First off, welcome to the site. Second, you have no idea how many times folks with zero Western hunting experience come on Rokslide and ask the same questions as yours. It’s many variations on the same theme. To be honest I expected guys to be more brutal, because too many people come on here just wanting to be spoon fed answers.
You sound like a decent enough guy and guys are giving you the benefit of the doubt. That being said, there is no “easy button” for getting the answers. You either invest the time to research on each state’s game and fish pages the draw odds, harvest rates, etc…, or you pay a broker or hunt app to do the work for you.
I can tell you from experience that cow elk hunts are not slam dunks like a Midwest doe hunt over an ag field. You must prepare the same and budget enough time as you would for a bull hunt unless you have the money to go guided on private. 3 days is not enough time going into a unit for the first time, and you shouldn’t expect to draw in any state with zero points. There are OTC tags available in CO and MT, and you need to roll up your sleeves, do some more research, and come back with specific questions once you have your search narrowed some. As a new guy you are banned from asking or mentioning specific units, so you’ll need to have some grace and ask for help via PM.
I know this can be overwhelming and everybody has to start somewhere. Put in the time and you may be rewarded. Avoid getting butt hurt over a few comments and quitting. Good luck!