Lots of good advice here, as mentioned I’ve seen them above the tree lines in goat country and in the lowest river bottoms. Pressured elk get pushed to deep dark places. Keep a couple things in mind the moon plays a role in the rut if its full they rut longer into the evenings which slows them down for daylight hunting as they are tuckered out. Also, just because you don’t hear them doesn’t mean there not there. Bull elk can mate from the time there horns get hard and drop the velvet biologically speaking but, it’s a cow in heat ready to mate that gets them really going which is usually middle of September give or take. A cow elk goes into estrus only for so long so the bulls are all waiting around or searching for each cow to be fertilized. Find fresh sign or keep moving!
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