I'm no expert, but I've been maybe 5 or 6 times and killed a 6x5, 5x5, and a cow, all with a bow, all DIY and all on over the counter hunts on public land in Colorado.

All good advice so far. I kept vacuum sealed socks in my pack. Blisters can ruin your hunt!!! Have a system for purifying water. Drink lots of water while you are hunting. Have everything you need to survive in your daypack. Do an on-line search for elk hunting lists to make sure you are not forgetting anything. A good GPS is invaluable and the GPS doesn't lie. It is easy to get off course out there.

Elk leave a LOT of sign. If you are not in a lot of very fresh sign, keep moving until you find it. Still hunting through dark timber (especially on northern slopes) has been productive for me.

You don't have to be as quiet. If you hear one bugling, get to him quick. As already stated, if they smell you, it's game over. Keep your ears open. Elk are not always quiet. They will break limbs and the cows chirp a lot, but you have to be tuned in. On more than one occasion, I've heard cows chirping without it registering what it was at first.

If you smell a barnyard smell, elk are close or have been there recently. Find fresh wallows.

Don't overcall. In some areas, everybody and their brother has been calling to them.

Get the meat cooled down as soon as possible. This cannot be stressed enough.

Get in the best shape you can. Wear the boots you will be wearing out there. Walk every steep hill you can find.

Pace yourself, especially at first. It takes a little while to get acclimated to the altitude. Slow and steady with short breaks worked better for me than going faster and resting longer.

Have fun and enjoy every second of it. The planning and preparation is half the fun.