Cure Cabin Fever with an Idaho Spring Bear Hunt The first day of spring is officially here! It has been a long time coming and it can mean only 1 thing: Idaho Spring bear hunting season 2023 is literally only days away! With this winter feeling like it has been the longest winter in the history of all mankind…at least here in Challis, Idaho, cabin fever is running rampant, and we are ready to get out, start setting bear baits, shoeing horses and mules, riding colts, setting camps and simply enjoying watching mother nature come back to life after a long winter’s siesta. March 20, 2023By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts Bear Bait, Bear Hunts, Black Bear Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Spring Bear Season, Spring Black Bear Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
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. March 17, 2023By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information Drop Camps, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Public Land, Wrangler 0 0 Comment Read More »
How Long You Been Doin This? I frequently get asked the question, “How long have you been doing this?”. By this, I take it to mean packing a multiplicity of goods on mules and horses in the wilderness and back country. Or do they mean throwing a leg over a horse/mule and riding? My “ending up as a packer” has a long history of knowledge bumps & bruises, joys & happiness, extreme heat & cold, a plethora of scenic beauty and of course a stream of cuss words over the years. March 15, 2023By Monica Oliver Announcements, Camp Life, General Information Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Wrangler 0 0 Comment Read More »
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. March 10, 2023By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information Guided Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Spring Bear Season 0 0 Comment Read More »
Working for Idaho Wildlife 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. March 1, 2022By Monica Oliver Announcements, Camp Life, General Information, Guided Hunts Bear Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mountain Lion Hunts, Predator Hunts, Wolf Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
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 »
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. April 1, 2021By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts Moose Hunts, Mountain Goat Hunts, Mountain Man, Sheep Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Spring Bear Drop Camps With Idaho’s 2021 spring bear season beginning this week, we are grateful that we are pretty much booked up on our guided hunts, but new for 2021, we are offering spring bear drop camps for those DIY hunters who to prefer the challenge of hunting on their own and more of the spot and stalk element of bear hunting. This is a more affordable option over guiding, puts you in charge of your own schedule and may just be the ticket for that pent up wintertime cabin fever! March 31, 2021By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts Bear Hunts, Black Bear Hunts, DIY Hunt, Drop Camp, Drop Camps, Idaho Black Bear Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Last minute cancellation: Idaho Mountain Lion, Wolf, Bobcat and Coyote Hunt With all that has been going on this last little while, we find one of our regular hunters in need of a last-minute cancellation. We thought, no problem, there must be someone out there ready to go “off the grid” on an Idaho backcountry predator hunt to escape some of this madness for a little while. January 22, 2021By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts Bobcat Hunt, Idaho Hunts, Idaho Mountain Lion Hunt, Idaho Wolf Hunt 0 0 Comment Read More »