Appreciate the input everyone, similar to what I was thinking. Thank you. I do know herd sizes do not translate to success per se. In defense of the Parks and Wildlife we've seen less than 10 elk in our prime hunting areas, then drove to private land a few evenings to glass and saw hundreds. Literally hundreds. So if PW said the elk are in the unit, they wouldn't be incorrect, just not a huntable part of the unit. The trend I've seen over the last decade is that elk are moving to private grounds the first signs of hunting pressure. Scouting now, I actually look for prime habitat that borders private land.
