Or do like I did. Borrow a map from a friend, Ken, who knows/hunts the area, with an area at 11K on a steep slope circled on it and labeled "elk here".
We (his brother Robert and I) found them at 10.5, while following a fresh satellite bull trail toward them in 4" of overnight snow..
. OTC 2nd rifle season, CO.
The ridge top, with several tent camps of maybe 20 horse hunters ahead of us, was at 14K. Some had gone in the day before season or earlier, some ahead of us that morning. Our camp was a heated rental cabin with running water and shower 5 minutes drive from the trail head.
Ken was, at the time, at another place I hope to try next year or so, involving a steep 1500-2000 foot climb up a sheer canyon wall (rock chute) , several miles from any road access on the far side. On their side, they had to park their vehicle along the road in the canyon bottom a mile away from the chute they could climb. That canyon was as far as the elk could go.... He and his partner both scored at daylight opening day, several hours before I did, having climbed the day before and camped overnight on the rim. They had more than 80 elk to watch that hunting season eve. they hung their meat from ropes over the canyon rim to keep the critters off. On the other hand, it was all downhill from the kill site. As was mine.
It took me until nearly noon, the same day they scored, but we had to climb 3,000 feet, including a mile and half of trail up the canyon's bottom. But Ken told us which rock to turn off at to start climbing.
We - mostly Robert- dragged/rolled that cow downhill on a watercourse, pushing her over several dry waterfall drops, and when we finally got hung up behind a serious deadfall, we were only about 30 yards off the trail. Had her all packed out and drinking beer with a hot supper at the cabin by dark. More beer drinking after supper.
My kind of elk hunting....
. I'm 10 years older now, tho.
