May 16-17 was the last weekend of the Texas spring turkey season. Some folks wondered if the hunting would be as good as the first three weeks of the season. Most hunters fears would be the birds are going to be call shy, the ranch is shot out, or simply the fear of not having a legit opportunity to harvest a bird this late in the season. I was a little skeptical about hunting the last weekend myself, but it wasn’t because of any of the above theories. I knew we had great ranches to hunt and lots and lots of turkeys, I was just concerned the turkeys would have started to migrate out of the areas we hunt. Well let me tell you I was wrong…. and in the course of Dean and Tommy’s 2 ½ day hunt we had the opportunity to harvest over 14 gobblers. Actually Tommy and I called in 9 gobblers in one afternoon!!!!!! I think the key is to have plenty of turkeys, great ranches (ranches that haven’t been over hunted in past years), and the knowledge of what the turkeys do in your hunting area. Thank you Dean and Tommy for a great hunt!

We’re now gearing up for our spring and summer exotic hunts. Attention all you monster axis hunters…We’re offering a recession proof axis hunt. The axis special is a fully accommodated 2 night 2 day hunt. You will have the opportunity to harvest an axis scoring 30” to 36” for $250 a day and a $2,000 trophy fee when you harvest your trophy. If for some reason you don’t harvest your trophy, all you’re out is $500. Stop over paying and come hunt with an outfitter that gets the job done season after season!!! Contact Koby Howell for booking information.


5 Star Outfitters

My First Turkey!!!

I can’t tell you how excited I was to be waking up knowing I’m going on my first turkey hunt! It was like Christmas morning, my energy was high and my motivation to get a gobbler was even higher! I had asked Koby the night before if there was anything I needed to know before the hunt. His response was “You can shoot, can’t you! You’ll be just fine Robin!” That morning on the way to the ranch we talked about what we were going to do and how we were going to do it. I was so nervous I felt like I should be taking notes just so I could remember! I did not want to screw this up!

We parked the truck and started walking. Greg suggested that we walk under the roost and pretend to be cows! The funny thing is that he's done it, and it worked!! Koby insisted that we walk as far around the roost as possible so we wouldn’t spook the turkeys. At one point while we were walking Koby glassed the roost and said there had to be at least 60 birds there! It excited me…but all I saw was a big dark blob (of coarse I didn’t admit it at the time!) Once we finally found our way to the stand in the dark it was time to get ready!

Koby, Chris, and I were in the blind. Chris was filming the hunt from inside the blind, while Greg was down the road, ready to get the action outside the blind! I was nervous. What if I wasn’t still enough, what if I hit the blind with my gun as I raise it out the window, what if I miss! Since we own a hunting business I had heard ALL the horror stories of things that could go wrong! Not only was I hunting with my perfectionist Outfitter husband, it was all going to be on video! Yikes!
As dawn broke, and my nerves started to settle, we must have heard 30 different gobblers all around. After they flew off the roost it seemed like none of them headed our way. I waited patiently. I knew it wasn’t a guarantee that I would get one that morning. I began seeing hens, probably about 20 in all. They would come and go as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Things slowed down for a bit, I wondered if that was it. Was that all the birds we were going to see? Then, I heard it! It wasn’t a gobble, it was Koby whispering “Here we go baby!” I lifted my binoculars up again and glassed the furthest bushes down the road. There they were! One popular hen with 2 huge gobblers following!

With my shaking arms I tried to get my 20 gauge in place as quietly and as slowly as I could. We had visually marked a cactus about 35 yards out, in hopes that he would come all the way in and that’s where he would be when I shot him. As I patiently watch the two old birds strut up the road I didn’t think they would ever get within my 35 yard mark. But as they approached 50 yard I new it was going to happen! I had my gun out the window, my head down and my finger on the trigger! When they reached my mark Chris cut at the gobbler and as he lifted his head to find the hen I got him! He didn’t make a move once he hit the ground! I was so excited! I took off running down the road like a kid! He was 4 years old with 1 3/8" spurs and most importantly, beautiful tail feathers!

After a quick interview and some pictures I grabbed my big bird and we headed to the truck. It couldn’t have been a more perfect morning!

Robin Howell...professional turkey hunter!