Mt Boy, my experience is that deer will stay in a somewhat small area unless they are really pressured but elk like to roam. Its almost like they get bored with scenery and move on. However they are very sensitive to pressure. I was on a photography hunt a couple of weeks ago and literally followed a herd over a distance of 5 miles in two days. That was with zero hunting pressure and plenty of the essentals (food, water, and cover) along the way. They were in no hurry but they were moving constantly. But there was another herd that was in the same area for 3 days and then moved on. You never know with elk, but if they are not there even with fresh sign there is a chance they have moved to another area.