Merry Christmas 2025 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. December 24, 2025By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, General Information Bear Hunts, Black Bear Hunts, Christmas, Deer Hunts, Elk Hunts, Elk-Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Lion Hunts, Merry Christmas, Mule Deer Hunts, Mule-Deer-Hunts, Wolf Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Last Day to Apply for Idaho Nonresident Elk and Deer Tags This is the first year that Idaho has made nonresidents put in for the formerly OTC (over the counter) general season elk and deer tags and now, today is the last day you can put in for those hunts. Obviously, this is just the first “go round” but for sure, all the good and desirable areas will be gobbled up in this first draw period. Keep in mind that this first draw does not apply to trophy species: moose, mountain goat and bighorn sheep. December 15, 2025By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, Drop Camps, General Information, Guided Hunts Bear Hunts, Black Bear Hunts, Drop Camp, Drop Camps, Elk Hunts, Elk-Hunts, Guided Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts, Mule-Deer-Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Happy Thanksgiving 2025 Our 2025 season has officially ended and in keeping with a tradition that I am not sure who started, we flew “Old Glory” all the way off the mountain. She was flying high and proud all season in each of our camps! November 23 was our last day pulling camp at our high camp, 8300’ above sea level, looking out over “the Frank”. November 25, 2025By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, General Information Bear Hunts, Black Bear Hunts, Deer Hunts, Drop Camps, Elk Hunts, Elk-Hunts, Fall Black Bear Hunts, Frank Church, Guided Hunts, Happy Thanksgiving, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts, Mule-Deer-Hunts, Public Land, River of No Return, Spring Black Bear Hunts, Youth Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
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” March 5, 2025By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts, Youth Bear Hunts, Black Bear Hunts, Elk Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Lion Hunts, Moose, Mule Deer Hunts, Youth Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Save Big on Idaho Spring Bear Hunts This year marks our twentieth season here in Idaho and we are celebrating with 20 percent off on our Idaho spring bear hunts! We love what we do and love sharing the woods with hunters from all over and hope to continue for another 20 plus years of guiding bear hunters. Can you even imagine saving 20 percent on a bear hunt? Ha ha We truly love spring bear season March 13, 2024By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts, Spring bear season, Spring Fall Black Bear, Youth Bear Hunts, Black Bear Hunts, Guided Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho wilderness hunts, Youth Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 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. December 22, 2023By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, General Information Black Bear Hunts, Castle Creek Outfitters, Christmas, Elk Hunts, Guided Hunts, Happy New Year, Idaho wilderness hunts, Lion Hunts, Mule Deer Hunts, Public Land, Wild Idaho Outfitters, Wolf Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Why book an Idaho Spring Bear Season Drop Camp? 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. March 13, 2023By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, Drop Camps, General Information, Spring bear season Bear Hunts, Black Bear Hunts, Drop Camps, Spring Bear Season, Spring Black Bear Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
What Spring Bear Season Means to a Seasoned Wrangler 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. March 10, 2023By Monica Oliver Announcements, General Information, Guided Hunts, Spring bear season Black Bear Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Spring Black Bear Hunts, Wrangler 0 0 Comment Read More »
Have You Got Your Bear Bait Ready for the Idaho 2023 Bear Hunting Seasons? 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? March 6, 2023By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, General Information Bear, Bear Bait, Black Bear Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Spring Black Bear Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »