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Elk, Mule Deer, Bear & Wolf Hunting Blog

Here you will find information about our hunts, our area as well as special offers and issues that affect us or are important to us.

What Spring Bear Season Means to a Seasoned Wrangler

Darling Creek horse
March 20, 2023 is the first day of spring and this means Idaho spring bear season is right around the corner! Let me introduce myself, I'm Kelly Swingruber, my daughter (Tia) and I pack for Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters. I also manage the livestock.

Merry Christmas from Idaho!

Merry Christmas 2022
As the sun set on a crisp evening in our upper camp overlooking the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness on November 18, the realization hit that our 2022 Idaho elk, deer and bear season had just come to an end.

This past month has flown by and as we inch up on the end of 2022, we can’t help but look back at an amazing year

Spring Bear Drop Camps

Two bears on bait 2022
With Idaho’s 2022 spring bear season beginning in a few short weeks, we are grateful that we are almost fully booked for our guided hunts, but we still have availability for spring 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!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Gang at Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters

Last ride of the 2021 season
As the girls rode the livestock out on their final ride of the season, heading for greener pastures at lower elevation and a winter rest, we couldn’t help but reminisce on how fast the last 3 months have gone and how grateful we are for what we get to do, the country we get to do it in, and especially for the people we get to meet.

Application Season Part 2

Apply Now for 2021 Idaho Controlled Hunts
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.

Spring Prep Underway

2021 Spring Prep Underway
With the days beginning to warm a bit and spring bear season just days away, it is time to ramp up our spring bear prep and get moving a bit faster. Horses need shod, bear bait moved to the backcountry, camps prepped, and wood socked in for the upcoming official opener of Idaho’s 2021 spring bear season.

Time to start the application game with spring bear first on the agenda

Now that the madness of 2020 is over, it is time to look ahead to 2021 Idaho hunting seasons and it seems the first of many “seasons” to come is application season. Idaho spring bear application season just opened and runs through February 15. You can apply online or at an Idaho Fish and Game license vendor in person.

Looking ahead to 2021

As the sun set on the 2020 Idaho elk and deer hunting seasons, and since our emails were down, we took some time to reflect on this past year and the craziness that has consumed 2020, the thought that always puts a smile on our face is looking forward to next hunting season and next year’s backcountry adventures!

Bear Hunting with Our Next Generation

I had an exceedingly refreshing hunting experience this past spring-bear season. In camp we had 2 youths; one was a 12-year-old boy, Austin, who was hunting with his father, the other was my 18-year-old daughter, Suzy, who was our camp cook.