Nilgai (Asian antelope from India) in Texas.

marioq

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Jan 7, 2012
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2,123
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DEEP south TX
I put this in the antelope section since it technically is an antelope. Anyway, I have been in South Texas for about seven months. Heard about a Nilgai many times. I've heard they taste great. Lo and behold 2 miles from my house there is a place to hunt them. When I do we could go and saw nothing. Revisited this week. By the way, in Texas, it is legal to hunt these at night with the spotlight. We can also hunt pigs at Night with a spotlight. (gotta love TX)

Anyway, we were out driving and this bull run across the canal and stopped at 60 yards quartering away. I just cited in my 338 Lapua this day add a 25 yard indoor range. On a sidenote, I don't have any long-range options because I do not own any land. I knew that the shot to be relatively close so I was not too concerned. Well when this bull stopped on the opposite side of the canal and looked back quartering away, I parked a 300 grain burge I knew that the shot to be relatively close so I was not too concerned. Well when this bull stopped on the opposite side of the canal and looked back quartering away, I parked a 300 grain Berger in the boiler room.

Typical of non-American Animals from what I was told, these are very robust. I've shot to elk and under 200 yards and a white tail with this gun. Everyone of those animals showed a significant shutter when the bullet hit. This animal didn't make a move. There was no exit 1. The hole you see is the onside inner rib cage. The lungs were obliterated. I had time to put one more around in them but it ended up being a gut shot.

Going to cook tenderloins tonight. I'll let y'all know how it tastes. If anybody has any ideas on how to cook this, please chime in. After Wildrose's African hunt, I'm sure he can verify that these animals are built like no American animal I've seen!!!
 

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Did you shoot the 300 EH or the 300 OTM and what is your muzzle velocity?

Also curious how much this animal weighs?
 
They were the EH and its 2750 velocity.
They are like Rlk but thicker. This one was only 600 lbs or so. But skin is thick and bones big
 
Going to cook tenderloins tonight. I'll let y'all know how it tastes. If anybody has any ideas on how to cook this, please chime in. After Wildrose's African hunt, I'm sure he can verify that these animals are built like no American animal I've seen!!!
Try bacon wrapped loins and backstraps on the grill. Cut them into 2 inch cubes, season well and wrap. You won't stop eating once you bite into one. :cool: Cut the ribs into smaller pieces and grill. Plus grind the quarters and grind beef brisket as well ( leave fat on ), mix both grinds 50 /50 for burgers or anything you use ground meats for. Cut steaks into 1/2 inch, and for juicy steaks, season and broil it at full broil ( 550 degrees) ( sear ) about 5 inches from the top broiler in oven till edges turn brown, about 5 to 6 mins, then turn them over, additional 5 to 6 mins till a little browned on edges and remove from oven, and enjoy. Also can sear it on the grill very hot. Do not over do it or it will get dry and do not cook it slow like you cook a steak, it will dry up fast, so searing it is the best method for juicy steaks. I have shot several Nilgai here in deep south Texas. Sure are tough critters.
 
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Yeah I took the tenderloins and barbecue them fairly quick on a hot barbecue. I marinated some in a soy/ Worchester sure sauce combo. And then cooked some with just salt and pepper. I will say without hesitation that it was the best game I've ever cooked in my life. Plain salt and pepper was delicious. My kids loved it, my wife loved it. I shot this one in the Harlingen/Brownsville area

I have never tried bacon wrapping one of them, however I think anything wrapped in bacon is good. Hahahahahaha

Very tough animals. He didn't even move when the bullet hit him. Every elk I've shot with that then shutters on the boa very tough animals. He didn't even move when the bullet hit him. Every elk I've shot with that then shutters when the bullet hits. He just ran
 
I have never tried bacon wrapping one of them, however I think anything wrapped in bacon is good. Hahahahahaha

Very tough animals. He didn't even move when the bullet hit him. Every elk I've shot with that then shutters on the boa very tough animals. He didn't even move when the bullet hit him. Every elk I've shot with that then shutters when the bullet hits. He just ran

Bacon does good, keeps them moist.

Nilgai are so tough, I have shot most of them behind the crease of the shoulder with my 7 STW and 150 Swift Scirocco at 3380 fps and goes through like butter, out the other side and thumbhole sized. I don't like shoulder shots, it bruises the meat and makes a mess on the shoulders when cleaning. They always run with a double lung shot for a 100 yards or a bit more. I always had to track them. Once I shot a bull dead center in the throat at 200 yards and DRT on the spot. Neck shots tend to drop them better. I look forward to get one soon when my .300 Win Mag or .300 RUM is custom built. I like to try a 200 grain Accubond, Nosler Partition or a Barnes TSX on them critters.
 
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