“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. January 4, 2020By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information Black Bear Hunts, Drop Camps, Elk Hunts, Happy New Year, Idaho Hunts, Merry Christmas, Mule Deer Hunts, Public Land, Wilderness Area, Youth Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Happy New Year 2020 As we say goodbye to 2019, we hope that your year is ending on a positive note. Ours is because of the new friends we made and the old friends we got to see again in hunting camps, and we look forward to seeing again come spring or fall 2020. We hope that your holidays have been blessed with good times, good friends, good food and making good memories. December 31, 2019By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information Black Bear Hunts, Elk Hunts, Happy New Year, Mule Deer Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Merry Christmas 2019 From the gang here at Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters, we want to wish you and yours the best Christmas you could possibly have. During the holiday seasons, I imagine that we all find ourselves looking back over the past year and looking forward to a great new year ahead. With all the bad news that seems to permeate the mainstream media these days, it sometimes makes one wonder exactly what direction this great country of ours is heading; so, I wanted to take a minute to share with you a Christmas miracle that I not only got to witness, but be a part of and it really gave me hope that their really are some pretty awesome people out there…the media just chooses not to report about them. December 24, 2019By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information Happy New Year, Merry Christmas 0 0 Comment Read More »
Only 15 days left to save 15%! There are only 15 days left to save 15% on our 15th year anniversary special for 2020 hunts with Wild Idaho Outfitters or Castle Creek Outfitters. As we look back on the last 15 years, we find ourselves so very grateful for the opportunities we have had and the people we have met along the way, so we wanted to share our little slice of wild Idaho at a discounted price for a limited time only. Speaking of a limited time: Salmon B elk tags (the area we guide in for Castle Creek Outfitters) have sold out already for 2020. They sold out in only 9 days! Deer tags are selling at a brisk pace as well! December 16, 2019By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information Black Bear Hunts, Drop Camps, Elk Hunts, Mule Deer Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
To Celebrate our 15th Anniversary we are offering 15% off 2020 Hunts! 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.” December 3, 2019By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information Black Bear Hunts, Drop Camps, Elk Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts, Wolf Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Happy Thanksgiving! 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. November 28, 2019By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information Bear Hunts, Black Bear Hunts, Deer Hunts, Drop Camps, Elk Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho wilderness hunts, Thanksgiving, Wolf Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Trail Clearing Season It seems an outfitter’s life is defined by “seasons”… as are most people’s lives, but our seasons seem to revolve around seasons determined by others; meaning the Idaho Department of Fish and Game determines what seasons we can hunt and therefore that is two of our “seasons”. The only season that we get to determine is trail clearing season. July 23, 2019By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information #WIOAdventures, Trail Clearing, Wilderness Area 0 0 Comment Read More »
Not too soon to start thinking about next year Well, it appears that Idaho has been rediscovered. That can be a good or a bad thing, depending which side of the fence you are standing on. This year’s nonresident tags in the units we guide, Area 27 and 28, sold out in record time and according to the fish and game commission, they seem pretty bent on reducing the amount of nonresident tags available in the future further exacerbating the tag acquisition process. Thankfully and gratefully, we as a licensed Idaho hunting outfitter are allotted a certain amount of guaranteed elk tags and outfitters in general have access to deer tag set asides. July 15, 2019By George McQuiston Announcements, Elk In Rut, Fall Bear Season, General Information, Guided Hunts, Mule Deer, Spring bear season, Wolf Black Bear Hunts, Elk Hunts, Guided Hunts, Idaho Hunts, Mule Deer Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Four Generations Bear Hunt Well, the sun finally set on the last day of our 2019 Idaho spring bear hunting season and it ended on a very high note! We had 2 hunters in camp, and each scored on a bear and as all who were involved would tell you, it was the youth hunter harvesting his bear that managed to make the whole week so enjoyable. The weather was unseasonably comfortable, baits were incredibly active and as the last night came about for this young man to sit, our decision came down to which bait, of the several that were active, to sit that night. Well, as you can imagine, we guessed correctly, and this young man scored on a very respectable cinnamon boar. July 4, 2019By George McQuiston Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts, Spring Fall Black Bear Bear Hunts, Idaho Hunts, Spring Bear Season 0 0 Comment Read More »