LAST EDITED ON Mar-14-11 AT 10:27PM (MST)[p]Listen Again Dudes,
I lived in GJ for many years since 1997 and worked both units hard and talked to a lot of hunters, taxidermists, and network buddies. This ain't about CO vs UT or any ego thing. It's about the facts.......and genetics for big antlers.
21 has it's own genetic pool that is a great one for anywhere in the west that it shares with no other unit. And by 21.....I mean 21 west of the highway, which is the quality side of the unit. The deer live, winter and rut all within that area. Soooooooo, the big bucks that dominate the rut have spawned more big bucks without interference from the neighboring units that contain inferior genetics. When an area is managed to produce some mature bucks, it takes another deer generation for it to grow bigger bucks......and it continues to get better with time until it peaks........all given the same management strategy. DOES LIKE TO BREED WITH BIG BUCKS! It mother nature's way. Eastern CO is an example of this. It took 15 years to build Eastern CO to what it is today. The gene pool in 21 has been built up, is VERY isolated from other units, and is not shared. The mature 5+ year old bucks have racks that are far superior to the UT Books or even CO unit 10 or any other unit within miles of 21. The demand and prices for landowner tags, the points required to draw, and the recommendations from the info providers support this. Recent winterkill has hurt the older buck harvest.............but the genetics are still there and can't be beat by many units in the west.
21 can and does produce 170-200"+ racks on 5-7 year old bucks. Not cuz the late hunt......but cuz the genetic pool is there. Here are some photos. I held 2 racks in 2009 that went over 190" typical.......one went 197" and netted B & C. Did you see the photo of the 2 bucks in the HF whacked in the second season 2009 that both went 185-195"? I've seen many mounted heads in GJ that were monsters from 21. It is a unique isolated pocket of great genetics.
Colorado 21 October, 202" typical, 36" outside, public land
Colorado 21 November 2002, 200+" typical frame, public land
Colorado 21 November 2002, public land
The UT Books is nothing short of disappointing in the genetics department. Many, many bucks 4-5 years old with most in the 150-170" bracket. I've spent countless days there on summer and winter range, and few over 170". I read where the average age determined from UDWR tooth data was something like 4.1 in 2009. In a super (or CO 21 equivalent) unit......that would mean many 5-6 year old bucks killed which are mature bucks at their peak. But where are the 180-200" bucks from the UT Books then? They aren't there. The gene pool is weak (and VERY weak for the overall state of UT) in the UT Books. It just ain't a trophy unit. I've looked at hundreds and hundreds of bucks there in the last decade......and most are 160 or less. I have seen a few bigguns.......to 200" mid-30"s typical. But believe me when I say those are few and far between.
Here is my 2004 UT Books buck @ 10.5 years old from public land.
I LOVE the UT Books and have taken some great bulls there, too. Also a huge B & C UT pronghorn. The UT Books have been good to me. I've had many great days in there mostly by my lonesome surrounded by many bucks and bulls. But given the choice if I was after a 180-200" muley............I would take CO 21 every time including the early seasons. For a 150-170" buck.....the two units are equal.