Took a cow elk at the headwaters of a creek, just below the rim of the mesa in 2014. 3rd season. As Antlerville stated, hot temps had elk up high. Most hunters were lower, on BLM land, which is where the elk would have been during a "normal" autumn. Actually, during the 1st rifle season in 2014, we had snow and the elk were down lower.
Watch the weather, and good luck with your hunt.