big Game Hunting

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 22:35:52 GMT

Spring is here, and it’s time to step out of the gym and walk trails that match real-world hunting conditions. Or better yet, walk off-trail. Exercising on a treadmill or elliptical offers an effective method of strengthening leg muscles and enhancing cardio endurance, though these machines will never replicate the walking conditions you’ll encounter in the wilderness.

Whether you walk foot trails, horse trails, game trails or off-trail, the Earth’s surface where you step is not flat. Increase the grade on your treadmill, you say? I’m not referring to grade or slope. Backcountry trails are full of rocks roots, and logs. Whether or not the trail you follow goes uphill, downhill, or across level ground, your boot soles contact uneven ground, or relatively even spots amongst the rumble which you have chosen to plant your foot. Therefore, balance, agility, and keen eye-to-foot coordination are essential for maintaining an upright position as you walk and search for game. You can read a book or watch a movie when walking on a treadmill—not so on a mountain trail. Try it and you’ll soon be flat on your face. To condition yourself for walking on uneven terrain, you must exercise on uneven terrain. Practice on spending minimal time with your eyes focused on the trail, as you’ll see more game while hunting if you know where your feet are without having to look down every step. Like a wide receiver knows where his feet are as he searches for the ball.

It’s always best to wear hunting boot when exercising on trails to fully duplicate hunting conditions. This gets leg muscles accustomed to lifting full boot-weight, which syncs with eye-to-foot coordination so boots clear obstacles. Wearing hunting boots when exercising also develops calluses in the right spots. Get out there and toughen up.

Good hunting,

Joe Cavanaugh

Phase 2 in Planning Your 2020 Hunts

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 06:00:00 GMT

Dates to keep in mind this month while planning your 2020 hunts are March 5th, the controlled-hunt application deadline for all species in Utah; and April 1st, the controlled-hunt application deadline for elk and deer tags in Montana. Utah offers some outstanding tags as far as trophy and overall quality are concerned. Though all I can say is, if you want to experience Utah’s high-quality hunts you better start applying for bonus/preference points while you’re still young, because it’s going to take a generation or more to accumulate enough points to draw one. I, for one, consider myself too old to start applying for points in Utah for the first time (I’ll never live long enough to draw one.) Nonresidents have a much better chance of drawing elk and deer tags in Montana, though the overall quality of the hunts are nowhere near that of Utah. Of course, there will always be exceptions. Both states have rather detailed tag-allotment systems that demand hours of study.

A nice option to Utah’s rare, high-quality tags and Montana’s opportunity-based tags are simple-to-obtain, Idaho OTC elk and deer tags. If you’re willing to put in the effort to get off the beaten path you really can have a quality, wilderness hunt in Idaho, with realistic expectations of bagging a trophy-class animal, with nothing more than a OTC tag. Outfitters also have guaranteed elk tags and set-aside OTC deer tags. All of these tags offer the opportunity for a great hunt, without having to wait years to draw a tag. OTC tags also offer the opportunity of hunting the same area year after year in Idaho, all the while increasing your familiarity with game movements, and hopefully increasing your success as the years go by.

Note on spring bear hunts:

Slots for Spring 2020 bear season are almost filled. As of today there are only 3 hunts left with availability: May 17 – May 22 for 2 hunter, May 31 – June 5 for 2 hunters and June 7 – June 12 for 1 hunters.

Good hunting,

Joe Cavanaugh

Snowshoes for Late Winter Adventures

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 11:00:00 GMT

For those of you who are itching to get outside and do some predator hunting or general, backcountry reconnaissance—late winter is an advantageous time of year to do so, and snowshoes are the optimum means of travel. By March, deep snow has covered much of the downed timber and brush, and warm afternoons followed by cold nights have formed a hard crust on the snow. That crust is key for traveling in country burdened with deep snow as it can easily support a man on snowshoes, and a loaded toboggan in tow. Where you floundered in deep powder in early winter, you can now skip along the crust, a full 3 feet above obstacles that would slow you down in the fall. Once deep snow has crusted-up it’s go-time for productive winter adventures.

Late-winter conditions also make it advantageous for hunting predators, such as wolf, for by now food sources have dwindled and hunger has set in. Predators are forced to search far and wide for game, and take risks they would otherwise hesitate to do, like running to a game call in broad daylight. Or, on the other extreme, deep snow has confined game herds, offering predators an easy meal, though they too are concentrated to a relatively small area now, so look no farther.

Scouting new country for future hunts is phenomenal in late winter, as you can travel with ease over the crusted snow and clearly see the lay-of-the-land. Deciduous trees and shrubs have dropped their leaves, and snow has covered brush and smoothed out irregularities in the terrain, which collectively enhance the earth’s contours. You’ll find that in many places it is now easier to define how the land lies than at any other time of year, or at least the blanketed, barren landscape offers you a unique perspective of it. For more on predator hunting see Castle Creek Outfitters' Jan. 31 blog post or Wild Idaho Outfitters’ Feb. 10 blog post. For complete wolf hunting regulations see the Idaho Big Game Seasons & Rules brochure on gray wolf hunting and trapping.

Days are getting longer now—get outside and enjoy!

Joe Cavanaugh

General Sherman’s Birthday

Sat, 08 Feb 2020 11:00:00 GMT

General William Tecumseh Sherman was born on this date, February 8th, in 1820. You might be wondering why I’m reminding you of Sherman’s birthday. The answer is simple—because if I don’t, no one else will. I know this because in the 1980s, after I had been schooled in the US, I met several Guatemalan Army officers who knew more about our civil war than I did, and were using Sherman’s “total war” tactics to defeat their enemy. The flanking and turning maneuvers Sherman employed from Chattanooga to Atlanta against the Confederate Army and his subsequent march to the sea are epic in military history, and studied in military academies all over the world to this day.

Sherman is relevant to a hunting blog for his extraordinary fortitude. Though Sherman experienced set-back after set-back in his early years, he kept pressing on like the tank that bears his name to become a Major General by the end of the war, and one of the most celebrated personalities in his time.

All hunters can improve from a study of Sherman’s fortitude. Though we don’t normally encounter obstacles of the magnitude that Sherman did, we do nonetheless encounter obstacles frequently, such as inclement weather, steep slopes, or just plain bad luck. I am disappointed, however, at the number of hunters who quit before the end of a 5-day hunt when things don’t go well for them, even after months of preparation and anticipation. Fortitude is as crucial to a successful hunt as proper equipment or the ability to use our weapons proficiently—if not more so. Stick with it, stay pumped, and don’t give up.

God bless America.

Joe Cavanaugh

Idaho Spring Black Bear Hunting

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 11:00:00 GMT

The application deadline for Idaho controlled-hunt, spring bear tags is February 15. Fortunately for all of us, most Idaho black bear tags are sold over-the-counter (OTC). This includes tags for units 28 and 27, where Castle Creek and Wild Idaho Outfitters conduct their bear hunts. The reduced-price or “wilderness tag” is good for all of Unit 27 and those portions of Unit 28 within the Frank Church Wilderness, as well as within most designated wilderness areas in the state of Idaho. The full-price tag is valid for those portions of Unit 28 outside the wilderness area, and for most of the state outside of designated wilderness. Bear are so plentiful in Idaho that residents and nonresidents are able to purchase 2 OTC bear tags per year. These can be 2 wilderness tags, or 1 full-price tag and 1 wilderness tag. This is an incredible opportunity for anyone wanting to hunt bear.

Bear hunting in Idaho can be done by baiting, though DIY-hunters must have a baiting permit, issued by Idaho Fish and Game. Use of electronic calls is legal for bear hunting within designated wilderness only (wilderness tag). Hounds are also permitted for hunting bear in Idaho.

Cougar and wolf hunting seasons are in full swing this February over most of Idaho. Tags are sold over-the-counter for both species. Use of electronic game calls is legal for taking wolf in much of the state, and legal for cougar within designated wilderness areas only. Baiting is not legal for either species. Hounds are legal for hunting cougar, but not wolf. In Units 28 and 27, cougar and wolf can be harvested until the end of spring bear season, which is June 30, allowing bear hunters to carry OTC tags for all 3 species. Check Idaho F&G website for thorough explanations on cougar and wolf hunting regulations.

Readers who would like to comment on the latest wolf-hunting proposals from Idaho Fish & Game can do so by clicking here:
Wolf Harvest Season Proposals: Review and Comment Opportunity

The Idaho Spring Turkey application deadline is March 1st, 2020.

Good hunting.

Joe Cavanaugh