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Nilgai public draw ?
#7953242
08/28/20 06:44 PM
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Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 16
Team C
OP
Light Foot
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OP
Light Foot
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 16 |
What are the odds of finding a Nilgai down south on a draw hunt and witch TPWD draw hunt is the best or most successful for Nilgai ? Laguna Atascosa NWR - Bahia Grande Unit?
Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR - East Lake ?
Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR - Teniente ?
any info would help just curious to the success rate of these hunts ??? anyone taken one from the draw hunts ?
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#7953402
08/28/20 09:04 PM
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,285
Erny
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,285 |
The draw odds are long on all the hunts that have Nilgai. The public hunt catalog has the success rate and the number of hunters that applied for the hunts.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#7954738
08/30/20 02:59 AM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,290
Roo Basher
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,290 |
For about $200 you can apply for every hunt in the Texas public hunt catalog. I am going to keep doing it forever as it is a cheap way to get into a lot of hunts. I apply for all doe, management, exotic, and any sex buck hunts in units that are either in West Texas, the Pandhandle or the Hill Country.
If you get drawn you'll have an opportunity to hunt public land that most never get to hunt. Very few of these hunts are actually like hunting a heavily managed game ranch, if that is what you are used to you will be disappointed.
I drew a javelina tag last year on Elephant WMA.
Would I do it again, eh.... not sure. I got screwed by the weather, it happens. Never saw a single javelina. Saw plenty of mule deer, and my compartment had about 300 beef cows in it. Did I mention I was the only non-Texan to draw the hunt?
Did I apply for other hunts this year? Yes most certainly.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#7956336
08/31/20 02:34 PM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,564
rsquared
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,564 |
i have done the archery nilgai hunt at laguna twice in the last 4 years.
it is fun but difficult experience. it can be lots of hard hiking or it can be hours of patient sitting
i saw nilgai each time and fired arrows, but did not get one either trip. they are tough critters.
i finally went down on a guided hunt with insight outdoors and got my bull and whole lot of meat for the freezer.
the draw hunts are a unique experience, and i would encourage it. but i would also suggest you put in with multiple friends so that you all get drawn together and have some help on your hunt.
good luck
Stuff my dad said in the deer blind
"I can dive deeper and come up drier" "did you do that?"
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8029614
10/29/20 11:37 PM
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Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 25
Chris Sand
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 25 |
First post on a hunting forum ever here! I also drew the Nilgai bahia grande hunt this year and am stoked to get out there. I drew the firearm hunt and will be taking a maverick 88 with slugs to try to get some nilgai.
I wanted to pose the question to the forum, what can I do to increase my success chance? Me and a friend both drew so we'll both have shotguns out there, would yall recommend hiking in to the farthest away pond near sign and sitting? I figure if people can get close enough to nail them with bows, I could probably hit them with a slug, and maybe even a follow up given their reputation for not going down easy.
It's the first year Bahia Grande is open to the Nilgai hunt if I'm not mistaken, so this info might be hard to come by.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8030281
10/30/20 03:45 PM
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Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 126
bassmastar34
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 126 |
I drew the firearms hunt last year on the lower rio grande unit and we were able to get one bull for 3 of us hunting. Best advice i can give is they are the most spooky/alert animal i have ever hunted. Use your scouting days if possible find the communal poop piles and figure out where they are living. Then set up a blind or find good brush to hide in and wait. We tried cover ground and spot and stalk and wasted most our hunt days getting busted and never getting a shot till we realized we should just sit and wait. A slug could definitely get it done but i would be double and triple sure of your shot placement the hide is thick and if you dont break the spine or hit the heart they are gone for good.pm me if you want any more info
Last edited by bassmastar34; 10/30/20 03:45 PM.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Chris Sand]
#8030337
10/30/20 04:17 PM
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Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 293
George S
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 293 |
First post on a hunting forum ever here! I also drew the Nilgai bahia grande hunt this year and am stoked to get out there. I drew the firearm hunt and will be taking a maverick 88 with slugs to try to get some nilgai.
I wanted to pose the question to the forum, what can I do to increase my success chance? Me and a friend both drew so we'll both have shotguns out there, would yall recommend hiking in to the farthest away pond near sign and sitting? I figure if people can get close enough to nail them with bows, I could probably hit them with a slug, and maybe even a follow up given their reputation for not going down easy.
It's the first year Bahia Grande is open to the Nilgai hunt if I'm not mistaken, so this info might be hard to come by. Increase your chances by using rifles.
Oderint dum metuant - Lucius Accius
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: bassmastar34]
#8030475
10/30/20 06:11 PM
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Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 25
Chris Sand
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 25 |
I drew the firearms hunt last year on the lower rio grande unit and we were able to get one bull for 3 of us hunting. Best advice i can give is they are the most spooky/alert animal i have ever hunted. Use your scouting days if possible find the communal poop piles and figure out where they are living. Then set up a blind or find good brush to hide in and wait. We tried cover ground and spot and stalk and wasted most our hunt days getting busted and never getting a shot till we realized we should just sit and wait. A slug could definitely get it done but i would be double and triple sure of your shot placement the hide is thick and if you dont break the spine or hit the heart they are gone for good.pm me if you want any more info Thanks that was my big concern. The grass is only so high and they're so fast I didn't know if I'd even be capable of stalking them over this area so I'll try to find a couple of good spots. I'll get on that đź’©scoutimg Increase your chances by using rifles.[/quote] Hunt regs for this draw are muzzleloader or shotgun slug only, and not having the money or desire for a muzzleloader, i gotta go with the slugs.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: George S]
#8030478
10/30/20 06:13 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,033
338ultra
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,033 |
First post on a hunting forum ever here! I also drew the Nilgai bahia grande hunt this year and am stoked to get out there. I drew the firearm hunt and will be taking a maverick 88 with slugs to try to get some nilgai.
I wanted to pose the question to the forum, what can I do to increase my success chance? Me and a friend both drew so we'll both have shotguns out there, would yall recommend hiking in to the farthest away pond near sign and sitting? I figure if people can get close enough to nail them with bows, I could probably hit them with a slug, and maybe even a follow up given their reputation for not going down easy.
It's the first year Bahia Grande is open to the Nilgai hunt if I'm not mistaken, so this info might be hard to come by. Increase your chances by using rifles. BIG rifles
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8034546
11/02/20 09:32 PM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 429
Exiled
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 429 |
It's pretty tough to hunt Nilgai with archery, especially if you've never hunted them before. I second the suggestion of using a rifle and -for a public hunt- I would try to find a transit/trail and stick to it, there's a bunch of hunters moving around and spooking the already jittery animals and there's a good chance that they'll head your way if you're further in than most people.
"Who Dares, Wins" Instagram: @HCConnected
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8082367
12/09/20 04:06 PM
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Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 25
Chris Sand
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 25 |
Bumping this up again (I think is the forum terminology), So as mentioned, I drew shotgun only Nilgai and will be hunting Bahia Grande which has not been open for public draws before this year I believe. Answering OP question, What are the odds of finding a Nilgai down south on a draw hunt and witch TPWD draw hunt is the best or most successful for Nilgai ? Laguna Atascosa NWR - Bahia Grande Unit?
Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR - East Lake ?
Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR - Teniente ?
any info would help just curious to the success rate of these hunts ??? anyone taken one from the draw hunts ?
I've seen people at other forums (eg tx roksliders) who have had good experience in the units where rifle is allowed, and many people say the whole refuge is thick with them so it's a good possibility you'll see them regardless of where you are put in the compartments. How close they get and how far a shot you wanna take seems to be the real variable. I really wanna hear of anyone who has gotten one with a slug though. I'd think with such a huge equivalent caliber size and weight of the slug, it wouldn't be difficult to drop them when close, but again, I've never shot at them at all.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8082509
12/09/20 05:36 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,226
ErikL
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,226 |
as above they are extremely tough, and you will need a good neck, spine or heart shot bring them down.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8083082
12/10/20 12:18 AM
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Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 15,192
Hudbone
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 15,192 |
Shotgun only? Why would that hunt even be offered? It is nice, very nice, to get out there and enjoy the experience, but =a harvest with a shotgun would have to be considered a success of monumental proportions.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Hudbone]
#8083626
12/10/20 02:04 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 40,269
redchevy
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 40,269 |
Shotgun only? Why would that hunt even be offered? It is nice, very nice, to get out there and enjoy the experience, but =a harvest with a shotgun would have to be considered a success of monumental proportions. Go play around with a modern scoped shotgun with a rifled barrel. It still isnt a centerfire rifle, but its plenty worthy.
It's hell eatin em live
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8083973
12/10/20 06:48 PM
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,984
Adchunts
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,984 |
Scoped, rifled barrel slug gun is a very capable platform up to 150 yards or so. Very do-able.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8084197
12/10/20 09:28 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,344
Ag Hunter 78
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,344 |
You might try to find this slug. Looks like it would work on a nilgai. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NynJOLt4eTY
Last edited by Ag Hunter 78; 12/10/20 09:28 PM.
No prayer in school....What's next, no thinking in church? It's not just about pie in the sky when you die. It's also about steak on your plate while you wait!
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8085647
12/11/20 09:42 PM
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,285
Erny
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 4,285 |
A 12 or 20 Gauge slug will have more than enough knock down power to bring down a nilgai.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8086443
12/12/20 02:23 PM
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Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 15,192
Hudbone
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 15,192 |
Thinking here adequate knock down power of a slug gun just isn’t the issue.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Chris Sand]
#8088488
12/14/20 04:43 AM
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Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 18
Boomerdog89
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 18 |
Me and some buddies drew out too for last hunt in feb
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Hudbone]
#8089189
12/14/20 07:24 PM
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Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 25
Chris Sand
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 25 |
I don't know why they would hold this hunt specifically but I'd bet it's because it is surrounded by busy thoroughfares on the north and south of the area boundary and a whole city and high school on the right, so they don't want rifle shots possibly ricocheting onto somewhere, but idk.
This site had archery and shotgun and other sites had rifle and archery but I didn't win any of them
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Chris Sand]
#8089917
12/15/20 04:38 AM
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Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 18
Boomerdog89
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 18 |
Bahia grande (muzzloader/shotgun)
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8169677
02/14/21 07:17 PM
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Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 25
Chris Sand
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 25 |
We're two weeks out, I might see you out there Boomerdog89. I know orientation is online this year with that video, but yall know if the compartments are first come first serve, or is it just one big unit, or how will it be divided up?
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: Team C]
#8170384
02/15/21 03:05 AM
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 916
BigLou
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 916 |
Chris, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this hard freeze in south texas is likely to wreak havoc on the nilgai population. You could see a very significant die-off of the herd in the next 2 days, they are not built to withstand temps like this....fyi.
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Re: Nilgai public draw ?
[Re: BigLou]
#8171166
02/15/21 08:21 PM
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Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 18
Boomerdog89
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 18 |
Ive been kinda watching didnt look like that got much moisture and actual temps will be above freezing didnt kno if that made much difference or not?
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