I have never hunted with a licensed outfitter or guide in Idaho because I grew up hunting with my father and two of his brothers: my uncle Floyd and uncle Veral. My uncle Floyd owned a sporting goods store in Blackfoot when I was growing up in the mid-1950s and early ’60s. My father bought our .22 rifles and our big game hunting rifles as well as our 12-gauge shotguns from uncle Floyd’s shop.
My father and uncles hauled me all over Idaho hunting different areas each year. One of the most important things I learned was the need to scout possible hunting areas during the months before hunting season arrived so I knew where game could be found and where I wanted to set up a camp.
My favorite trips during those years were generally to the central mountain regions of Idaho. In the years since, I have scouted and hunted areas in south and Southeast Idaho also, using the skills that were taught to me by my father and uncles, who learned the skills from my grandfather Merkley.
Today it seems that many hunters feel too busy to spend time scouting, so they get what information they can from other hunters, many of whom haven’t scouted either, but remember seeing deer somewhere. They then head for their chosen area and hope they will luck into a deer or elk. Some may very well get lucky, but my impression is many come home disappointed.
If that sounds anything like your experience, maybe hunting with a outfitter and one or two of the guides that work for the concession is just the thing you need to find and fill your hunting tag.
If so, you should look up the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association website and get a list of outfitters and guides that work in the area or unit you want to hunt.
With the most square miles of wilderness hunting in the lower United States, Idaho has more public land for hunting than any other state except for Alaska.
IOGA has registered outfitters in every part of Idaho who have been guiding people from all over the United States and many foreign countries on big game hunting trips. They can certainly do the same for busy Idaho hunters also.
IOGA member outfitters will provide all equipment necessary for getting into the hunting area, food during the trip, tents or shelter, as well as guides that know where to find game and how to cape an animal in preparation for taxidermy services. The hunter usually provides his own rifle, ammunition or bow and arrows. What the guide won’t do is shoot your game for you. The guide’s job is to put you in a position to shoot your game yourself.
Interestingly, women make up 25 percent of the guiding industry. Most guides are white water guides, or fishing guides, with hunting guides coming in third in terms of what guides like to specialize in doing. Most guides in Idaho are full time for two to 10 years, who work six to 10 weeks a year and make 50 percent of their yearly income guiding. Two-thirds of the Idaho guides are registered Idaho residents.
In a recent survey, most guides indicated they would like more training in entertainment skills and more training in emergency medicine. In the same survey, most guides listed conservation as their top priority.
You can even join IOGA as an individual associate member for $25 even if you aren’t an outfitter or guide. The benefits are free listing in the IOGA directory, annual meeting with educational sessions, update on issues, exhibitors, fun and camaraderie, and information on IOGA activities related to state and federal agency and legislative issues, group marketing and all relevant topics.
I realize that joining IOGA won’t be of interest to many, but I thought I might as well mention it in case there was some interest.
If you would like a free full color directory of IOGA member outfitters, You can request one from their website, ioga.org, or by calling 1-800-49-IDAHO.
Smokey Merkley was raised in Idaho and has been hunting since he was 10 years old. He can be contacted at mokeydo41245@hotmail.com.
