I have also seen elk in the same areas as cattle, within a hundred yards of each other. I don't allow cattle to deter me from hunting an area or thinking elk are possibly there.
Lots of good advice here. I would recommend getting out there and learning the terrain as much as possible. If it's got some hills or rolling terrain, it'll be much easier to put a stalk on. Hunting them in the flatlands can be very difficult, so hopefully that's not the case for you. If so...
Lots of beautiful bulls on this thread! My biggest bull was 2016, but nothing to write home about. Hoping I'll have the chance to top that sometime soon.
As others have said, the cows should be in similar spots during archery unless they get pushed. So, if you found them in that spot last year, could they have been pushed there earlier in the season? Or were you hunting the first part of the season?
In some areas I've hunted, the elk can...
Another vote for getting a small trailer. You can find them used for fairly cheap, and you'd be surprised how much they come in handy for yard work and stuff as well.
As a 300 RUM owner, I'd say you made the right choice on passing. Nothing you'd really gain over the 300 Win and, as others have mentioned, ammo is significantly more expensive. If I could do it over again, I'd get a 300 Win, but my RUM is too accurate to move on from.
We've always just brought a plastic washtub. Heat water, dump it in there along with some soap, wipe yourself down with a washcloth, and dry off with a towel. Pretty simple but works well.