Very similar experience in a nearby unit. Saw 30 elk on Tuesday, not a single bull. Is this normal? Last year was my first time hunting over there and I shot one 3 days into the season- also had been seeing a lot of animals.
Also curious how most people hunt these units successfully? Road hunt and glass clear cuts, walk in and hunt clear cuts, hunt the timber (how the heck do you know which timber to hunt!!?), hunt creek bottoms between ridges. Does anyone find lone bulls that recovering from the rutt? Ran into a LOT of hunters this year.
I do feel like the nice weather and full moon did us no favors the last few days.