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 »
Nonresidents Must Apply for Formerly OTC Tags this Year in Idaho Seems the only constant in life is change and that adage seems to hold especially true in the hunting world. It seems to me that meetings are held and changes made “just because” every year and this year is no different! Starting today, December 5, 2025, nonresidents who want to hunt elk and deer in formerly OTC units will need to apply for those tags. The application period runs from December 5 to 15, 2025 with results being posted in early January 2026. December 5, 2025By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, Drop Camps, General Information, Guided Hunts Deer Hunts, Elk Hunts, Elk-Hunts, Guided Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts, Mule-Deer-Hunts, OTC Tags, Over-the-counter Tags 0 0 Comment Read More »
Got Tags? Idaho draw results came out last week and I imagine most western states have drawn by now and most people drew the all too familiar “unsuccessful” tag. If that is the case, come check us out in Central Idaho’s Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area. We still have a few openings and tags available. June 24, 2025By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, Drop Camps, Elk In Rut, General Information, Guided Hunts, Mule Deer Deer Hunts, Elk Hunts, Elk-Hunts, Guided Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts, Mule-Deer-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 »
Nonresident Outfitter Allocated Hunting Tags May be on the Chopping Block The winds of change are blowing, and in many western states they are reaching gale force. Sadly, Idaho is no different. What do I mean? With the amazing population growth that the west is experiencing, it may be good for those city type businesses that rely on sheer numbers to survive, but out here in rural Idaho, it is simply putting a pinch on an already limited resource, our public land system, most importantly on our public lands hunting opportunities January 14, 2025By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, Elk In Rut, General Information, Guided Hunts, Mule Deer Elk Hunts, Elk-Hunts, Idaho, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts, Mule-Deer-Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Rut Mule Deer Hunt Opportunity By some strange twist of fate, oversight, or whatever you might want to call it we are down to the wire and find ourselves with 2 tags for a 2024 Controlled Mule Deer Hunt for 2 in November. September 6, 2024By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, Drop Camps, General Information, Guided Hunts, Mule Deer Deer Hunts, Guided Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
Fall Bear Season Is Looking Good If you haven’t made plans for fall yet, maybe a fall bear hunt in Idaho’s famous Frank Church Wilderness Area is just the ticket. Cameras on our spring bear bait sites were loaded with color phase bears this year. We weren’t sure if it was the mild winter or simply the bear population just continues to grow, but the fact is, the numbers and color variety both on camera and killed this spring was incredible. The bears were out and hungry. We left far more on camera than were harvested so fall is looking extra good this year as well. July 3, 2024By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, Fall Bear Season, General Information, Guided Hunts, Spring bear season, Spring Fall Black Bear Bear Hunts, Idaho Black Bear Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho wilderness hunts, Spring Black Bear Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »
One Door Closes, Another One Opens It’s July already. Besides being the month with probably the second most important holiday celebration of the year, it’s the month when most western states hunting tag draw results are out (except maybe some antlerless tags) and, as usual, you drew tag soup. Nothing, zilch, nada. What to do about hunting this fall now? July 2, 2024By George McQuiston (blog) Announcements, Elk In Rut, General Information, Guided Hunts, Mule Deer Elk Hunts, Guided Hunts, Idaho hunting, Idaho Hunts, Idaho wilderness hunts, Mule Deer Hunts 0 0 Comment Read More »