Help with Elk 1st rifle season

[FlaFlatlander]

New to the forum and was hoping someone could provide a little advise on where to get started for a backpack hunt for elk. I have drawn the tag listed below and it is a huge area and don't even know where to get started. People, 4wheelers, private land, its all a handful to get started when you can't spend any time on the ground. Any advice would be appreciated.

They hunt I drew
EM011O1R

GMU's
11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211, 231

Huge area!

 

[Work2hunt]

Good luck man. You, me, and several others from here drew the same tag. Along with 5000 of our soon to be closest friends.

 

[FlaFlatlander]

I knew this area is a high pressure area but am hoping to get a good hunt in. Kind of wondering if one of the off beat units other than 23 and 24 would have a few less people and maybe a better chance of a good hunt. But,,,I am sure it will be a great experience just being out there.

 

[Granby guy]

I have hunted this area for years. All of those units will have plenty of hunters first season.
Some of the units have lots of private land to contend with while others are better in the late seasons. There are plenty of good high country places within these units where you should have success finding elk.

 

[FlaFlatlander]

Thanks for the replies. I have a friend of mine that is supposed to be out there for the last two weeks of archery season so hopefully that will fill in a little current local knowledge. As of now I am trying to pick trailheads that look promising but you know how that works out when you actually get on the ground. I hope to have a couple plans and be able to adapt on the fly.