Lots of uneducated BS and scare tactics in that article. There's plenty of over the counter opportunities for elk in Utah where a person can hunt every year and have a decent chance at a branch antlered bull. Also plenty of good cow hunts that go under-subscribed every year in units where you can also buy a bull tag OTC. Nothing better than stomping around the hills with both a bull and a cow tag in your pocket. And while Utah's deer hunts are draw only, there's opportunity to hunt every year if you choose. Might not be your first pick of a unit, but you could hunt every year, especially with a bow or muzzleloader. They also have a Dedicated Hunter Program that guarantees deer tags in three year increments as long as you abide by the guidelines, pay the fees, and do the required work hours (you can harvest two bucks in three years).
Even if we grant that all of what you say above is true it is still deeply problematic from my point of view.
Auction tags force agencies to manage for the good of the auction winners. Money equals influence, and when an agency relies upon such means of funding they are beholden to those who are winning the tags. That's just the way of the world.
When sportsmen are the ones funding wildlife management it is managed for the interests of all. When you move away from that things get sketchy. It's really UnAmerican as has been pointed out. It's a step back toward the European model we rejected when we became our own country.
