Confucius once said "Elk are where you find them".
Elk can be much closer to a road, than one would think. You can find them in peoples yards in Evergreen, CO, and also 8 miles deep in the Flattops Wilderness.
If you can't go deep into the mountains, look for elk in more accessible areas, especially near access roads leading miles into the hills. I used to archery hunt such an area. The main forest service road went about 36 miles before it stopped at a wilderness area. I hunted at the front and had a ball, with very few other hunters in the area. It seems like most guys were driving all the way back to the 'wilderness', while I enjoyed very good hunting, with very little pressure.
Good luck!
