it all starts with the type of year, and where the elk might be on there migration..you need to learn where the elk like to be in july,august (pre-rut), september (rut time, and pre-migrating time), october , november, etc..... take for instance this year it has been a really wet june and july, and a bone dry august and september, lot's of feed up high, lots of bugs, take for instance, you talked about the basin..the fish and gut's flew last month for there mt. goat count, and mention the bollies (mt. tops) were covered with elk..this year on the open hunt, very few success, even the ute tribe, why because they have not came out yet, really warm fall, no snow, lot's of feed, why leave the high country..you will always have elk the live pretty much same area year round, but the majority have a migration route.....hopefully this helps