27 July Post Season Trail Cam Pics Still Plenty of Bears Left for Next Year July 27, 2020By Joe Cavanaugh Announcements, Guided Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts Bear Hunts, Guided Hunts, Guided-Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts 0 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 30th and on the evening of June 26th 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 5th 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 7th, 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 Related Posts A Couple Spots Still Left for this Spring Bear Season 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! Trail Conditioning: Physical Prep for Big Game Hunting 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. Trophy Species Application Season Opens Up Today April 1st April 1st is one of my favorite times of year because it signifies the “official” opener of Idaho’s spring bear season. It is one our favorite seasons as we are forced to “get off the couch” and into the saddle of some very fine Darling Creek Livestock. We are incredibly proud of the horses and mules we use and raise. We really look forward to getting out and using them and baiting for spring bears is a very good excuse to do that as well as a way to start our young stock by packing. 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. Winter Book Review: Elmer Keith’s Big Game Hunting Over much of the country we’re in the dead of winter now, with cold winds, deep snow, and bitter people to deal with. Next hunting season feels so far away. I can think of no better approach to stay focused on hunting and cope with nasty winter weather than to find a warm, quiet place and get absorbed in some good hunting literature; and, no other hunting book is more fitting to the Northern Rocky Mountain region than Elmer Keith’s Big Game Hunting. Comment (0)