I’m submitting this on behalf of my son/brother-in-law Mckuhla Beal. He sent me these photos after he harvested this bull and is fully aware of me submitting them. Some incredible mornings on the mountain. He was lucky enough to harvest this spike on a cold wet morning, but unlucky enough to pack it out in the mud. It was a big job for both of us. Harvesting that elk was only a small part of the memories we made. The beauty of the mountains was absolutely stunning.
I’m submitting this on behalf of my son/brother-in-law Mckuhla Beal. He sent me these photos after he harvested this bull and is fully aware of me submitting them. Some incredible mornings on the mountain. He was lucky enough to harvest this spike on a cold wet morning, but unlucky enough to pack it out in the mud. It was a big job for both of us. Harvesting that elk was only a small part of the memories we made. The beauty of the mountains was absolutely stunning.
I’m submitting this on behalf of my son/brother-in-law Mckuhla Beal. He sent me these photos after he harvested this bull and is fully aware of me submitting them. Some incredible mornings on the mountain. He was lucky enough to harvest this spike on a cold wet morning, but unlucky enough to pack it out in the mud. It was a big job for both of us. Harvesting that elk was only a small part of the memories we made. The beauty of the mountains was absolutely stunning.
I’m submitting this on behalf of my son/brother-in-law Mckuhla Beal. He sent me these photos after he harvested this bull and is fully aware of me submitting them. Some incredible mornings on the mountain. He was lucky enough to harvest this spike on a cold wet morning, but unlucky enough to pack it out in the mud. It was a big job for both of us. Harvesting that elk was only a small part of the memories we made. The beauty of the mountains was absolutely stunning.
I’m submitting this on behalf of my son/brother-in-law Mckuhla Beal. He sent me these photos after he harvested this bull and is fully aware of me submitting them. Some incredible mornings on the mountain. He was lucky enough to harvest this spike on a cold wet morning, but unlucky enough to pack it out in the mud. It was a big job for both of us. Harvesting that elk was only a small part of the memories we made. The beauty of the mountains was absolutely stunning.
Young spike found above Tibble Fork.
Adam, Here is the bull we watched together after meeting on the second day of the hunt. After 27 years I had the chance to hunt this awesome old bull and was able to harvest him the day after we met. The highlight of the hunt was having both my boys with me to experience it all. We spent the day watching this bull bed, change beds, rut some cows, and chase off a smaller bull until he finally presented me with an opportunity. We didn’t see a lot of elk on this hunt, but thought this could be the one when we first saw him while scouting earlier in the year. I was more focused on the experience than the score of this bull, but was in awe of the sheer mass and size of this bull when we got to lay eyes on him up close. He ended up measuring 377 3/8 unofficially and I couldn’t be more happy. This was an experience me and my boys have dreamed about for years. So blessed to finally have it happen.
Adam, Here is the bull we watched together after meeting on the second day of the hunt. After 27 years I had the chance to hunt this awesome old bull and was able to harvest him the day after we met. The highlight of the hunt was having both my boys with me to experience it all. We spent the day watching this bull bed, change beds, rut some cows, and chase off a smaller bull until he finally presented me with an opportunity. We didn’t see a lot of elk on this hunt, but thought this could be the one when we first saw him while scouting earlier in the year. I was more focused on the experience than the score of this bull, but was in awe of the sheer mass and size of this bull when we got to lay eyes on him up close. He ended up measuring 377 3/8 unofficially and I couldn’t be more happy. This was an experience me and my boys have dreamed about for years. So blessed to finally have it happen.
The best part about the Muzzle load hunt this year was harvesting this young buck with my 3 year old granddaughter by my side. All I can hope is we can share the love of the outdoors with generations to come. Another grandmother granddaughter shared moment!
I took these two wonderful animals in five days of hunting in September 2025. It was an experience of a lifetime and one I will never forget. The first was a beautiful mountain goat taken in the high country of Colorado on September 20th and the second was my long-awaited bison taken in the roadless area of the Uah Book Cliffs on September 23rd. I am 62 years old, and it took me 27 years to draw my once-in-a-lifetime bison tag. These hunts were physically challenging and I spent a lot of time preparing myself at the gym in advance. The country was amazingly beautiful and want to thank those who worked with me to help make this possible. Especially my very patient wife, Juli. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have the honor to take both these great game animals in the same week. And I’m grateful that I am still healthy enough to do what I love. I have included the full story I wrote below. Five Days of Magic Todd Orullian It took me 27 years to draw my Utah Once-in-a-Lifetime Bison tag! At times it seemed like it would never happen as I wasn’t getting any younger. For the last few years, the odds seemed definitely in my favor so I would plan my hunting calendar around those dates in anticipation of a successful draw, only to be disappointed again. Finally, it happened! It happened in 2025 when I unexpectedly drew a Colorado mountain goat tag (with only 3% odds of drawing) with dates that directly overlapped with my Bison tag dates. A good problem to have, I guess. It took some juggling, but I was able to pull off both hunts successfully! Since I knew that being in “goat’ shape was about the same as being in “sheep” shape, I spent months before this hunt working an aggressive routine at the gym. When my goat hunt began, I quickly realized that I had not overdone my physical preparations. Of course, going from a 4,200-foot elevation in Utah to a 11,000+ foot elevation in my Colorado goat unit was a challenge by itself. A good goat had been scouted out a couple days prior to my hunt, so my hunt began by hiking into the area where he was seen. We did not locate that goat but spent the day glassing another billy that ended up giving us the slip. On day two and another long hike into a remote area, we found two large groups of goats comprised of nannies, kids and less mature billies. But that evening as we hiked out of the area, I was able to locate a mature billy across the canyon that caught our interest. It had become clear that no matter what we did, harvesting a good goat was going to be a lot of hard work. It seemed that every mature billy identified in this area at this time of year was by itself and hanging out in the most nasty and rugged country it could find. That night we made a plan to hike into some very challenging country after that goat. We started very early the next day climbing in the dark and hiking up several thousand feet in elevation. We expected that our billy would still be in the same general area where we had seen him the previous day. As the morning progressed, we learned from our spotter that the goat had moved from below the ridge to the top and had bedded down. We now had to hike up some very steep inclines to get to the top and stay hidden while we found a way to get in proximity of the billy. The going was very slow because we knew that one slip-up could end our stalk. Finally, we found our way to a spot where we could approach the goat from the other side of the ridge and be slightly above him. He had bedded on a precipice that was surrounded on three sides by cliffs. He was laying within just a few feet of a very long drop off on those three sides so if I did not immediately drop him in his current position it would become a very challenging situation to retrieve him from at least a thousand feet straight below us. On top of the ridge, the final few feet were very tricky as I was only 60 yards from the goat. While staying hidden the best I could, I slowly got into position for a shot. At this point, the wind was swirling around me and it became apparent that the billy became aware of our presence as he stood up from his bed. I knew I had to act quickly or the goat would be gone. My shot hit solidly in his front right shoulder and I was relieved to see him drop immediately back into his bed with no further movement. We made our way quickly down to the goat to ensure that he would not drop off the cliff side. My billy had beautifully curved horns that measured at 8.5 inches with nice bases. His coat was long and impressive requiring me to do nothing but a full body mount. It took the rest of the day to field dress the goat and for the three of us to carry him off the mountain in our packs. We didn’t reach our truck until long after dark. I was grateful for those long sessions at the gym. I took my billy on the third day of my hunt and I have to say I was relieved that I could preserve the remainder of my energy for my upcoming bison hunt. Those three intense days of hiking the beautiful high country of Colorado had taken their toll on my 62-year-old body. I don’t ever recall a physically harder but more rewarding hunt than this one. My goat was truly a trophy that was earned. The next morning my focus shifted to Utah and my long-awaited bison hunt. I traveled across the Colorado/Utah border to meet my outfitter and travel by horseback into the roadless area of the Book Cliffs. Our group was comprised of the outfitter and his team and two hunters along with about a dozen horses and mules. I was greatly impressed with the beauty of the Book Cliffs roadless area. I had mountain lion hunted in the Book Cliffs several times before but the roadless area was something special. While preparing to leave, we learned from others at the trailhead that the bison numbers in the area were scarce due to the previous archery bison and elk hunts in the unit. We did spot a few bison while traveling to our camp but we came to realize that the quantity of bison was low compared to the numbers of hunters who would be in the field the next day. The next morning the other hunter in our party returned to locate the bison we had seen the previous day while I traveled deeper into the Book Cliffs with the outfitter in search of new bison. This is when things got interesting. We were traveling on horseback through the canyons and across winding rivers when we identified some fresh bison tracks in the mud. We spent a couple hours tracking these bison into a side canyon on foot and then lost them as they moved into some thick timber at the head of the canyon. We spent several hours in that canyon glassing for the slightest sign or movement of these bison. Finally, our persistence (and some luck) paid off. We saw a bison in the thick pines and then three bison moved into a small clearing. We were about 400 yards from these bison and trying to get into a better position to view them and potentially get a shot. My guide was concerned with us taking a bison in this canyon due to the thick timber and rugged conditions that would make it difficult to get horses in there. Two of the bison were nice mature bulls and it was very tempting to take the shot and hope for the best conditions possible for retrieval, but we decided on the first day of the hunt to pass up these bulls and hope for a better opportunity. Needless to say, we were both questioning ourselves as we hiked down the canyon. Had we made the right decision? The other hunter in our camp found the bison we spotted the first day and filled his tag and was headed for home. On the second morning, we headed back into the same area we hunted the first day in hopes of finding those buffalo again. This time we moved deeper into the Book Cliffs. Given the scarcity of buffalo, I was hoping we weren’t going to regret our decision the day before. As our trail of horses turned a bend, my guide quickly turned his horse around and moved our group back into a side canyon where we tied up our horses. He had spotted a bison and he and I quickly made our way back down the trail to a point where we could get a look. The bison was alone and was a good bull at a distance of about 160 yards. I set up on my bipod and waited for the right shot. It took three shots all of which hit the mark to bring that bison down. The only other time I had that experience was when I took my Alaska Yukon moose back in 2023. Just like my moose, my bison was shot on the other side of a river which took me a minute to get across. When I finally got up close, I was greatly impressed with the size of that buffalo. Mature bulls can reach a weight of over 2,000 pounds. His horns were long with heavy bases and measured roughly 14 inches at the bases and 14 inches in length. I couldn’t believe I had taken my second trophy in 5 days of hunting! It took all the remainder of the day for four guys to field dress that bison and load him on the mules to return to camp. It was long after dark when we returned. I was very excited to be having a freezer full of the some of the best game meat there is. In my wildest dreams I wasn’t expecting that I would be honored to take two great game animals in five days. Both of these hunting experiences were very unique and one’s I will never forget.
I took these two wonderful animals in five days of hunting in September 2025. It was an experience of a lifetime and one I will never forget. The first was a beautiful mountain goat taken in the high country of Colorado on September 20th and the second was my long-awaited bison taken in the roadless area of the Uah Book Cliffs on September 23rd. I am 62 years old, and it took me 27 years to draw my once-in-a-lifetime bison tag. These hunts were physically challenging and I spent a lot of time preparing myself at the gym in advance. The country was amazingly beautiful and want to thank those who worked with me to help make this possible. Especially my very patient wife, Juli. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have the honor to take both these great game animals in the same week. And I’m grateful that I am still healthy enough to do what I love. I have included the full story I wrote below. Five Days of Magic Todd Orullian It took me 27 years to draw my Utah Once-in-a-Lifetime Bison tag! At times it seemed like it would never happen as I wasn’t getting any younger. For the last few years, the odds seemed definitely in my favor so I would plan my hunting calendar around those dates in anticipation of a successful draw, only to be disappointed again. Finally, it happened! It happened in 2025 when I unexpectedly drew a Colorado mountain goat tag (with only 3% odds of drawing) with dates that directly overlapped with my Bison tag dates. A good problem to have, I guess. It took some juggling, but I was able to pull off both hunts successfully! Since I knew that being in “goat’ shape was about the same as being in “sheep” shape, I spent months before this hunt working an aggressive routine at the gym. When my goat hunt began, I quickly realized that I had not overdone my physical preparations. Of course, going from a 4,200-foot elevation in Utah to a 11,000+ foot elevation in my Colorado goat unit was a challenge by itself. A good goat had been scouted out a couple days prior to my hunt, so my hunt began by hiking into the area where he was seen. We did not locate that goat but spent the day glassing another billy that ended up giving us the slip. On day two and another long hike into a remote area, we found two large groups of goats comprised of nannies, kids and less mature billies. But that evening as we hiked out of the area, I was able to locate a mature billy across the canyon that caught our interest. It had become clear that no matter what we did, harvesting a good goat was going to be a lot of hard work. It seemed that every mature billy identified in this area at this time of year was by itself and hanging out in the most nasty and rugged country it could find. That night we made a plan to hike into some very challenging country after that goat. We started very early the next day climbing in the dark and hiking up several thousand feet in elevation. We expected that our billy would still be in the same general area where we had seen him the previous day. As the morning progressed, we learned from our spotter that the goat had moved from below the ridge to the top and had bedded down. We now had to hike up some very steep inclines to get to the top and stay hidden while we found a way to get in proximity of the billy. The going was very slow because we knew that one slip-up could end our stalk. Finally, we found our way to a spot where we could approach the goat from the other side of the ridge and be slightly above him. He had bedded on a precipice that was surrounded on three sides by cliffs. He was laying within just a few feet of a very long drop off on those three sides so if I did not immediately drop him in his current position it would become a very challenging situation to retrieve him from at least a thousand feet straight below us. On top of the ridge, the final few feet were very tricky as I was only 60 yards from the goat. While staying hidden the best I could, I slowly got into position for a shot. At this point, the wind was swirling around me and it became apparent that the billy became aware of our presence as he stood up from his bed. I knew I had to act quickly or the goat would be gone. My shot hit solidly in his front right shoulder and I was relieved to see him drop immediately back into his bed with no further movement. We made our way quickly down to the goat to ensure that he would not drop off the cliff side. My billy had beautifully curved horns that measured at 8.5 inches with nice bases. His coat was long and impressive requiring me to do nothing but a full body mount. It took the rest of the day to field dress the goat and for the three of us to carry him off the mountain in our packs. We didn’t reach our truck until long after dark. I was grateful for those long sessions at the gym. I took my billy on the third day of my hunt and I have to say I was relieved that I could preserve the remainder of my energy for my upcoming bison hunt. Those three intense days of hiking the beautiful high country of Colorado had taken their toll on my 62-year-old body. I don’t ever recall a physically harder but more rewarding hunt than this one. My goat was truly a trophy that was earned. The next morning my focus shifted to Utah and my long-awaited bison hunt. I traveled across the Colorado/Utah border to meet my outfitter and travel by horseback into the roadless area of the Book Cliffs. Our group was comprised of the outfitter and his team and two hunters along with about a dozen horses and mules. I was greatly impressed with the beauty of the Book Cliffs roadless area. I had mountain lion hunted in the Book Cliffs several times before but the roadless area was something special. While preparing to leave, we learned from others at the trailhead that the bison numbers in the area were scarce due to the previous archery bison and elk hunts in the unit. We did spot a few bison while traveling to our camp but we came to realize that the quantity of bison was low compared to the numbers of hunters who would be in the field the next day. The next morning the other hunter in our party returned to locate the bison we had seen the previous day while I traveled deeper into the Book Cliffs with the outfitter in search of new bison. This is when things got interesting. We were traveling on horseback through the canyons and across winding rivers when we identified some fresh bison tracks in the mud. We spent a couple hours tracking these bison into a side canyon on foot and then lost them as they moved into some thick timber at the head of the canyon. We spent several hours in that canyon glassing for the slightest sign or movement of these bison. Finally, our persistence (and some luck) paid off. We saw a bison in the thick pines and then three bison moved into a small clearing. We were about 400 yards from these bison and trying to get into a better position to view them and potentially get a shot. My guide was concerned with us taking a bison in this canyon due to the thick timber and rugged conditions that would make it difficult to get horses in there. Two of the bison were nice mature bulls and it was very tempting to take the shot and hope for the best conditions possible for retrieval, but we decided on the first day of the hunt to pass up these bulls and hope for a better opportunity. Needless to say, we were both questioning ourselves as we hiked down the canyon. Had we made the right decision? The other hunter in our camp found the bison we spotted the first day and filled his tag and was headed for home. On the second morning, we headed back into the same area we hunted the first day in hopes of finding those buffalo again. This time we moved deeper into the Book Cliffs. Given the scarcity of buffalo, I was hoping we weren’t going to regret our decision the day before. As our trail of horses turned a bend, my guide quickly turned his horse around and moved our group back into a side canyon where we tied up our horses. He had spotted a bison and he and I quickly made our way back down the trail to a point where we could get a look. The bison was alone and was a good bull at a distance of about 160 yards. I set up on my bipod and waited for the right shot. It took three shots all of which hit the mark to bring that bison down. The only other time I had that experience was when I took my Alaska Yukon moose back in 2023. Just like my moose, my bison was shot on the other side of a river which took me a minute to get across. When I finally got up close, I was greatly impressed with the size of that buffalo. Mature bulls can reach a weight of over 2,000 pounds. His horns were long with heavy bases and measured roughly 14 inches at the bases and 14 inches in length. I couldn’t believe I had taken my second trophy in 5 days of hunting! It took all the remainder of the day for four guys to field dress that bison and load him on the mules to return to camp. It was long after dark when we returned. I was very excited to be having a freezer full of the some of the best game meat there is. In my wildest dreams I wasn’t expecting that I would be honored to take two great game animals in five days. Both of these hunting experiences were very unique and one’s I will never forget.
I took these two wonderful animals in five days of hunting in September 2025. It was an experience of a lifetime and one I will never forget. The first was a beautiful mountain goat taken in the high country of Colorado on September 20th and the second was my long-awaited bison taken in the roadless area of the Uah Book Cliffs on September 23rd. I am 62 years old, and it took me 27 years to draw my once-in-a-lifetime bison tag. These hunts were physically challenging and I spent a lot of time preparing myself at the gym in advance. The country was amazingly beautiful and want to thank those who worked with me to help make this possible. Especially my very patient wife, Juli. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have the honor to take both these great game animals in the same week. And I’m grateful that I am still healthy enough to do what I love. I have included the full story I wrote below. Five Days of Magic Todd Orullian It took me 27 years to draw my Utah Once-in-a-Lifetime Bison tag! At times it seemed like it would never happen as I wasn’t getting any younger. For the last few years, the odds seemed definitely in my favor so I would plan my hunting calendar around those dates in anticipation of a successful draw, only to be disappointed again. Finally, it happened! It happened in 2025 when I unexpectedly drew a Colorado mountain goat tag (with only 3% odds of drawing) with dates that directly overlapped with my Bison tag dates. A good problem to have, I guess. It took some juggling, but I was able to pull off both hunts successfully! Since I knew that being in “goat’ shape was about the same as being in “sheep” shape, I spent months before this hunt working an aggressive routine at the gym. When my goat hunt began, I quickly realized that I had not overdone my physical preparations. Of course, going from a 4,200-foot elevation in Utah to a 11,000+ foot elevation in my Colorado goat unit was a challenge by itself. A good goat had been scouted out a couple days prior to my hunt, so my hunt began by hiking into the area where he was seen. We did not locate that goat but spent the day glassing another billy that ended up giving us the slip. On day two and another long hike into a remote area, we found two large groups of goats comprised of nannies, kids and less mature billies. But that evening as we hiked out of the area, I was able to locate a mature billy across the canyon that caught our interest. It had become clear that no matter what we did, harvesting a good goat was going to be a lot of hard work. It seemed that every mature billy identified in this area at this time of year was by itself and hanging out in the most nasty and rugged country it could find. That night we made a plan to hike into some very challenging country after that goat. We started very early the next day climbing in the dark and hiking up several thousand feet in elevation. We expected that our billy would still be in the same general area where we had seen him the previous day. As the morning progressed, we learned from our spotter that the goat had moved from below the ridge to the top and had bedded down. We now had to hike up some very steep inclines to get to the top and stay hidden while we found a way to get in proximity of the billy. The going was very slow because we knew that one slip-up could end our stalk. Finally, we found our way to a spot where we could approach the goat from the other side of the ridge and be slightly above him. He had bedded on a precipice that was surrounded on three sides by cliffs. He was laying within just a few feet of a very long drop off on those three sides so if I did not immediately drop him in his current position it would become a very challenging situation to retrieve him from at least a thousand feet straight below us. On top of the ridge, the final few feet were very tricky as I was only 60 yards from the goat. While staying hidden the best I could, I slowly got into position for a shot. At this point, the wind was swirling around me and it became apparent that the billy became aware of our presence as he stood up from his bed. I knew I had to act quickly or the goat would be gone. My shot hit solidly in his front right shoulder and I was relieved to see him drop immediately back into his bed with no further movement. We made our way quickly down to the goat to ensure that he would not drop off the cliff side. My billy had beautifully curved horns that measured at 8.5 inches with nice bases. His coat was long and impressive requiring me to do nothing but a full body mount. It took the rest of the day to field dress the goat and for the three of us to carry him off the mountain in our packs. We didn’t reach our truck until long after dark. I was grateful for those long sessions at the gym. I took my billy on the third day of my hunt and I have to say I was relieved that I could preserve the remainder of my energy for my upcoming bison hunt. Those three intense days of hiking the beautiful high country of Colorado had taken their toll on my 62-year-old body. I don’t ever recall a physically harder but more rewarding hunt than this one. My goat was truly a trophy that was earned. The next morning my focus shifted to Utah and my long-awaited bison hunt. I traveled across the Colorado/Utah border to meet my outfitter and travel by horseback into the roadless area of the Book Cliffs. Our group was comprised of the outfitter and his team and two hunters along with about a dozen horses and mules. I was greatly impressed with the beauty of the Book Cliffs roadless area. I had mountain lion hunted in the Book Cliffs several times before but the roadless area was something special. While preparing to leave, we learned from others at the trailhead that the bison numbers in the area were scarce due to the previous archery bison and elk hunts in the unit. We did spot a few bison while traveling to our camp but we came to realize that the quantity of bison was low compared to the numbers of hunters who would be in the field the next day. The next morning the other hunter in our party returned to locate the bison we had seen the previous day while I traveled deeper into the Book Cliffs with the outfitter in search of new bison. This is when things got interesting. We were traveling on horseback through the canyons and across winding rivers when we identified some fresh bison tracks in the mud. We spent a couple hours tracking these bison into a side canyon on foot and then lost them as they moved into some thick timber at the head of the canyon. We spent several hours in that canyon glassing for the slightest sign or movement of these bison. Finally, our persistence (and some luck) paid off. We saw a bison in the thick pines and then three bison moved into a small clearing. We were about 400 yards from these bison and trying to get into a better position to view them and potentially get a shot. My guide was concerned with us taking a bison in this canyon due to the thick timber and rugged conditions that would make it difficult to get horses in there. Two of the bison were nice mature bulls and it was very tempting to take the shot and hope for the best conditions possible for retrieval, but we decided on the first day of the hunt to pass up these bulls and hope for a better opportunity. Needless to say, we were both questioning ourselves as we hiked down the canyon. Had we made the right decision? The other hunter in our camp found the bison we spotted the first day and filled his tag and was headed for home. On the second morning, we headed back into the same area we hunted the first day in hopes of finding those buffalo again. This time we moved deeper into the Book Cliffs. Given the scarcity of buffalo, I was hoping we weren’t going to regret our decision the day before. As our trail of horses turned a bend, my guide quickly turned his horse around and moved our group back into a side canyon where we tied up our horses. He had spotted a bison and he and I quickly made our way back down the trail to a point where we could get a look. The bison was alone and was a good bull at a distance of about 160 yards. I set up on my bipod and waited for the right shot. It took three shots all of which hit the mark to bring that bison down. The only other time I had that experience was when I took my Alaska Yukon moose back in 2023. Just like my moose, my bison was shot on the other side of a river which took me a minute to get across. When I finally got up close, I was greatly impressed with the size of that buffalo. Mature bulls can reach a weight of over 2,000 pounds. His horns were long with heavy bases and measured roughly 14 inches at the bases and 14 inches in length. I couldn’t believe I had taken my second trophy in 5 days of hunting! It took all the remainder of the day for four guys to field dress that bison and load him on the mules to return to camp. It was long after dark when we returned. I was very excited to be having a freezer full of the some of the best game meat there is. In my wildest dreams I wasn’t expecting that I would be honored to take two great game animals in five days. Both of these hunting experiences were very unique and one’s I will never forget.
