Frank,
If you are going to launch a boat, you might be best off going into Hell Creek. They have a nice boat launch there, you can probably set up base camp, and there's lots of public areas to hunt there. From the boat, you could do a lot of spotting up into the coulees, then go after one if you see some.
Don't expect to see huge herds like in western MT - the elk are more dispersed here. However, there are some really nice bulls in the area.
I stay/hunt to the west of Hell Creek, north of Jordan. I have a little hunting cabin up near the CMR. I was there last weekend, and the saw a few bulls, but they weren't bugling yet. In fact, they were still bachelored up and hadn't collected cows yet. I think it's been too hot. However, the forecast is for rain and cooler temps next week, which could help things along. Should be good timing for your trip.
Best of luck to you. Let me know if I can help you out with any more info.
