Sounds like a great experience. I sat two hundred yards from my bull and his harem last year for two hours. Watching the elk games and listening to the sounds while close is awesome.
I've never been that close to a real drag out fight though.
I'm leaving for Idaho in exactly four weeks and I can't wait! I also got to listen to a pack of wolves howl away as they ate a gut pile. It was good to hear their sounds but they drove every single elk out of three drainages for two days.