Not what I have experienced in Montana either.
Kinda hate to mention this, but I know some elk hunters who don't consider a 4-year-old bull "old."
I've been lucky enough to hunt both private and public land in a few places over the years. There are some 8-10 year old bulls way back on public land, but have seen far more on private--especially after the first week of hunting season pushes them off public land. A few years ago I got to hunt a big ranch not far from where I live in Montana, and the first evening glassed over 30 branch-antlered bulls spread across three parks, over a mile away.
One group consisted of 8 bulls that all were well over 4 years old. This was in mid-November, three weeks after the rifle season opened. They'd all filtered into the ranch over those three weeks--actually probably during the first two days of the season. They knew from several seasons of experience where they weren't likely to be bothered. The ranch owner only allowed 2 bulls to be taken every year--though he did allow antlerless hunting, after the 2 bulls had been taken.
