You've got a point, they are crazy expensive. If I had to guess i would say that materials like titanium and inconel are costly, and tougher to work with? When you think about it, a suppressor has about as much metal as an aftermarket action (which is made of cheaper metal), and those easily go...
Numbers 2 and 3 are really important for people that aren't used to hunting elk. They're really different than deer in that there won't be some hiding on every piece of land. They are either there or not
It's awesome how many people have shared their experiences! Make sure to revisit this forum and tell us what you learned because there's tons of 1st time elk hunters here