The first thing to know about elk is that the vast majority are taken on private land, while most hunters hunt on public land. Of the elk that are taken on public land, the majority are taken on outfitted hunts operating from wilderness camps put in place with horses. As a result, a small number of hunters who are one way or another paying for access get the the bulk of the elk. Which is not to say that elk are never taken DIY on public land - they are - but it's at a very low rate in most places.
As a general rule, if a state doesn't split out private vs public land hunting and simply gives a success rate for a unit, assume the actual success rate for a DIY public hunt is between 1/5th and 1/10th that. So for example CO rifle seasons have an across the board success rate of about 20%, so the DIY public land rate is about 2-4%.
Have a realistic view of what's going on, and decide up front if you're willing to pay for access vs. what success rate you expect.
I think you need to do some research your numbers.
