I will be following this thread, as I was the only one in our group of five that didn’t draw an elk tag, but was able to secure a bear tag. From my understanding, the bears are gravitating to the oak around the time archery season rolls around.
I’ve seen plenty of sign while hunting elk, but never a bear sighting, I hunt elk in the dark timber and aspen but never hunted near any oak, there are some areas of scrub oak that I will be checking out this year.
Also check with other hunters in your area, if you can find someone that has had success, hunting over a carcass can be productive.