This will be my first year elk hunting. I started researching a couple month ago. I went to toprut and found OTC units with 50% or more public land and 20% success rate. Then I narrowed it down to units that where in wilderness areas. I’m from Iowa and I wanted to experience an elk hunt in the mountains. Didn’t matter where 15 hour drive or 18 hour drive isn’t much different. Then narrowed it down a little bit more to population of hunter’s under 750. Looked at access points, I wanted the options to road hunt and the options to hunt 10 miles from a road (not sure how the altitude will affect me). Then I looked at mountain peaks and landmarks to pick the prettiest unit outta my top 5. At least if I’m not killing elk I get a kick ass fall camping trip in the mountains. Like I said before this is my first elk hunt I have never been in the mountains other than driving through Colorado once and I’ve never seen an elk other than tv or the zoo. Haha. Hope I picked the right area if not I think I got a few year left in me going out west.