I've been where you are. I have only a fraction the experience of many here. Here's what worked for me. 1) forget any notion that it might be easy, or that there may be an easier solution. 2) without regard for difficulty, set out to find the elk first. They return to the same areas year after year. You need to find one of these spots. Once you see all the trees torn up, the smell of a barnyard, real game trails with many tracks, etc. you'll know you're there. You can find these summer scouting too. At least the torn up trees. That tells you they'll be there in the fall. Until you find that, it's probably better to cover ground than to hunt per se. Is there a way to cover the land with optics instead of boot leather? Really getting to know an area will help you find a good spot.
I found a spot approximately 1mi X 1mi that always has elk. Go too far beyond that area and it can appear there are no elk.
