Elk do move,but one of the big problems in Colorado is that many elk head for private land when the hunting season starts. Keeping on the move doesn't help much in those circumstances. At least one unit I know ,you can see elk herds during the summer in almost every high country meadow. A week into archery season, they start to show up on the private land.By 2nd rifle there will be 400-800 head of elk on one ranch alone.
You can scout all summer long until you are exhausted and find plenty of elk. You have to figure out what they do when hunting pressure hits. That is why getting to know the country is just as important as finding the elk. Elk tend to move around about every 3-4 days looking for new forage, seems to me they tend to make big circles, coming back into an area very few weeks .There may be elk when you arrive and then you won't find any for the rest of the season. There may not be any when you arrive, and yet the last day of the season, there may be 80-100 head in your area.Throw in 50-06 hunters in your area,and there isn't an elk hunter alive that can predict what the elk will do.
However, if you get familiar with the area, you might be able to figure out what escape routes they use to leave the country or some particular steep nasty blow down country that they sneak into, if not private land. It doesn't always work though.
Another hunter might tell you they are seeing elk two drainage over, so you hot foot it over there and not an elk in sight. Two days later another hunter tells you they are seeing elk where you just left
Last edited by saddlesore; 07/15/18.
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
