Texas Hunting Forum

Got drawn for archery nilgai

Posted By: rhiseller

Got drawn for archery nilgai - 10/04/16 07:25 PM

Has anybody done this before? Any help / info would be greatly helpful
Thanks!
Posted By: Erny

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 10/04/16 07:26 PM

Where did you draw?
Posted By: rhiseller

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 10/04/16 09:16 PM

Laguna atascosa
Posted By: Palehorse

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 10/04/16 10:01 PM

Congratulations! The deadline for NWR archery exotic isn't until October 11 so I think the hunt you were drawn for is NWR archery deer. You are allowed to shoot nilgai though so it's a better deal anyway.
Posted By: rsquared

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 10/12/16 07:14 PM

the nilgai and pig only archery hunt is nov 18-22

the deer draw where you can also take nilgai and pigs has the hunt i believe nov 25th
Posted By: rhiseller

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 10/13/16 12:13 AM

I got for that hunt also! I guess I'm going to make the trip down there twice.
Posted By: AdThomps

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 10/13/16 02:26 AM

I got drawn for the 18-22 archery Nilgai there also. Never been before. Should be a tough hunt but a good time either way!
Posted By: pigplinker

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 10/15/16 08:57 AM

Good Luck to all of you. Hope to see pics of success.
Posted By: fish4food

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 10/17/16 01:47 AM

I put in for a few of the rifle hunts and did what little research I could on them. Texas Bow Hunters Forum has quite a bit of information on their public hunting page.

Good luck! Hopefully I'll find out soon if I get picked.
Posted By: 6InARowMakeItGo

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 10/19/16 06:39 PM

My boss man got drawn on this hunt also. He's stoked!
Posted By: spitfire

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 11/23/16 10:58 PM

Any update from anyone there?

After reading about helicopter culling and the fact it is a free for all, I'm likely not going to go.
Posted By: Palehorse

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 11/24/16 01:41 AM

For the first archery hunt, there were only 5 nilgai killed out of 250 hunters. The helicopters took their toll. mad
Posted By: spitfire

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 11/27/16 04:56 AM

Thanks for sharing Palehorse. Hope other folks had some luck!
Posted By: chital_shikari

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 11/27/16 05:16 AM

Congrats!
Posted By: Chunky Monkey

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 11/28/16 02:21 AM

Originally Posted By: Palehorse
For the first archery hunt, there were only 5 nilgai killed out of 250 hunters. The helicopters took their toll. mad


That sounds lousy but sitting at home isn't going to do anything either.
Posted By: rsquared

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 11/28/16 04:03 AM

Originally Posted By: Palehorse
For the first archery hunt, there were only 5 nilgai killed out of 250 hunters. The helicopters took their toll. mad


I saw 28 different nilgai, had 4 in bow range and fired two arrows

There were plenty of nilgai, I don't think the helicopter hunt affected this one bit

It's just a really hard hunt with a bow
Not to mention a boatload of inexperienced public hunters
Posted By: Palehorse

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 11/28/16 04:23 AM

Originally Posted By: rsquared
Originally Posted By: Palehorse
For the first archery hunt, there were only 5 nilgai killed out of 250 hunters. The helicopters took their toll. mad


I saw 28 different nilgai, had 4 in bow range and fired two arrows

There were plenty of nilgai, I don't think the helicopter hunt affected this one bit

It's just a really hard hunt with a bow
Not to mention a boatload of inexperienced public hunters

I hope you're right. I'm headed there Thursday for the second archery deer hunt. This will be my second time to hunt there. You're spot on about the inexperienced hunters. I think most give up after a couple of days though.
Posted By: Ranch Dog

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 11/29/16 01:30 PM

Originally Posted By: rsquared
Originally Posted By: Palehorse
For the first archery hunt, there were only 5 nilgai killed out of 250 hunters. The helicopters took their toll. mad


I saw 28 different nilgai, had 4 in bow range and fired two arrows

There were plenty of nilgai, I don't think the helicopter hunt affected this one bit

It's just a really hard hunt with a bow
Not to mention a boatload of inexperienced public hunters

I agree on all three points. With the TPWD introducing a whole new set of hunters to the Refuge, there is a lot of new blood without experience on the property. Under the old permit system, there was always a bunch of returning hunters that had narrowed down where they felt the best chance for success would happen. It is hard to make the right decision in that respect with a partial day of scouting or none at all.

It would be interesting to see if the rule of halves still applies. Half of the hunters gone after the first 24 hours and remaining number cut in half after each additional 24 hours. Both Aransas and the complete Rio Grande Valley NWR system play by these rules. You got to stick it out and move if there is no sign or you are not seeing anything and then hunker down. The odds of seeing something on your feet are very slim. The only thing that accomplishes is you wear yourself out.

Google Earth on a phone or tablet is your friend. Those aren't cattle trails you see by satellite image, they are made by nilgai hooves.
Posted By: Ranch Dog

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 11/29/16 01:40 PM

I think the most whipped I've been hunting is on a late LANWR hunt. I had been cooked in the heat and frozen in sleet. That is when the Refuge had allowed a full four days of scouting before the hunt and I had taken full advantage of it. At the end of my hunt with several miles to walk yet, I seriously thought about stripping the bolt out of my Marlin 1895MR (450 Marlin) and leaving over 8# of metal behind.
Posted By: WillP

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 11/30/16 05:32 AM

It's a tough hunt for sure. Plenty of country to hunt and if you put MILES behind you you can get away from hunters. I got it done on a Nilgai the second day. They are there, just very unpredictable. People will tell you that they're diurnal and only move during the day. BS. If you find them feeding or bedded do what you can to make a move. Likely that they won't be there the next day.
Posted By: DHS274

Re: Got drawn for archery nilgai - 12/24/16 01:18 AM

nilgai are hard to bring down with a rifle, they usually run a good way even with a well placed round. Their hide is thicker in the area around their vital organs, and they have a heavy hide to start with.
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