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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.

Why book an Idaho Spring Bear Season Drop Camp?

Successful 2022 spring drop camp bear hunter
Winter of 2023 is a LONG one! Most are itching to get out, longing for spring. We are thinking about camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting. Winter has been a drag on physical and mental capacities.

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.

Have You Got Your Bear Bait Ready for the Idaho 2023 Bear Hunting Seasons?

Bear bait in a rainbow of colors and flavors.
Pretty pink, pretty blue, purple, orange, yellow, tan, chocolate, etc. does it really matter what the name is for bears to like it? The answer is obviously a resounding NO! If it is full of sugar and by default calories, bears are gonna love it and you will have success with this or almost anything edible as bear bait. The main questions in my mind are A) can I get enough of it in a consistent supply, B) can I even afford to feed it to bears and C) how do I keep from producing world record sized squirrels on my Granola, Trail mix, Honey Roasted Nut formula I am currently using?

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!

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.

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!

That wasn’t supposed to happen aka Happy Late Thanksgiving

Man, I hate technology! Okay, I do appreciate my heated seats and steering wheel in the Ram pickup when the temps reach single digits, but it sure is frustrating when you have been on the mountain for 3 months and finally make it home only to find out your email server has been down for the last week and there is no remedy in sight.

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.