Have you and Cohunter1989 had any luck with the scouting? That is a really cool area - especially making a drive around the Bachelor loop or the Wheeler Geological Area. Best of luck
Last year, I was in a pretty similar situation with a lot of the same questions. I found the CPW online website "Bear Hunting Tips" pretty helpful.
https://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/BearHtgTips.aspx
I definitely think Oakbrush thickets are a good place to start (especially if you can...