5bs was extremely dry last year on my dads hunt as well. But there were still a few great tanks that surprised me with how much water was in them. Taking the week off leading up to opening day, as always, was invaluable. 5bs has some harsh roads, but we were willing to take them to get away from the crowds, large tumblers of coffee and leaving a couple hours before you hear all the generators kick on. Our experience with the rut last year in 5bs was incredible, and surprising. For us, using calls was not productive at all. And I believe that was because the herds we were running into were so large. The smallest herd (with a decent bull) we saw was maybe 50 elk, and the largest being a couple hundred. It was a learning experience for us, in the sense that glassing was next to nothing other than from one mountain, and that the herds were so large. Good luck on your hunt!