Ultimate Hunt Combo Possibilities 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. May 25, 2021By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts Black Bear Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho Mountain Lion Hunt, Idaho wilderness hunts, Wolf Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
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! May 24, 2021By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts Black Bear Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Spring Black Bear Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
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. December 4, 2020By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information Deer Hunts, Drop Camps, Elk Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts, Spring Black Bear Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
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. 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 0 Comment Read More »
Positive Attitudes and Hunting Success 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. July 20, 2020By Joe Cavanaugh Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts Bear Hunts, Guided Hunts, Guided-Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Choosing Prime Bear Bait Locations 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. May 8, 2020By Joe Cavanaugh Announcements, General Information Black Bear Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
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. April 26, 2020By Joe Cavanaugh Announcements, General Information #WIOAdventures, American West, Elk Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mountain Man, Mule Deer Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
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. April 8, 2020By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information Black Bear Hunts, Controlled Hunts, DIY Hunt, Drop Camp, Elk Hunts, Guided Hunts, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts, Spring Black Bear Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
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. March 23, 2020By Joe Cavanaugh Announcements, General Information Black Bear Hunts, Drop Camp, Elk Hunts, Guided Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Phase 2 in Planning Your 2020 Hunts 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. February 29, 2020By Joe Cavanaugh Announcements, General Information Elk Hunts, Guided Hunts, Guided-Hunts, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »