Area 7 is far, far over objective for overall elk numbers. It is also a huge area, one of the larger ones in the state, and therefore, as the logic goes, can handle alot of hunters supposedly spread out over a large area. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), the large amount of intermingled private land does much more to influence population levels than the overall hunting pressure. So basically, the Game and Fish uses the only tool available to them, and issues more and more tags to try and trim the population.
Rumor has it that area 7 might become a general hunt area if the population doesn't get more in line w/ the objectives. Of course, it probably won't make much of a difference, for many of the reasons stated previously.