If there is any hunting pressure up there at all, expect many of the mature bucks to drop into more timbered areas. Look for lower ridges and finger ridges shooting off them. If it is not a pressured area, I expect you could find bucks at all elevations.
Don't worry about elk. My experience is that I tend to see more big bucks when I'm in an area working vocal elk. I don't think that the elk themselves are much of a factor, but I think that the deer are less wary of movements and sounds then. Elk make a lot of noise and commotion. I.e., I expect that the deer assume the noise and movement caused by the hunter are elk.