You have to hunt where the elk are at. I find that the herds like to make a big loop every ten days +/- a few days. Whatever that lead cow likes and was raised to follow. You can usually find how they make that loop, then it is about finding where they are in that cycle (hence the checking the roads first). There may or may not be a bull (big bull) with them, especially by the time modern and the late seasons come around--one of the problems with checking the herds first.
true on both parts--you have to hunt where they are at and they do make a big loop. Last Monday/Tuesday there was a 4x4 bull with 11 cows 100 yards from the house mid morning and they have since dissappeard...will usually show back up in a day or so. Driving home from work tointe i saw 2 elk about 75 yards off a main asphanlt road (hwy 162/meridian in graham) at 4:45 on the edge of some timber and was one was a masher bull--beautiful bull with him standing there with the sun gleaming off his rack