I doubt that the 24 year old guide bought them for that kind of money. He probably was bidding for some high roller somewhere that will come out sooner or later when the actual hunts are held. That is done in those auctions a lot of times.
I was at the show and attended the auction on Friday afternoon (not the day the AI tag sold) and most of the limited entry elk and deer tags went for $20k plus......lots of people with deep pockets love this sport. I couldn't believe the WA East Side Mule deer tag went for almost $30k.........just crazy prices.
Also, the Mossback booth had a few recent AI bucks on display, most in the 240" class. A few had the sheds of the same deer that went back 2 to 3 years prior to the kill, allowing you to see the progress. Pretty cool.