First off,best of luck on your up coming hunt.
I' m not one to lay off fresh elk sign,I take it to them.It depends on how fresh of sign,if it is a place where they are pushed to or bed,or feed(morn. or eve.)is a good place for an ambush.But for me elk hunting is mostly catch up I like to inersept the between places and stalk them down.I love going up and down hills,love getting them at their own game.I like the mid after-noon when they are beded down and sneak on them in their beds.Have you ever heard the crash of 25 head of elk blowing down the ridge right after down your elk,or how quiet your rifle echo' s after you take that old bull in blow down drainige.Smell that it is hunting season.BBJ