IdahoCTD nailed it. Most people (90% as the sayings go) are unwilling to put forth the effort required to consistently kill elk. When you walk an honest 5 miles in to lay eyes on a herd of elk and ask yourself . . . "can I get a bull out of here" . . . you aren't ready. Killing an OTC bull in Idaho requires a dedicated commitment to conditioning and time. I'm a very minimalist compared to a lot of the 10%-ers that consistently kill bulls every year. My hunting buddy is an honest 10%-er, he does two Iron-men competitions each summer in preparation for Elk season. I suffer each time I hunt with him . . . and each time I hunt with him we end up with elk blood on our knives.
Look at the McCall units. Everyone else in Boise hunts in them . . . but that's because there are a lot of elk up there. Caution: they are very well-educated elk . . . but they are there. Find a place that requires at least a 3 mile, non-road, non-motorized hik . . . there's a good chance that there will be elk there.
