Texas LTD Trophy Whitetails

Submitted by: Doug Dawson

Review Submitted: May 10, 2011

Hunt Date: Apr 4, 2011

Species Hunted: Turkey

Days Hunted: 4

Hunt Type: Guided

Primary Terrain:

Method: Shotgun

Price Range: 500-999

What is probably the worst outfit in the whole wor

If I could hunt Hugh Starr I would. How do I feel about this man, let's say anger doesn't even come close. Our party was supposed to be picked up in Dallas, upon arrival there's no sign of Hugh's rep, 2 hours after last party arrived we're on the horn to Texas LTD, supposedly there was a vehicular problem and we ended up renting the only vehicle we could from the only place that had something to rent, only to get backend charges after dropping off the car, another story for another time. Directions were shamelessly poor, no cell service in Albany for our only phone so we couldn't call, the one person we did find seemed to know Hugh by his reaction but didn't say much about him. When we get to Hugh's after 11PM we find out we've got to drive back out to the interstate to the truckstop to eat since he's not getting anything out for us. We should have just gone back to the airport at this point. Back at the house, so called ranch, Hugh demands payment up front in cash saying he knows we're going to be nothing but trouble since we've now kept him awake until after 1PM when we get back from the truckstop. I've never in my life had a guide promise to pick you up then force you to rent a car on moment's notice to get yourself 2 hours drive to the camp, then refuse to feed you, and then cop an attitude on you and start insulting and demanding money up front because you're now upset because things are going south in a hurry. I'll stop now, needless to say this was the sorriest hunt I've been on. We bagged nothing and saw nothing. Was not comped on the poor hunt, and we're not talking luck of the woods not bagging, it was just a plain down and dirty sham from the start. Run from this outfit if you're considering them, to say they suck is an understatement. One day someone might shoot Hugh and leave him in one of those lonely washouts.

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note: The following reviews predate the numeric rating system and are not included in this outfitter's overall rating.

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outfitter review submitted by: Lance Exelson on Mar 25 2010

Species Hunted: Turkey

Game Quality: Crap

Accommodation Quality: Roach motel

Camp Condition: none

Food Quality: dismal, made my friends fart s

Guide Experience: crap

Other Personal Experience: none

Overall Impression: very bad joke I paid to see

Recommend: not if my life depended on it

Reviewer Comments: I was in a party of 6 that went to this dump in March 2010. They were there for pigs. I saw one sorry crap jake, and I mean a sorry looking bird that looked like something that got sucked into a jet engine and spat out, and that was it. The rest of my party did not see a single pig. I could hear turkies all around us. Hugh couldn't bring in ants with sugar. This was THE MOST run down mis-managed outfit I've ever seen. If I could call turkies I think it might have been a winner because I could hear them. I gave Hugh the opportunity to make good on this by bringing me back for another hunt and I'd bring my own guide, he just turned his back and walked off and mumbled something about someone being an ingrate.

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outfitter review submitted by: Freddy Thompson on Mar 22 2010

Species Hunted: Hogs

Game Quality: What Game?!

Accommodation Quality: Like Motel 8

Camp Condition: Shit

Food Quality: McDonald\\\'s is better, it is

Guide Experience: Joke

Other Personal Experience: Girlfriend is too nice for thi

Overall Impression: I've had a better time at the dump

Recommend: Hell no!

Reviewer Comments: Hugh is a jackass. He smells bad half the time. He has no land management skills. I was put on 2 feeders not working, he had the balls to accuse me of falling alseep commenting on where the corn is. The others went off 3+ hours before sunset, the morning feeders didn't go off while I was there. I saw more coin slot on this run down pig than I saw real pigs! Blinds suck, all cheap particle board painted green with a log drawn up. The stands creak so much you could hear a mouse fart in them. I want to punch the living crap out of the jackass who admantly recomended this idiot! Total waste of time, I'd have rather driven around lost in the countryside, would have probably seen more action.

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outfitter review submitted by: Clint on Mar 20 2010

Species Hunted: Pig

Game Quality: Extremely poor

Accommodation Quality: very good

Camp Condition: no camp

Food Quality: Sorta TV dinnerish for the mos

Guide Experience: 30+ years?

Other Personal Experience: no other personnel

Overall Impression: very poor

Recommend: no

Reviewer Comments: Just to start, this hunt was a gift from a client of mine, I did not pay for it. Cliff, if you read this it is in no way show lack of appreciatetion towards you, I sincerely appreciate your gesture. This hunt started with somewhat poor directions on how to get to Texas LTD. This was overcome by the fact I can navigate to anyplace on the planet. But in a small po-dunk town clients need to know that your road is not the first left as described in the direction, and that the road sign name is no longer on your street. I was driving in after dark, it took me some orbiting around and knocking on doors at 11PM to figure out where I needed to go. Strangers aren't often appreciated knocking on doors that late this far out in the country. First morning out, was put into a blind, a stand actually. A blind is a blind to me, it was solid and well enclosed, a 4 foot tall box about 3 feet off the ground with a folding metal office chair in it and did not make any unusual noise unless I moved around, it was about 100-125 yards off of feeder. Feeder went off a bit early, but no birds around when its dark to steal it all. Saw 2 very small pigs and their string of piglets about 35 minutes after feeder went off. Feeder seemed to throw the feed away from the blind which made obstructed shots in the underbrush. I did fire on the one small pig other than the sow. Due to some rough handling on my rifle by the goons at Southwest Airlines, I found my shot went left and high(discovered later that day when I verified zero on a real target). I did fire a second shot as the pigs left, but due to zero problems and being very dark the shot was all but impossible. No joy, I'll take 50% of blame because I choose the airline. But I did get zeroed later that day. 2nd time out the evening of 1rst day, was in a ground blind about 30 yards off of a feeder. All was clear and unobstructed. I had plenty of time and local materials to make the ground blind fit my needs. To me sitting behind a dead branch is not good enough when you're that close. Feeder goes off about 2-1/2 hours before sunset. I watched as the cattle and birds come to eat all the seed on the ground. Did not sight a single pig, did not hear a single pig. Did see a group of coyotes in the distance but with no clear shots. Next morning, 2nd day, was put into another ground blind, about 50 yards off of a feeder. Blind was OK, but had no chance to make it my own in the dark of pre-dawn. It consistend of a piece of plywood painted green with a pile of logs surrounded by cacti. It was OK. Feeder never went off before I was picked up about 2 hours after sunrise. Feeder was filled with corn. Hugh asked me repeatedly where all the corn went when I said the damned thing never went off, like I saw pigs and did not take a shot or had fallen asleep. He examined the feeder, then it went off. I think the thing was either not turned on or the timer was grossly off. I did not seen any tracks but cattle around the feeder, it had not been working for a long time. 2nd day, evening. This time I was taken to a 'special' place, the pig farm as it was called. It was in the scrub, surrounded by old oil wells and cattle. I was in the field 4 hours before sunset. The blind was the ground type about 30 yards off the feeder with no obstructions, again it was just OK. I spent an hour making it my own so I could have better cover as it was a piece of green painted plywood to sit against with a log in front of it. Feeder goes off about 2-1/2 hours before sunset, again I watch the meadow larks, dove, and some quail dine out and consume every seed on the ground, it was done about an hour later. I did not see or hear a single pig and was picked up about a half hour after sunset. In my limited foraging for materials behind my blind, and away from the feeder, I did not see a single pig track around the place. In the dark as I walked past the feeder, there were no pig tracks, just cattle. This was a very disappointing hunt. I am not an inexperienced pig hunter, having hunted pigs in Florida for years. I am Clint Huisinga, owner of Stars & Stripes Ammunition. I use feral pigs for product field R&D. I know hunter results vary considerably and many aspects of a hunt are beyond our control in the field, nature is what she is and does what she wants. Listing my company and who I am is not an advertisement, it is putting forward who I am and from what my position is in regards to judging a hunt, the game, a guide, and other things hunting related. As such, no reader will likely know me or my qualifications, so feel free to investigate me, I am well known in the firearms and hunting communities and my credentials can be verified 100%! My opinion is that Hugh Starr is a nice man, a Texas good ole boy, he's personable, and very hospitable. You stay in his home, not a camp, and its a nice clean place not a dump. Hugh charges $700+ for one of these 2 day pig hunts, you are told there are so many hogs you can walk on them. You'll kill a pile of them. There are huge hogs, monsters. There are no limits on how many you can kill on your hunt, I know why there are no limits now, you don't see any. If you were over run by pigs on every feeder, this is an excellent price! If you use a self loading FN like I do, you could easily take 2-3 pigs if you are good on moving shots on one feeder, maybe more if they freeze and look for where the threat came from. Where this deviates is that I don't think Mr Starr is a very good guide, I certainly don't think he knows where the pigs are at as I did not see or hear any except the first morning, and they were tiny(largest an adult sow about 150 pounds at VERY BEST! The second was about 80-100 pound juvenile, then 4 fairly young piglets). I wanted a meat pig so the second pig would have been great for me. It is inexcusable to have feeders not working, and so mal-adjusted for the time of year I was there(mid March). The feeders were all set for dead of winter timing. One was not working, supposedly mechanical, but shown to work as I was standing there(timing, not turned on?). There was no sign of pigs on any feeders except the first one. Of interest here is this. Hugh also offers bobcat, coyote, deer, and turkey hunts. I did not see a single white tail EXCEPT the one night just around the corner from his house as we came back from the field, this was in town, in Albany, NOT in the field where these hunts supposedly take place. Bobcats are hard to spot in the day and I did not see any, or any signs of them. I saw a fleeting glipse of coyotes, but there are more than you can imagine out there, all I listened to were song dogs before sun up and sunset. I heard a lot of turkeys on second day in the morning and evening but did not see any. Seriously weigh your options before buying a hunt of any type from this outfit. If I had paid for this hunt, actually I did because of time away and my flight there, I would be pissed. This hunt was bought and given to me as a gift without any consolation on my part. I got to see the Milky Way, which you cannot see from light polluted Tampa Bay, Mercury was setting after sunset with an emerging crescent moon. I got to listen to 'yotes enmass, I heard turkeys. I got to see central texas landscape, which I've never seen. All of these things, except Texas, I've seen countless times, I would not pay to see them as you can do it for free in most places with a short drive. BTW, in case you don't know, every plant in Texas seems to be covered with mean throns and some like to break off under you skin, make sure you clear out your ground blinds carefully before sitting down and trying to get comfortable!!!!

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outfitter review submitted by: Paul Duffy on Dec 24 2009

Species Hunted: Deer,hog,turkey,bobcat

Game Quality: F-

Accommodation Quality: D

Camp Condition: D

Food Quality: D

Guide Experience: Laughable

Other Personal Experience: girlfriend was nice

Overall Impression: Terrible

Recommend: absolutely not. RUN!!!!!!

Reviewer Comments: Saw 6 deer, no turkeys and no bobcats. There were some hogs around. I shot a small buck (more out of spite) and a doe. Had to field dress myself because good ole Hugh had a bad back and I was on my own to take care of the meat. He has no personality and on sunday watching football was way more important. He's not too cordial. This place is a joke!!!! He's too cheap to heat the place too.....

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outfitter review submitted by: Adam Forsee on Jan 15 2009

Species Hunted: Quail

Game Quality: good

Accommodation Quality: disapointed/misleading

Camp Condition: poor

Food Quality: grade D but edible (poor)

Guide Experience: best part of hunt! thank the l

Other Personal Experience: n/a

Overall Impression: poor

Recommend: not a chance

Reviewer Comments: This was to be a speacial trip for my grandfathers 80th birthday! Fortunatly the hunting was great and found lots of quail and our last minute guide (because Hugh aparrently had not planned our hunt very well) Steven was great,but as far as the accomidations, they were a big disapointment. As far as Hugh himself, he has the personality of a rock and has no idea how to be hospitable. Don't ask for anything espeacialy any conversation from him. Hope that you do not have use the toilet while there, if you dare, better ask for a plunger! No need for tip money due to hugh has no idea how to earn it. please spare yourself and look elseware for anyother outfitter.

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outfitter review submitted by: Ray on Apr 30 2008

Species Hunted: Turkey/Hogs

Game Quality: Fair

Accommodation Quality: Piss Poor

Camp Condition: Poor

Food Quality: Fair but mostly Micro

Guide Experience: None

Other Personal Experience: Hugh Sr is nice and GF OK

Overall Impression: Sux out loud

Recommend: Not even to HPs Ex Wife

Reviewer Comments: Hugh Starr is a paranoid schizophrenic who has a huge ego and lies about his experience. All conversations are about him rather than his guest. This is proved by the ego wall of pictures surrounding the dining area. Please note that some of the 20 year old pictures of Hugh are also in the “trophy room “on his website. The entire experience was almost surreal in that his strict timelines and rudeness to his girlfriend and father along with guest is almost unbelievable. No hunting involved just drops you off at a feeder and picks you up. His 100% success is also not true as one of our group never had a shot. Lastly the huge constant butt crack that is pouring out of his pants is truly offensive especially when he sticks it in your face while getting in the stand with you. Bottom line DON’T GO HERE.

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outfitter review submitted by: T. M. Grey on Oct 24 2007

Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Game Quality: poor, young bucks

Accommodation Quality: clean but a junk hole

Camp Condition: trucks are ok/ junk equipmen

Food Quality: frozen microwave meals

Guide Experience: what guides. bus drivers

Other Personal Experience: girlfriend is a good person

Overall Impression: over priced/not managed

Recommend: HELL NO! RIP OFF!

Reviewer Comments: This is the most unprofessional run outfit I have ever hunted with. Hugh is a jerk from the first time you meet him until you leave. I do not know how he can call his hunting land managed because does no managing. You shoot what you want if you are lucky enough to see a 2-3 year old deer. I have hunted in alot of different places and states and this was the worst hunt I have been on. I know they kill a few decent deer each year but I know the success rate on a 120 B&C class deer has to be under 40%. 5 People in camp and only 2 deer killed. neither would score over 130. (115-120) If some on kills a deer he makes fun of them shooting it behind there back. (the guy ask for someone to sit with him and was denied) If you want to have a miserable time and spend alot of money for a over priced hunt with a first class Jerk and Liar call HUGH STARR. All I can say check this guy out real good if you think you are going to hunt with him. Look for another outfitter would be the best choice.

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outfitter review submitted by: C. Sigmon on Oct 3 2007

Species Hunted: Whitetail Deer

Game Quality: Very Poor

Accommodation Quality: Clean and COLD!!

Camp Condition: Out Dated

Food Quality: Microwaved / Prepackaged

Guide Experience: Taxi Drivers / No experience

Other Personal Experience: His girl friend & dad are nice

Overall Impression: Low quality

Recommend: Hell No!!!!

Reviewer Comments: This was the rudest most obnoxious human being in Texas. The other outfitters in that area do not even like him. His ads say "close personal attention" we did not get hardly any attention just excuses. When you get in from a hunt he goes to bed and you do not see him again until time to leave and get dropped at a stand/blind. Stands are falling apart and he is so lazy he will not fix them you have to if you are going to have a seat to sit in. To make a long story short if you do not want to see alot of deer, not see any decent deer, be lied to and avoided for 5 days this is the place for you. If you want to be treated like a human and have a good time go somewhere else this guy is a jerk!!!!!!!! For more info send me a email.

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outfitter review submitted by: Brandt H. Williams, PE on May 28 2004

Species Hunted: Hogs

Game Quality: none

Accommodation Quality: Very Good

Camp Condition: n/a

Food Quality: Very Good

Guide Experience: Very Good

Other Personal Experience: Very Good

Overall Impression: Good

Recommend: Yes

Reviewer Comments: Weather really sucked for hunting, was exceptionally windy all three days. Did see a very nice 8 pointer on first day which was surprising given the windy conditions, but we were hog hunting. Have no doubt there are lots of hogs and deer as sign was abundant. Has a lot of land to hunt on. Hugh worked hard for us and was very apologetic for us turning up empty handed. Hugh was "tough" to get a conversation going with and is not the most people friendly person in the world, but he is competent guide/outfitter. I feel his pricing structure is slightly above the norm, but as I always say you get what you pay for. There is ample opportunity to harvest quality game with Hugh. If the you are looking for something to do during the long winter months go hunt hog with him.

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