I had always wanted to check that area out myself. Looks like ponderosa's, pinon, and canyonlands to me.
I'm kinds surprised to hear some of the guys say it's crowded but maybe it is one of those units where they issue a lot of tags.
I think smokepole and Alpincrick are the regulars that are closest to that vicinity. Beanman and Exbiologist are a little further off. If you can get the opinion of one of those guys they might know how to hunt it.
please disregard this previous post - I was thinking of someplace else.
slingblade, You are going about it the right way. Study the maps and learn whatever you can any way that you can. It sounds like the elk there are pressured and smart. Like anywhere else, look for escape routes, look for saddles on the ridges, look for steep terrain. You seem to have a good grasp of the odds you face and you are doing all the right things to give yourself a chance.
My group left our traditional hunting unit some years ago because they reclassified it as an A-list tag. Since then we have hunted a new unit each of the past 6 years and we always kill a couple. We have to do the exact same thing as you – lots of research up front.
Hunting pressure is not always a bad thing. If you position yourself along a good escape route opening morning you will have a chance. I’m sure elk will be killed in that unit every season somehow or other. Have several plans at your disposal. Be sure to have at least one contingency plan and think about what herd and hunter movement will look like in bad weather vs. in hot dry weather. Opening day strategy should usually be a lot different than the days following.
I think what you are doing is pretty cool. I wish you success.
