Blog

rss

Idaho Elk, Mule Deer and Black Bear Blog

Here you will find information about our Idaho Elk, Mule Deer and Black Bear hunts. We will also blog about our area, as special offers, issues that affect us or are important to us.

Aaaand They’re Gone!

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.

Hunting with GPS/Map-Devices: Seeing Outside the Box

Don’t get me wrong, modern GPS/map-devices, or map apps that make smartphones function like GPS/map-devices, are wonderful tools for the hunter. Being somewhat device challenged, I can only wish I knew how to use them. Some tech-savvy hunters I have run into recently manage to get around in the woods quite well with them.
Idaho Controlled Hunt Results webpage image

Controlled Hunt Results Got You Down?

The results for controlled hunts are out for most western states now, or they will be shortly. Hunters are either jumping up and down in exultation that they drew their coveted tag, or they’re staring out the window with a long face because they ended up with a chunk of coal in their stocking.

Idaho Controlled-Hunt Application Period for Elk, Deer, Antelope, and Fall Bear Opens May 1st

The tag application period for Idaho controlled-hunt elk, deer, pronghorn, and fall bear tags opens May 1 and runs to June 5. Idaho does not use a bonus/preference point system for controlled hunts. As a result, hunters have the same odds of drawing a tag the first year they apply as they do any other year.

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

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.

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.
Cavanaugh hunting in Idaho 2019

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.

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.