2012 Colorado Archery Elk

Fellow IDO’ers,
I am planning an early fall archery elk hunt in the ruthless state of Colorado. I have been there twice, and came home with meat (BIG Cow) once. Two years ago we scored, and last year I felt like I was on a Moose/Mule deer hunt in the same area. Saw dozens of groups of Mule deer, with 4 of them being “high class”, and two moose that would have been book for sure. We had a very hard time even seeing any elk, and managed no shots. Both hunts were a “success” in my book, as I mostly enjoy the planning and the friendships with a couple of close friends and my Father. We have ruled out this area (Unit 16 near Steamboat, but more north.
I am wondering if anyone has completed any DIY elk hunts in the archery season, what kind of work you put in, near which areas, etc. I am not asking for honey holes or your exact spots..just wondering what everyone else had experienced. I realize CO is not considered a trophy state, and there are a LOT of hunters, but I also find ways to get away via maps, GPS, and foot. I have been to Wyoming/Montana, and would eventually like to end up in Arizona/New Mexico for a trophy hunt, but for now CO is the destination.
We do not use horses or 4 wheelers, and quite frankly, we will go to places that are not “accessible” without horses as they would say.
Please post experiences, stories, or any tips you may have.

So, does anyone hunt elk with a bow? Maybe I should have posted in the Big Game Forum, but I tried archery anyway.

The first question that comes to my mind is have the fires in CO affected your trip or its destination??

Yes, and no. I try to hunt a variety of states out west, and in all honesty, I do not put in for any preference points. There are PLENTY of elk, and big elk, on our public lands. I will not wait 15 years to hunt a “prime” location, nor will I pay thousands of dollars for someone to guide me to an elk. I personally enjoy doing it myself, along with a friend or two.
Sorry for the rant, but the areas I prefer are between sections of fire so we will see what impact it has had on them. This year was as bad as it gets not only with the size of the fires, but also the high numbers of fires throughout the west. I will be hunting an area that was completely unaffected by the fires.