The further you can get away from bizeman, usually the better the hunting is. There is so many hunters here and a lot of them don't mind putting on the miles on their feet. I tend to drive to the eastern part of the state to deer hunt. A lot less people if you hike in a couple of miles. For elk though the Gallatin and Madison national forest can't be beat. Still it's not a drive till you spot something hunting. You are going to have to really hike to less crowded areas to find the bulls. I find it's best to cross rivers and then climb up drainage to get away from people. Most won't wade across to go hunting. Try to do some summer scouting to find areas with animals. Half the challenge is just finding an area that will hold them. Last have back up options. I have hunted areas for years only to find them crowded the next.