Actually, the rifle hunt is where it is because most of the hunters in Utah were/are rifle hunters, so the state wanted to give the rut experience to the weapon that most people used. That is still the case today, even if people are now crying foul because archery hunters don't only want to go first, but they want the rut too. Notice how none of them propose extending the archery one week. All proposals are to take the entire month of September! So they need the pre-rut, peak-rut, and post-rut, all going first before anyone else gets a crack at the elk. It's kind a joke when you peel the layers back on the onion and see what is really happening.
On top of it, the reason why SFW supports this notion, according to their own president in an open Wildlife Board meeting, is too many "average Joes" are killing the trophy bulls and not leaving enough for the King's men. Think I'm making this up? Go find the statements made about the Dutton late hunt and then about why we don't have enough 400 inch bulls anymore. I'm not here for the king's men. I'm here for me and you. (Assuming you are not part of that king's men crew...)
I'm fine being the only state that does something a certain way. Utah is the only state that does a lot of things, and that's what makes it an incredible place to live. The real problem is demand has far exceeded what we can produce under our current reality. Utah must be doing something right if demand is still this high, right? Maybe the elk situation isn't as broken as people are being led to believe.