Okay two flaws in your topic.

One you don't pack in people into scout in september during archery season so they can tromp around and ruin someone else elk hunt. It's ideals like that which makes hunting and hunting pressure even worse than it is. Idealy it would be great if everyone could come out spot your particular herd of elk and hunt them down. It doesn't work that way in most elk states. DIY'ers that are successful are usually going back to the same area's to hunt after they have either got an elk from there or learned more about the area. I for one don't not like the idea of encroaching on someone else's time to hunt. I've seen hunters come in a week before their season opens set up camp and travel around through the woods looking for elk. Two things are wrong with this. One your running your own elk out of the area. Two you ruining someone else's hunt. Hope I made a point on that.

By late August all of the Bulls have shed their velvet except for spikes and immature bulls I.E. raghorns.

Mostly you can some information on elk numbers by contacting a local Division of Wildlife Official. But bear in mind most Officers do all their research on the computer now too!!!! So how many elk in the woods are there? Ask a cattle man or a sheep rancher that has livestock on the mountain they will know more than anyone else. Not all guides are going to talk to you honestly about elk in their area.

I hunt elk in units 80/81 in Colorado OTC unit. It's not so easy to do day after day and archery season has been over ran with hunters the last three years. Making the elk hold tight in the trees even through the rifle season. I don't see alot of hunters being very quiet as they go about their business of trying to hunt. As far as ATV's go I think they should be banned during hunting season's all together in certain area's and trails. That should of been done years ago. I don't mind giving out information to hunters but I'm not going to tell you where I'm exactly going either. Almost 30 years I've paid the dues to kill elk on the first morning of the hunt by knowing where to be and when to be there. I think people have some dues to pay if they want to hunt elk. That's why I like elk hunting you have earned the knowledge or you have to pay for it. Either way sometime people do get lucky.