RE: Elk calls
For a bugle the Primos terminator is by far the best I have heard and is very easy to learn to use. It uses silicone reeds that do not rot or break. You can really get agressive with growls with out worrying about a latex reed splitting or dry rotting on you. If you do happen to break or loose one the new one simply slips on the call in a little slot to hold it in place. There is no streching to find the right pitch and tone sweet spot. It's as easy as it gets. I have had the same reed on for two seasons now and it still sounds great and has not cracked yet.
For cow calls I really like the Sceerey A.C.E. calls. Again these are super easy to use and sound very realistic. I prefer the bite type calls as opposed to the open reed type of calls. I just find them a lot easier to use. With these type of calls you get a couple of advantages over the Primos hoochie mama, which is a good call but it is limited in the sounds it can make. First you can produce the whiney "I need sex now" calls and the "fighting cows" calls. These two sounds will really get a bull gong if he is in the mood. Second is that you do not have to use your hands to call with them. This is a great advantage if you are bow hunting and need to stop a bull after you are at full draw. Sceerey makes a very small A.C.E. call for just this purpose.