I think you will be surprised how much it has changed in 8 years. Every year it gets more crowded, especially in September. In fact, September there seems to be more people out than I used to encounter during October. I do not know what the cause is. Wolves have been around since I started hunting the Panhandle, but we always had lots of encounters with bulls. We had some bad winters. Maybe its a combo of all three. All I know is I am seeing less and less elk in historically good spots. I know they are still around, but finding them seems to be harder than it was, and I know the area much better than I did 10 years ago when I started hunting it.
The last couple years I have said I am washing my hands of the place and moving on to greener pastures, but I end up coming back. Last year might have put the nail in the coffin though. I have busted enough brush for my liking. Who am I kidding, I just cant quit this place! PM me if you want to chat about more specific areas of the Panhandle.