I stuck this on the campfire forum, too.
Hey you eastern Idaho guys - have any of you ever hunted the Tex Creek cow hunt? How many hunters are there per tree? Are the elk in there year round or just after the weather pushes them in?

The number of hunters is dependant on the snow levels usually. If the snow comes early and the elk start migrating, word travels fast and it's a pretty ugly scene actually...though the numbers of elk can indeed be staggering. I'm confident I saw well over 1,000 head of elk in one day there a few years ago during the peak of the migration.

There are resident elk there to be had, but you're going to have to work for them for sure.

Dave

I'll comment here versus the other forum.

I mentioned Rex because that's the hunt he was arrested on last year.

The success of the unit is dependent on the weather. On early snow years, the elk are pushed down and it's a slaughter. IDF&G was harrassing the elk away from public ground last year.

I'm not sure llamas will be a help in the snow. Rex tried to make his get away on a snowmobile.

I don't know if these mass migrations into the area occur much anymore. I know they did the 1st couple of seasons but I've hunted it 3 times and it's been work every time. The last time we went in there was with my nephew who had an either sex permit for that same time. After two days on horses after riding over 30 miles he did stumble into a nice 5x6 and killed it. There were a couple of other bulls with that one that he saw. Those were the only elk we saw that weekend. There are plenty of easier elk hunts in Idaho.

That is a very tough area to hunt with a significant amount of pressure all Fall into early Winter. A tag Archery hunters all month during September, a controlled hunt for muzzleloader in early October, a very heavily pressured general season deer hunt starts October 10th, a general season elk hunt we call the six day war for bulls starts October 15th, then the A tag resumes as a general season cow hunt after that through the end of November. There is also a youth controlled hunt for cows that goes into December. Weather is the only thing that makes this hunt happen with a chance of success.

Thanks for the info guys. We've been kicking around the idea of hitting it but if we do, it will have to be early in the season. We'll likely end up near Challis instead, though. We know that area better.

There are plenty of elk around early in the season if you are willing to work for one and hunt the rougher country. Most people just wait and hope for snow so they can hunt elk in easier areas.

brymoore, last year IDFG was trying to move elk back onto public lands to reduce depredation issues around Ririe and Iona

I knew they were pushing the elk around I guess I had it backwards.

A buddy of mine put his kid in for this hunt. He doesn't plan to hunt until Thanksgiving.