Elk, Mule Deer, Bear & Wolf Hunting Blog

Merry Christmas 2025

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 16:46:12 GMT

Merry Christmas from the gangs at Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters. We hope you are getting to enjoy visits with family and friends, sharing good food, laughter and memories of this past year and dreams for the future!

We hope that some of those memories and many of those dreams involve getting out and exploring YOUR public lands. Outdoor adventures, especially on public lands, seem to always create lasting memories. We know they sure do for us.

Every year around this time, we are blessed to have a few moments to look back at our public land adventures with great people that we meet from all over the country, great guides, packers and cooks that enjoy serving our guests. We recognize during this reflection how grateful and blessed we are to work with all of our incredible guests and staff on the public lands we all love so much.

So, enjoy your holiday season this year and please remember how blessed we are in this country for such a concept as publics lands! Get out and enjoy them!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 22:40:00 GMT

From the “catch and hold” gang along with the guide and packing crew at Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters, we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We genuinely hope that as you gather around with family and friends during this Holiday season, that you will have time to reflect on many or all of your past public land excursions while possibly dreaming and planning towards your next outdoor adventure on public land.

At this time of year, it only seems appropriate to be grateful for the many good things in our lives and we here in Idaho believe that our public lands system is one of the great things in our lives! We are in the midst of a very mild winter, and it appears the wildlife so far are getting a respite from the deep snow they dealt with last year, so we are optimistic as we look ahead to the 2024 Idaho big game hunting seasons.

If you already have made plans to join us, Thank you! If you are considering joining us, we hope you do. Either way, we sincerely hope that you get outdoors and get to enjoy our country’s incredible and vast public lands in 2024!

Happy hunting!

Coming of Age (Meet Our Newest Guide)

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 11:00:00 GMT

Most of you know Wyley and many of you have watched him grow up in hunting camp helping his mom pack drop camps, pack bear bait, hauling firewood, feeding livestock or simply setting up camp. His smile and laughter are always a welcome sight and sound in hunting camp. It appears his career choice was made for him long before he even knew what it would be.

On January 28th Wyley turned 18 and we had him licensed within minutes of the licensing board opening for business and straight to the woods with his first hunter we went. The hunter was Heath F., who had hunted with us 2 times before and was out to finish his predator trifecta with an Idaho Mountain Lion.

After enduring 6 days of single digit starts to the day and 1 subzero day, we found the right Tom Mountain Lion track and the dogs were off on a chase that culminated 1600 feet above where they picked it up and within a short while Wyley was there with his hunter. After a few pictures in the tree, Heath made a perfect shot, the cat expired and fell from the tree. High fives and congratulations rang out along with the sound of the dogs getting a “taste” of victory over their job well done.

With Wyley’s first “professional” kill under his belt, he looks forward to a long and successful guiding career with Castle Creek Outfitters (of which he is about to be the newest partner) and Wild Idaho Outfitters.

Special thanks go out to the hound dog handlers that took the time to share their knowledge and love of chasing Mountain Lions with him including Justin Keller, Brandon Jensen, and Bryan Hansen.

It goes without saying that Kelly and I are very proud of this young man and look forward to working as a family in our outfitting businesses and sharing public lands with outdoor enthusiasts from all walks of life!

Application Season Part 2

Mon, 24 May 2021 21:23:00 GMT

It’s Round 2 of applying for your 2021 hunting trips to Idaho. By now you know if you drew a once in a lifetime tag, or tags in many other states, but Idaho is just now applying for elk, deer, antelope, fall bear and fall turkey tags for the 2021 season.

If you have been unlucky so far in the other states, you may want to try Idaho since our OTC (over the counter tags) sold out in record time, it appears your only choice this year is to apply for a draw hunt or book with an outfitter who may still have some guaranteed elk and deer tags left. Antelope is always draw in most states I believe.

The application season runs through June 5. Research the area you want, apply and hope!

To apply for your Idaho draw hunts, visit this link http://license.gooutdoorsidaho.com/, Login or Enroll, and follow the instructions.

Best of luck and win, lose, or draw (pun intended), get out and enjoy your public lands!

Happy hunting!

Idaho Resumes Sales of Nonresident Licenses and Tags

Mon, 18 May 2020 13:46:01 GMT

We’re back on track again for spring bear. As of May 16, 2020, Idaho hunting licenses, tags, and permits will be available to buy online, at retail vendors, or by calling (800) 554-8685.

A temporary suspension of some nonresident licenses, permits, and tags sales had been imposed by the Idaho Fish & Game Commission the first week of April, due to COVID-19. This mostly affected tags for black bear, cougar, and gray wolf. The 14-day self-quarantine for people entering Idaho has also been relaxed by the governor. So, if you want to hunt spring bear in Idaho this year, you can now purchase a hunting license and tags, as well as stay in hotels and eat in restaurants here.

For more information on licenses, tags and seasons, see:

https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/fg-will-resume-sales-nonresident-licenses-tags-and-permits-10-am-may-16

Good hunting,

Joe Cavanaugh

Idaho Fish & Game Commission Extends Wolf Hunting and Trapping Seasons

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 10:00:00 GMT

Idaho Fish and Game recently extended wolf hunting seasons, opened more areas to wolf trapping and extended trapping seasons over most of the state. Changes went into effect immediately on February 20, 2020. Wolf hunting season in Frank Church Wilderness game units 20A, 26, and 27 has been extended by one month. Season now runs from August 1 to June 30—a full 11 months. To top that, wolf season is now open year round in the game units surrounding Challis, Idaho (28, 36A, 36B, and 37). Wow! How Idaho Fish & Game ever got away with this one with a rather large, urban-dwelling, anti-wolf-hunting and loud segment in our society is beyond me. The important point is—they did it!

The decision to lengthen wolf-hunting seasons comes on the heels of a recently released report, based on extensive game-camera surveys, which estimated the total wolf population within the state of Idaho at 1,541 wolves during the summer of 2019, and approximately 1,000 by the end of the same year. This robust population remains ridiculously above the original federal recovery criteria of 150 wolves and 15 breeding pairs statewide. The report states wolf predation remains chronic on livestock over much of the state, and “continues to have a negative effect on elk populations in some backcountry areas”.

Worthy of mention in Idaho Fish & Game’s process to extend wolf seasons was a 14-day public comment period earlier this year. (A Castle Creek Outfitters blog contained a link to the survey on January 31.) Of the 27,076 participants who commented, only 5,675 were Idaho residents (21%). That means the majority of the responses (79%) came from outside of Idaho, with “many coming from outside of the US”. According to Idaho Fish & Game, 84 – 85% of those tallied opposed lengthening wolf seasons. By comparison, of the 21% tallied who were Idaho residents, 55% supported lengthening wolf seasons and 45% opposed. Obviously, the vocal, anti-hunting segment of our world community had more to say about wolves in Idaho than Idaho hunters, outfitters, and ranchers did. A huge applause goes to Idaho Fish & Game for holding their ground, and basing their decisions on solid, scientific data, along with the voices of the people who have to live with the wolves (Idaho residents). Even though the anti-hunters didn’t get their way on this one, is should still be a wakeup call for all of us hunters to get involved with hunting-based politics and make our opinions heard. The idea that radicals from around the world are trying to influence wolf hunting regulations in Idaho is absolutely unacceptable.

God bless America,

Joe Cavanaugh

For a closer look at all of Idaho Fish and Game wolf season changes, click on this link: https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/idaho-fish-and-game-commission-extends-wolf-hunting-and-trapping-seasons

Cougar and Wolf Hunting in Idaho

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 11:00:00 GMT

Cougar and wolf seasons are currently open in much of Idaho, and will remain open in Units 27 and 28 until June 30, when the seasons close along with spring bear season. Cougar and wolf are exceedingly difficult species to take, especially without the use of dogs or bait, and taking one as such is considered a pinnacle of hunting achievement. A realistic approach for serious predator hunters to hunt cougar and wolf would be to pack into the wilderness or book a drop camp with an outfitter, and set up with electronic calls and decoys. One thing I can pretty much guarantee you is, there won’t be much, if any, competition from other hunters. This is a greatly underutilized hunting resource, and a rare opportunity for experienced predator hunters to broaden their horizons.

In Idaho the use of electronic game calls is legal for taking wolf in much of the state, and legal for taking cougar within designated wilderness areas only. (Electronic calls are also legal for taking black bear here, within designated wilderness areas only.) Baiting is not legal for hunting cougar or wolf. Hunters are able to purchase OTC tags for cougar, wolf, and bear in Idaho. During the spring bear season in Units 27 and 28, hunters can carry OTC tags for all 3 species; and use electronic callers for all 3 species in all of Unit 27, and in those portions of Unit 28 within the Frank Church Wilderness. For more information on spring bear hunting, see the Castle Creek Outfitters Blog at: Idaho Spring Black Bear Hunting

Good hunting.

Joe Cavanaugh

To Celebrate our 15th Anniversary we are offering 15% off 2020 Hunts!

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 23:35:00 GMT

EXPIRED: To take advantage of this offer we must receive your reservation forms and a minimum 50% deposit by December 31, 2019.

As I came off the mountain from our final hunt this year, I began reflecting on the past 15 seasons here in Idaho and realized a few things: 1) this was by far our most successful season to date, and 2) we have been outfitting here now for 15 seasons! That must be some sort of celebratory milestone, right?

As I hit the “reality zone” where I get to see the mail that has piled up, the emails I have missed for the past 2 months and that fuel jumped 50 cents per gallon, I got to see all the ways you and I get to pay more for so many things next year including Idaho nonresident hunting licenses and tags, property taxes, fuel, etc.

I thought to myself, “Something has to give and maybe it can start with me.” So I decided that to any hunters who decide to take a gamble and hunt with Wild Idaho Outfitters, or our sister company Castle Creek Outfitters, in 2020 (and make that decision before 2020 arrives), we will offer a 15% discount off our regular adult hunt prices AND you will save in the event of a nonresident license and tag fee increase in 2020, so you are saving two ways!

Not to mention, after November 3, 2020, if Elizabeth Warren or one of her ilk are elected, we all may be done hunting for the rest of our lives.

So, act now and book that hunt you have been thinking about and save on your hunt in 2020 so you have more money to pay for your property taxes and higher fuel costs.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thu, 28 Nov 2019 05:01:00 GMT

Happy Thanksgiving from the gang here at Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters.

We just finished bringing out our last camp, pulling the shoes on the horses and kicking them out to pasture, drying out the tents, stacking the camp gear and are now settling in for what everyone thinks of as our “off season”.

We will certainly take this day, November 28, 2019, off to spend time with family and friends, to embrace and to reflect on the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us and we certainly hope that you all are doing the same. We are truly grateful for the people, many who have become friends, that we have met over the last 15 years.

We have come to find that, after 15 seasons under our belts here at Wild Idaho, our favorite part of our jobs has absolutely NOTHING to do with pulling our last camps…or any camps for that matter. It is, indeed, the people we meet! Each new hunting season that comes along brings with it the chance to meet new friends and to revisit old friendships with our “regulars”.

Please accept our sincerest wishes for not only a Happy Thanksgiving, but for an incredible 4-day weekend that most of you will get to enjoy!

Stay tuned for an amazing offer coming your way next week!

Rediscover Idaho

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 18:30:35 GMT

By now all the western states’ draws are out and odds are good you didn’t draw a tag. Well, neither did most of the people who play the draw game.

Maybe it is time to give Idaho an honest chance look see.

Idaho is famous for over-the-counter tags, guaranteed elk tags for outfitters and OTC tags for most predators as well. It is also the only western state that I am aware of that you can hunt multiple species at the same time WITHOUT playing the draw game.

Central Idaho is fast returning to the glory days of bygone years with healthy herds of elk, giant mule deer bucks and plenty of bears, wolves and mountain lions to chase around.

The Salmon River mountains of Central Idaho are home to such an amazing variety of wildlife that it is hard to come here and not go home having seen some deer, elk, big horn sheep, moose or even mountain lions or wolves.

By now you may have heard that 2 of my best guides/friends and I (George) got together and purchased a new area adjacent to our current operating area and yet still located in these amazing Salmon River mountains. The only difference is it’s on the edge of the wilderness versus inside the wilderness and much more conducive to horseback hunts! It is still a vast expanse of roadless real estate teaming with elk, deer, bears, wolves and many other varieties of wildlife.

And although it may look like we are new to the game, we bring to the table almost 50 years of combined experience and we also have the benefit of mentorship by the outfitter we purchased from who operated in this same are for 45 years. We will do all we can to provide you with a quality hunt that we promise will create lasting memories for years to come.

Since our purchase was completed late this spring, we were late getting the news out, so we still have some guaranteed elk tags and OTC deer tags available, but only up until July 31. So, if you did not draw or worse yet, finally drew that coveted Wasatch Mountains tag in Utah only to see your entire area go up in smoke, maybe now would be a good time to rediscover Idaho! Give us a call at (208) 756-2548 (before July 31st or the tags revert back to Fish and Game where they have been sold out since March) or visit our website at www.CastleCreekOutfitters.com and help us fill those pages with pictures of your own Idaho trophy!

Why Hunt Idaho?

Fri, 05 Dec 2014 16:11:00 GMT

Short answer. Because you can! Yup, that is the answer, because you can. As a sportsman/hunter first and an outfitter second, I cherish my opportunities to hunt out west and based on what I have discovered in my travels, reading the news and talking to hunters from all over the globe about hunting in “their” states, once again Idaho simply rises to the top as THE best place for an opportunity to hunt…bar none!

Back in January of this year I blogged about the “ten best reasons to hunt Idaho in 2014”, well I am extending those 10 reasons indefinitely; certainly until someone can show me a state that has this much opportunity and on trophy animals to boot!

After what we saw this year in the field and in talking to other hunters and outfitters, Idaho is simply THE place to hunt and unfortunately is the best kept “secret” out there. When I work shows in the east and ask hunters if they have ever thought of hunting out west or have ever hunted out west, it seems “they” all seem to think the west stops at Wyoming, Colorado and Montana. This doesn’t sit that well with a Utah and Idaho outfitter. Utah, unfortunately, gets lumped in with other states that are wonderful to hunt….if you can draw a tag. Unlike Idaho where tags are readily available over the counter, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Nevada are all draw states. I believe Colorado has over the counter tags for very short, choose your weapon seasons and no real predator hunting to speak of.

In Idaho, you can hunt archery for a month and if unsuccessful you can pick up your rifle and head deep into a backcountry unit for another month and probably have just about as good of chance for a trophy size animal as almost any draw hunt in the west. All it takes is a little saddle time or foot soldiering to get off the beaten path. Even now at the time of this writing (December 1st) if you wanted to go hunt whitetails in Idaho you could head right in, purchase a tag and go hunting. What other states can offer that in December? And if you are willing to pick up a bow, you can still hunt elk and deer in some areas right up until the end of December. Wow!

When it comes to predator hunting, Idaho is definitely second to none. Here in Idaho we can still hunt bears over baits or with dogs. Dogs have been outlawed in many western states along with baiting. We can hunt spring and fall with the same tag for bears and in the back country units you can even harvest 2 bears AND at a reduced price... again Wow! You can hunt mountain lions with dogs and you can even hunt wolves for an extended period of time. Heck some states have outlawed hunting mountain lions all together (you know who you are California)

So if it sounds like I am proud of what Idaho offers, you better believe I am and as much as I wish everyone who reads this would book a hunt with us, I realize that many who read this will be Do it yourself (DIY Hunters), already booked with another outfitter or hunting with family and I am afraid the worst case is the poor soul sitting out all hunts “waiting to draw a tag in a trophy area somewhere else”. That truly is heartbreaking. Either way you make it to Idaho, by outfitter, DIY or family, just make it!…and bring a youth hunter with you because Idaho has, in my opinion, the best deal on youth hunting in the country!

You will be very happy you did!

Happy Hunting!

We are Having a Wolf Predator Hunt Sale

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 20:05:00 GMT

Cabin fever may be setting in and with bear hunting still over a month away, we wanted to come up with a cure for cabin fever so we are having a hunting sale! We are offering a 4 day 3 night wolf/predator hunting sale for only $995. That’s right we know predator hunting is tough and doubly so in Idaho’s back country so we wanted to make it affordable to get out of the house for a cabin fever cure. We can hunt wolf, mountain lion and coyotes all at the same time. That is why we are calling it a predator hunt vs. just a wolf hunt. For only the 4 weekends in March, you can hunt Idaho predators for only 995 plus applicable tax, tags and license in Idaho and we are in a reduced price area for nonresident lion and bear tags. They are only $31.75 each. The hunt will consist of heading in to camp and hunting on Fridays and coming out on Monday, meals and lodging during your stay and 2 on 1 guiding for predators. We are offering it beginning March 7 and ending March 31 which is when mountain lion season ends. Price is good for a minimum of 2 hunters and a maximum of 4 hunters per weekend. Remember also, that by buying your license and these tags, they are good not only in this hunt, but all year long. Depending on response, we may be extending this sale through April and swap out a lion tag for a bear tag as spring bear season officially opens April 1 each year. Contact us about this sale or any other hunts we offer. Hope to see you in Idaho!