USA: My Best Nilgai

[rookhawk]

I had the privilege to hunt King Ranch over the last couple of days, and took an ancient and very large bull. If you look at the horns, he has started to shed the outer covering at both the base and tips. A year ago, he would likely have scored very high, but a year ago he would not have been such an old and spectacular animal.

We spotted a group of five or six bulls around 600 yards away at about 8:30 am. The wind was in our favor, and my guide and I were able to ghost within 300 yards of them. Using a handy mesquite limb, I was lined up on one very respectable animal, when this bull stepped out from the brush. He was clearly older, and I instantly switched to him and launched a 200 gr ELD-X from my .300 Win Mag R8. The bullet hit him low in the chest (later found to have cut through the lower heart), and he reared on his hind legs like a stallion. I immediately hit him twice more while he was still on his feet which is pretty much the standard drill in South Texas where they can be quickly lost in the thick brush country. As he gave a cape buffalo type death bellow (often happens with Nilgai), I used my Leica's to check the range to the shot - 282 yards. My R8 in .300 Win Mag livery is extremely accurate well beyond that - and really quick on a follow-up shot.

Normally, I would not mount a Nilgai, but this is a special old bull, and I am afraid that I will have to find a place for him.

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In the German sense of the word, that is a very, very proper Trophy! Well done @Red Leg for hunting the true master of the bush!

 

[Philip Glass]

Very nice and good shooting. Nilgai are neat animals. I used to raise them.

 

[dchum]

Nilgai have a “soft” cap the covers the bulls first initial horn growth during adolescence. Generally it begins to break off at around 4-5 years old. Yours was currently in that process.

 

[BossHoss]

Nilgai from South Texas....mmm.. Its amazing that there is no season for this animal only a general hunting license. I love the meat, Nilga tostadas, tacos, kabob......the backstraps are better than filet mignon.

 

[crs]

AZDAVE,
There are places to hunt Nilgai where no shot is over 100 yards. I took two on one such ranch near Hondo. My first one was big enough for a skull mount, but a few years later the next one was younger AND more tender. My son shot a similar one there the same day.

Let me know when you want to hunt Texas and I will contact my friend Joe to see if he will be available to guide us. Joe is the one that took his 45-70 and my 45-90 to Africa on a PAC hunt a few years back and took one ele, several buff, Leopard. etc. He hunts mostly with a muzzle loader these days- needs the challenge. We have lots of stories for the campfire.
The .45-90 with NF bullets is more than enough for buff and ele.