That makes sense Beaverjack, I guess my thinking is skewed toward my background of hunting whiletail here in the east. I wouldn't have to scout here either because i've been hunting the same areas (family farms) for years. I could show up opening day and have a decent chance of seeing deer. But with all the hunters that close, I never know if the deer i saw last year are still around. Whitetails are creatures of habit and they seem to stay in the same areas from year to year. Do you hunt the same areas every year and are those elk always in those areas. I bow hunt so i have 4 months to hunt deer and can take my time. If i only hunted for 1 week in rifle season i definitely would need to scout to find where my best chances were for a short opportunity. Kevin