I think the "spike only" management plan stems from three things; too many hunters, not enough elk, and WDFW wants to keep selling elk tags OTC to everyone who will buy one (because WA hunters kind of demand it).
I don't think there is anything nefarious about it. Like you said; there are more elk hunters than there are elk. I don't think that is going to change. The only way to sell that many tags, but limit the bull harvest so that it doesn't dip into the carrying capacity is to say "You can have a tag, but you can only shoot a spike". Spike elk are generally easy to identify (even for novice hunters), so it's not a hard policy to enforce (for the most part).
The only other option would be to change all elk hunting to a draw system. That would probably manage the elk herds better, but would ruin all those Elk Camp traditions that people have been partaking in for 100 years in WA.
As for gobs of big bulls dying of old age... probably not. Like was said earlier; I think the tribes take care of that "problem" for the most part.
