Idaho Adventure News

[caption id="attachment_222" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Stand Up Paddle (SUP) boarding is exploding in popularity on lakes, oceans and rivers nationwide. The sport is big in Idaho, too.[/caption] By Steve Stuebner People are less concerned about the economy when making decisions about their summer vacations, and overall, there appears to be an increasing trend of people selecting shorter, and more relaxing and easy-going outdoor adventures vs. high octane adrenaline-filled trips, experts say. David Brown, executive director of America Outdoors Association, said he expects adventure trav...

The Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association is stepping it up a notch this year in terms of looking for more fresh, entertaining and informative videos from IOGA members about all of the outstanding guided outdoor adventure activities in Idaho. So, we're launching a video contest this year, similar to our ever-popular photo contest. We're calling the contest, "Capture the Spirit of Idaho Guided Adventures." The winners will be selected at the IOGA annual meeting in December. Have fun with it! Try to capture the spirit of the outdoor adventures that you offer. We're hoping the videio contest ...

t’s natural to ask, “What have you done for me lately?” There are a number of possible IOGA answers including this one, “Consider the body of work over time that helps protect and promote your business.” While you may not find a piece that applies directly to your business in this particular FYI bulletin, keep in mind that IOGA relationships built over time with government agencies, elected leaders and individuals important to the well being of the overall Idaho outfitter and guide industry are nourished routinely through email, phone calls, attendance at meetings and shows. A recent letter li...

[caption id="attachment_179" align="aligncenter" width="584"] Rafting on the Lochsa River with Bearpaw River Expeditions[/caption] Idaho mountain snowpack levels and anticipated streamflows in the popular Salmon, Snake, Lochsa and Payette river basins are hovering near 90 percent of normal, which should provide for a fun-filled whitewater river season, according to officials with the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association. "The current levels in mid-March are looking excellent," said Justin Walsh, owner of Bear Paw Expeditions, which runs day trips on the Lochsa River in North Idaho, east...

[caption id="attachment_164" align="alignleft" width="584"] Legislators look forward to eating delicious fresh-cooked food at IOGA's "Taste of Idaho Outfitting"[/caption] Hi all, The Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association is once again sponsoring IOGA Lobby Day, a wonderful event in which member-outfitters descend on the Idaho Statehouse to chat with legislators about issues of interest, and it all culminates in the "Taste of Idaho Outfitting, " a delightful Dutch oven feed. IOGA Lobby Day is set for Wednesday, Feb. 13. The food part is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. at the Basque Center, 601 Grov...

Now is the time when hunters, outfitters and state Fish and Game officials are flocking to sportsmen's shows around the United States, and hunters are making decisions about where to hunt in 2013. We want hunters to know about the advantages of hunting in Idaho ... Here's our list of 5 reasons to hunt big game in Idaho: Go with a Pro. Idaho outfitters and guides know the country, they know where the big game animals are, and they’ll take great care of you in elk camp. Solitude. Guided hunts in Idaho have a lot of elbow room in wilderness and roadless areas … no worries about getting buzzed...

[caption id="attachment_117" align="aligncenter" width="584"] Dee and Leo at Tinker High Hunting Camp[/caption] [caption id="attachment_118" align="aligncenter" width="584"] Zeke West, right, at the helm[/caption] Three longtime IOGA members, Leo and Dee Crane of Orofino and Zeke West of Grangeville, were honored as Lifetime Members at the annual IOGA meeting last week in Boise. Grant Simonds, executive director of the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, said the honor is the equivalent of a "lifetime achievement" award because of the many contributions that the Cranes and West made to...

[caption id="attachment_85" align="aligncenter" width="584"] The IOGA annual dinner and auction always is a fun event where you can buy super-cool outdoor trips and equipment. Don't miss it![/caption] Five Idaho authors, including several from the state's outfitting and guiding industry, will be signing books at a special IOGA event on Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Boise Hotel & Conference Center, 3300 Vista Ave. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. The book-signing event, which runs from 2:30-4 p.m. on Dec. 13, is a great opportunity for people to get autographed books for Christmas gi...

[caption id="attachment_34" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Ken Francisco BBQ's some fresh elk back straps after a client harvested a 6x6 bull elk in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness this year.[/caption] We woke up around 6 a.m., as usual, drank some coffee and hot chocolate in the heated wall tent, and saddled up the horses to go hunting. It was just starting to get light as we rode out of camp on Oct. 25, with snow falling ever-so-quietly in the cedar trees surrounding our camp. We rode for an hour, tied up the horses and started walking up a meadow. It had snowed several inches overnigh...

[caption id="attachment_12" align="alignnone" width="300"] Amy Sinclair of Exodus Wilderness Adventures with a nice fall chinook she caught last week in Hells Canyon.[/caption] The calendar has flipped into October, and that means fall steelhead fishing is coming right up on the Clearwater, Snake and Salmon rivers in Idaho. Do you have your trip booked yet? "We had three ladies with us on Sept. 27th on a day trip from Pittsburg Landing to the Salmon River confluence, and they caught six steelhead and three salmon," says Heather Killgore, co-owner of Killgore Adventures. "They've never caught...