Elk have one hell of a nose. I know the mountains make it tough on us hunters being our scent is going in every which way direction but to me there noses are excellent. Both areas I've elk hunted the elk had kick ass noses. One area has allot of hunting pressure and the other didn't at all. There not quite as good as a whitetail but there not far behind either. A Muley's nose hasn't impressed me much and to me it isn't nothing compared to a whitetail.