Hmmm, no strategies regarding this key element of elk hunting (aside from dumb luck):
It seems that there are very, very few actual elk hunters on this forum....

Lots of people thru the year with questions/arguments about guns, cartridges, and bullets for elk....
Lots of discussion thru the year where to shoot an elk (so called shot placement)....
Lots of questions thru the year about where to go for elk....
Lots of "planning questions" thru the course of the year seems to go on for hunting elk....
Lots of "talk" thru the year but not much "walk" (in the Fall) when it comes to elk....

For those here who actually hunt elk and share --- thanks for your input to date!
Moose (B-I-G) and antelope (F-A-R and fast) and caribou (exotic) stories are much appreciated too, though pretty darn scarce.

I guess deer huntin' (notice I didn't say B-P-ing) must be the "universal pacifier" for folks needing to satisfy their urge to pursue something called "big game".

EKM