My buddy had one of the sheep tags in there last year. He encountered a bunch of elk but they were 6-8 miles in from the trailhead. May consider pack animals to hunt effectively.
Got a call from Utah DWR earlier this week. I was next alternate for the Manti early Any Weapon Bull Elk hunt. I was floored to say the least! Still can't believe it but I got my tag in the mail yesterday so it is for real.
My buddy and I drew WY Gen Elk tags earlier this year and he was very...
Congrats! Very Jealous...I doubt I'll ever catch that tag!
I heard from several that the rut activity is absolutely phenomenal. If I had that tag I wouldn't worry too much about the ML guys. There simply are not very many tags for that size unit.
Good Luck
I hunted Northern NM last year 1-15. I called a small bull in with a single locate our first evening on the 6th.
I don't think you'll have much problem locating bulls.