FAQ

Part of the service Rawhide provides is purchasing your Idaho hunting license and any necessary tags/permits.

We rely mostly on bear baits. Every spring we establish multiple baits around our hunting area. Typically we will sit the bear baits in the evenings when our wind is ideal. For archery hunting we set up tree stands on the baits and for rifle hunters we set up ground blinds further from the bait. There is also the option to hunt bears with hounds if that is what you would prefer.

Our bear hunts are six-day trips, running from Sunday through Friday morning. During that time, we provide all meals, lodging, and transportation. When not in the field, hunters stay in either our guest cabin or our Airbnb cottage—both equipped with full electricity, running water, showers, and Wi-Fi. We typically host two bear hunters per week, each paired with their own guide, along with a full-time cook in camp.

In Idaho bear season typically runs mid-April through mid-June. We try to plan our bear hunts for the last half of May into the first or second week of June.

Hunters typically arrive on Saturday. You’ll get settled into the cabin, and we’ll provide a warm welcome dinner that evening. The hunt begins on Sunday.

If you’re bow hunting, we typically focus on evening hunts, when the wind conditions are best for being close to bait sites in a tree stand—usually 20 to 30 yards from the bait. For rifle hunters, we use ground blinds positioned farther back, generally around 100 yards from the bait. These blinds give us better wind conditions for hunting in the mornings, allowing you to hunt both mornings and evenings if you choose.

Most hunters like to hold out for a bear over 6 feet, so throughout the week we’ll sit different bait sites to increase your chances of spotting a larger boar.

Once you’ve harvested your bear, we’ll take care of skinning and butchering it, then carry it out for you. We’ll also help you get your meat to a local butcher and your hide to a taxidermist, depending on your preferences for meat processing and mounts.

We hunt one hunter per 8 day lion hunt. We have a set number of hounds to chase the lions and like to keep some dogs fresh for later in the hunts. In order to maintain quality of the hunts and odds of treeing a lion we stick to one hunter each week. Non-hunter guests are allowed and encouraged to share your hunt with! We do at times make exceptions to this and hunt two hunters at a time.

Part of the service Rawhide provides is purchasing your Idaho hunting license and any necessary tags/permits.

Mountain lion hunting is open year round in Idaho. We run our hunts in December and January that is when the snow is the best for the hunt.

Our lion hunts are 8 day hunts running Sunday through the following Monday, we take Saturdays off for religious purposes. During that time we provide all food, housing, and transportation. We have a guest cabin and an Airbnb cottage that are provided for hunters when not in the field. Both have full electricity, water/showers and wifi. We have a full time cook for the full hunt.

Hunters typically arrive on Saturday. You’ll get settled into the cabin, and we’ll provide a welcome dinner that evening. The hunt begins Sunday morning.

Each day, we’ll be up between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. to start checking roads – by truck, ATV, or snowmobile depending on conditions – for fresh tracks. Once we find a set of tracks that appears to be from a lion we’re interested in, we’ll turn the hounds loose and go from there.

Because we start so early, we usually bring a breakfast burrito or sandwich to go, along with a sack lunch for the day. Most days, we wrap up the hunt by early afternoon and return for an early dinner and bedtime.

Once you’ve harvested your lion, we’ll skin and butcher it, then pack it out. After that, we’ll help you get your meat to a butcher and your hide to a taxidermist, based on your preferences for meat and mounts.

Our terrain can be very steep, rocky and rugged! We hunt everywhere from 5000-9000ft elevation. The Salmon River corridor around Salmon is more of an arid environment compared to other parts of the state. The habitat for our elk hunts consists of thick Douglas fir/lodgepole pine forests with sage/grass slopes and meadows. Horses make a huge difference on our hunts!

We hunt exclusively public land! There are certain public areas we will access from private land but all hunting is done on National Forest or BLM land.

We try our hardest to match shot distances to the comfort level of our hunters. For archery hunts we prefer to keep shots under 30 yards. For rifle hunts under 350 yards. We do leave it to the discretion of the hunter and what you feel comfortable with. We will not ever pressure you into taking a shot you are not comfortable with. At Rawhide we have a wound loss policy where if a hunter draws blood on an elk that is that hunters elk, whether it is recovered or not. 

Hunt camps vary depending on the hunt and the hunters. We have a guest cabin and an Airbnb cottage available for hunters when they’re not in the field. Both have full electricity, running water/showers, and Wi-Fi.

Some days, we run day hunts out of the cabin or cottage. The rest of the time, we base out of remote wall tent camps that we pack into with horses, or drive-to camps where we bring a renovated camp trailer. Our 37A camp is the exception – typically, we pack in on Sunday morning and pack out Friday morning after the final hunt.

We like to stay flexible and mobile while chasing elk. Since elk move frequently, we like to be able to adapt quickly when needed.

No matter where we’re camped, we have full-time cooks who provide home-cooked meals every day. Typically, we serve a light breakfast and a sack lunch to go for all-day hunts, followed by a larger, hot dinner with dessert in the evening.

No horse experience is necessary! We have plenty of bullet proof horses that are great for beginners and many of our trails are nicely cleared and groomed for easy riding. 

Part of the service Rawhide provides is purchasing your Idaho hunting license and any necessary tags/permits.

We hunt one hunter at a time! We dedicate the whole hunt just for your one tag. Non-hunters are allowed to tag along for an additional fee.

To get a once-in-a-lifetime hunt tag you have to put in for a lottery through the state, you can apply on your own or contact us and we will put in for you. Once you draw your tag then we can work with you to book your hunt!

• Sheep season is August 30 – October 13.

• Mountain goat season is August 30 – November 12.

• Moose season in August 30 – November 23.