Maps, get maps. You can buy them at the US Forest Service office. The BLM maps are good for the rest of the state. Find a few areas and study them.
You never said what part of Montana you live in.
Buy the Etrex GPS at WalMart. The lower price one will do fine and is easier to use.
Sight your rifle in and practice out to 300 yards. Get your bullet drop and tape it in your flip up caps with scotch tape. You can use this program to help you:
http://www.realguns.com/miscinfo/join.htm
Get the best optics you can afford. This will help you identify your animal before you shoot.
The big elk herds are Yellowstone area, Bitterroot Valley, Lincoln, and Sun River River Valley. Most are on private land. A savvy hunter can skirt the property boundary, but do not break the rules, even for a lifetime dream elk. The fines are high.
Forsome reason the deer disappear during the rut week. The week before and after you see them everywhere. They are still there, just a mile or so from the road. Find them. The does will lead the sex starved bucks away and block your shot with their bodies.
Make a drag rope for retrieving game. Your wife's dishwasher gloves are great when gutting, field dressing your deer. Make sure you get the A-hole out. You will need a small saw for the pelvic bone and don't bust the bladder.
A small back pack with the new Camel-back type water systems are handy. I started eating the modern day MRE's while hunting. They are not bad and easy to carry.
Always carry lightweight things like a small tarp, fire starting stuff, candle, flashlight (a blue lens will help you track blood after dark), and whatever else will help you make it through a cold night lost in the woods. It has to be light or you will not carry it.
Always, always leave the area you are hunting in with someone at home and when they should think about calling for help. If you might go to multiple areas, list them all in order and do not deviate without telling someone.
And last, never tell anyone in Montana you are from California, especially if you are seeking permission to hunt on private land. Just trust me on this.
I hope this helps. MV out!