26 May Are You Going Hunting this Year? May 26, 2014By George McQuiston General Information 1 By now most of you should have gotten that “lump of coal” we call the draw results for our western big game hunting adventures. That hope of drawing for that “special” tag we seem to continually wait for. If your results looked like mine and read “unsuccessful” for all species applied, don’t lose hope. I know I have said it a lot and am saying it again…Idaho is the best kept secret in the hunting world today. There are still over the counter tags available, large tracts of wilderness landscape allowing for complete solitude away from the crowds, liberal and lengthy seasons and to the best of my knowledge, one of the only states around where you can hunt a “combo” hunt. You can hunt elk, deer, bear and even wolf and lion all at the same time so you can really stretch that hunting dollar. Trophies you ask? Idaho has been producing big bucks, bulls and boars for years and will always continue to do so. They may require a long horseback ride or a backcountry flight to find, but they are there and each year some real trophies are harvested in this great state! So if you are tired of thinking “unsuccessful” is actually a hunting season, why don’t you slip on over to Idaho and let’s go hunting! Related Posts 2010 Idaho Hunting Season Comes to a Close Hunting season in Idaho’s backcountry unit 27 comes to an official close on November 18 and this year the snow began to roll in about then. So after 2 days of packing out camp it was time to chain up and haul livestock over the pass to winter quarters and begin the drying out of tents, tack and equipment. Riding in to pack camp after the last hunter leaves is always sort of a bitter sweet journey. “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Me” or “Preseason Hunt Planning Part 1!” Even though this sounds directed to me and possibly self-serving, it is anything but that. If it were about me, I would be posing on this rig taking a big smiling selfie to tell the world how wonderful I am. Well, I assure you, there ain’t nothin’ sexy about a 54 year old chubby guy climbing up on his new elliptical trying to shed a few of those post hunting, pre- and post-Holiday calories, so all you get to see is an empty elliptical as a symbol of potential for memories to be made. Just like our public lands stand as a symbol to that same ideal. It is honestly directed towards all of us who find ourselves somewhat vertically challenged and girth blessed with each New Year’s Day that passes and wonder if we are alone in this journey from “healthy” holiday sofa surfer to healthy mountain man/explorer looking to scale that peak ahead to look for a trophy animal on the other side. Hunting Application Season is in Full Swing It seems like hunting has evolved from planning an outdoor excursion with your family and friends that revolves around a hunting camp full of close friends and family to an exercise in becoming a Vegas odds statistician so you have the best chance at even drawing a tag. Gone are the “good old days” 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. Sun Sets on 2015 Wild Idaho Hunting Seasons 2015 will go down as one of Wild Idaho Outfitters most successful hunting seasons of our career. Beginning with spring Bear hunting where we enjoyed a full 75% opportunity rate to our fall hunting seasons where we went just under 100% opportunity rate on an animal. And most importantly, almost everyone who hunted with us this year lived. Those few exceptions were probably a little ill anyway. Yes folks that is one of my corny outfitter jokes. HAPPY NEW YEAR What a terrific sight for the final day of 2014. As sun sets over the Pahsimeroi Mountains, part of the Lost River Range here in Central Idaho, 2014 only has a few hours left and the horses are enjoying the last rays of sunlight on a day that the high only reached to zero. It is a beautiful ending to an amazing year here at Wild Idaho Outfitters and we are very grateful for this past year and are already looking forward to some exciting new adventures to take place in 2015. Comment (1) George,<br /><br />You hit the nail on the head! I went 0-4 here in Colorado. I have preference points and did not make any mistakes on my applications. No tag for bear, sheep, deer or elk. I am now conscripted to leftover tags for undesirable units. This fall should be fun.<br /><br />Dan 11 years ago Comments are closed.