I had a great opportunity to go on my first hunt Nilgai last weekend. We scouted in the rain and mud the first day and saw none that met the criteria. The next morning was muddy, but no rain and no shooter Nilgai. Finally in the late afternoon we spotted a small group of Bull Nilgai at over 800 yards. After a good stalk and finding cover I got set up for a 173 yard shot. The wary animal spotted my movement and stood behind a tree for 20+ minutes. He finally stepped out and was ready to bolt and run. I pulled the trigger and sent the 220 Grain Nosler Partition out of my hand loaded 300 Ultra cartridge and it hit right on target. The bull fell where he stood. I quickly chambered another round for a follow up shot since I had heard for two days how they were extremely hard to bring down and would run for miles mortally wounded. I gave it 20 minutes or so and approached the animal and he appeared dead. It took another 15 minutes for the guy to bring the Jeep to load it. When he was backing up that Nilgai raised its neck, bellowed and he got another round to the neck. We prepared to load it, and he started bellowing and moving again. One round later from the 45 Long Colt, he was done. I had no concept of the stamina these animals posses. The guide was amazed that the animal fell in its tracks, he said it practically never happens. After we gutted it, the heart was 90% destroyed, and yet this thing would not give up. What a great experience it was, and I have a freezer full of meat which is very tasty I must say.

Where were you hunting?

South Texas near Raymondville.

Great job. The first time I saw one of those I couldn't figure out what it was. This was deep in the Rio Grande Valley in the Laguna Atascosa wildlife refuge. I had to ask one of the folks there what the heck it was. I have since learned that nilgai are establishing a breeding population from animals that escaped exotic game ranches, much like Axis deer have.

There are thousands of them free ranging in South Texas. They were brought there in the 1920's to the King Ranch and have flourished.

Very nice Nilgai

Awesome, great animal to eat. See them on the shoreline all the time fishing in Port Mansfield

Cool. My lease borders a high fence place. They have those things. They're the size of horses.

The King and Kennedy had a ton of them back in the 80s and 90's. A German meat hunting outfit got a contract back then and took a bunch of them. I'm sure there's still quite a few.

When I first moved to Kingsville in late 70's you could drive down hiway 77 headed to the Valley and spot quite a few of them.

They are fun to hunt and hard to kill.

Good one!

you shot a cow?

No, and they said weight wise, that's about the biggest one they have seen killed. The cows are colored like a whitetail deer and have no horns.

The pic wasn't showing up for me at the time... now I see it. How is the meat on those beast?

Excellent if you don't boil it like some do........

There is a fancy steakhouse in Corpus Christi that serves Nilgai. Believe it or not, probably in the top ten best steaks I have ever had.