3 June One Door Opens, Another One Closes June 3, 2025By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts Controlled Hunts, Elk Hunts, Elk-Hunts, Guided Hunts, Mule Deer Hunts, Mule-Deer-Hunts 0 It’s that time of year again when most states big game draw results are out and, as usual, most people statistically draw the proverbial “lump of coal”. As mentioned in another blog, Idaho’s application season ends this week, so there is still one more chance to draw a coveted tag in some “trophy” areas.Or you could reach out to an outfitter…an Idaho outfitter specifically, who has guaranteed tags, purchase a hunt with them and actually go hunting this year verses sitting on the couch another year, “waiting to draw” a tag.To be clear, are these “trophy” areas? Possibly not in the realm of Fish and Game modeling, but any place you can actually get out and hunt in the west, A) can produce a trophy; B) hunting itself is the goal more so than a trophy; and C) beats the heck out of NOT hunting!All that blather leads me up to the point of this conversation. We had a cancellation on one of our most popular hunts in Castle Creek Outfitters allowing for room for 4 hunters opening week of our combo hunt (deer, elk, and bear) in unit 28. The dates for this hunt are October 14 – 20, 2025.This is a horseback hunt with a drive in camp, so typical weight restrictions on what to bring are negated because of the drive in aspect, but most all the hunting the week you are there is done from horseback. Now, most people believe that horseback hunts are less physically demanding and nothing could be further from the truth. If you don’t believe me, step up on a chair about 20 times today and see if you can still walk tomorrow.Horseback hunts are physically demanding, but also very rewarding in the shear tradition of a horseback hunt from wall tent camp. It is the essence of elk hunting in the west in my mind.So, if you haven’t drawn that coveted tag, and still have 1 to 3 additional guys (hunts are 2 hunters:1 guide ratio) that are willing to spend a week with you in the back country, contact us and see if a horseback combo hunt may be right for you this year!Happy hunting, and as always, remember to take a kid hunting with you! Related Posts Post Season Trail Cam Pics Still Plenty of Bears Left for Next Year 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. Fine-Tuning Last Year’s Gear List I imagine most people who prepare for outdoor adventures make a list of gear and clothing to take before they pack, that way they don’t forget any critical items like toilet paper. I make my lists in spiral notebooks, the younger generation probably makes their lists on smartphones. Years ago, I started saving my gear lists to make trip-prep more efficient the next time around. Castle Creek Outfitters Welcomes Joe Cavanaugh: Our New Blog Writer 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. It’s Easier to Find Your Favorite When There’s Lots of Choices Hi, my name is Tia Hansen (daughter of Kelly Swingruber and George McQuiston). Mom is the head packer and George is the owner of Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters. Mom and I ride about 2,000 miles a year from packing bear bait to taking people for a joy ride and to getting people with their gear to drop camps and back plus packing dead animals. Spring Means Babies 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. Got Tags? It seems these days that the first, and often times largest, obstacle to hunting elk out west is getting a tag. Well, thanks to bad planning on our part, we find ourselves with 4 extra tags to hunt in a unit that sold out in only 3 days for residents and months ago for nonresidents. We know all the results of the draws are out for the west and finding someone with actual tags and openings to be able to hunt, and at a discounted rate, is nearly impossible so we believe these will go fast: we have exactly 4 tags left for elk in area 28 in central Idaho and we are even discounting this hunt opportunity. Comment (0)