I have hunted it several times on the September archery hunt. The Flat Tops get hunted hard, but most guys road hunt or venture up one of the many trails a short distance. Few hunt hard. There are a TON of elk in there, but seldom anything over 2.5 years old (lots of rag horns). It is one of the FEW areas in the state that has a lot of public access and a lot of animals. The problem is, as soon as the hunters roll in opening day, or the weather changes slightly, the elk bail out off their in a hurry and head to the private land and winter range down low. This vast migration puts a HUGE strain on the winter range way too early. The DWR has been trying to balance the Flat Top herd for years and still can't make it work right for the hunters and the animals.
It isn't a problem at all to see hundreds of elk a day during hunting season. The problem is finding them on the public land up higher where you can access them. Flinch
