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If you're going to do it yourself, you might want to get to your area a week ahead of time. This will give you time to scout & figure out elk patterns of movement. If you're going with an over-the-counter tag, it'll probably mean it won't be a rut hunt which will add difficulty finding them.
If it's a popular area, by noon of opening day all of your scouting can be meaningless other than to show you where they were yesterday.

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell

It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.