I pulled a September Idaho elk tag this year, so I’m getting my feet wet in the elk world. At the Total Archery Challenge in San Antonio, I met some cool folks from Eagle Cap Outdoors and they showed me their new bugle tube—the Intimidator.

Why It Works

It’s slim, which matters more than people think. Most bugle tubes take up room in your pack, but this one fits clean. When you’re hiking backcountry chasing bugling bulls, every bit of space counts.

The 3-in-1 design does real work. You’ve got your glunking—the aggressive calls that bring a bull in closer. You’ve also got your raking function, so you can use the tube as a rake without setting it down and hunting for a stick. For a camera guy like me running the camera in one hand, this means I can hold the tube in the other and keep steady while I’m filming and calling simultaneously.

The tube doesn’t mess with optics much either, which is important if you’re glassing while you call. It does what it’s built for without complication.

Heading to Idaho

This is going to be part of my setup come September. Use code ACO15 for 15% off at Eagle Cap if you’re interested. Heading into the elk woods with solid gear like this gives you one less thing to worry about and one more advantage when it counts.

Follow along with my Idaho elk hunt and other bowhunting adventures on the channel.

Arizona brought different challenges than hunting back home in Texas. Different country, different animals, different lessons.

Elk hunting is a whole different beast. That bugling in the distance, knowing what it means, and then trying to move into position without spooking them—it demands patience and fitness you build up over time. Arizona elk in the backcountry make Texas bowhunting look like a short walk.

Javelina are quick and aggressive when they know you’re there. The stalk requires staying downwind and staying sharp. They’re smaller than elk, but pound for pound they’re tough and alert. The desert floor doesn’t give you much cover either—you learn to read the landscape and use every bit of vegetation.

Then there’s the mule deer. They’re different from whitetail. They see further, they move different, and the terrain rewards different tactics. Arizona mule deer made me sharpen my spotting and stalking skills.

Multi-species hunts like this don’t fill tags every time, but they fill something else—the hunger to keep learning. Each animal teaches you something. That’s what keeps me hunting.

See more of my exotic hunt experiences and trophy moments.