I have read, in several sources, that only 25% of elk hunters who have licenses succeed in shooting an elk. Why is the success rate so low?

I have also heard that the people who DO take elk, have a much higher success rate, year-to-year, than the average hunter. Said another way, there is a first group of hunters that have a significantly higher than 25% success rate -- maybe 85% success rate -- and there is a second group of hunters that have a lower success rate than 25 -- maybe 15%. What is the difference between these two groups of hunters? Is it valid to put them into two separate groups or is it simply a continuum of experience?

Someone I know says that many people after the first day will hunt pretty close to the road. Maybe they are out of shape and just plain wore themselves out climbing the hills on opening day. Maybe they just aren't that passionate about hunting and are out for the general experience -- being in the mountains, being in camp with others away from the cares of their ordinary lives.

What are your thoughts? Why the low success rate? Why do some hunters regularly fare better than other hunters? Is it experience? Is it work ethic/physical conditioning? Is it level of passion? Is it a different reason for being out in the elk fields?

Another possible reason for the low success rate is maybe a lot of hunters are only looking for a bull, and bulls may be more difficult to come by than cows. Along the same lines, maybe hunters are looking for bulls with large racks and are passing on lesser opportunities.