Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Nilgai vs scimitar oryx

I would pick the Nilgai since Scimitar Oryx can be hunted in many other places. I've never been where they had Nilgai, always heard Kings Ranch was the best place to go. I hunted alot of Exotics, from Del Rio to Uvalde, up to the YO Ranch. I have only shot one Scimitar Oryx. 85gr XBT started out at 2900fps from a little 6x47mm with a long barrel. I had a neck fusion a few months before the hunt (Leakey). I started out with an Axis doe, then a big Axis Buck, then I made a last minute deal for the Oryx. I shot him in the base of the neck. That little round ( a 222 Magnum necked up to 6mm) really made my Outfitter buddy nervous! ha.

I’m glad I hunted the nilgai. It was extremely challenging, but was a great time. Their imposed 150 yard shooting limit made for really good stalks, but the animals were very spooky which made the hunt even better in my opinion. This was a a new area right on the coast. The only negative of the whole thing is that I got covered in chiggers crawling threw the grass the last day.

Ditto. Nilgai tastes pretty bland, to me. Oryx has more flavor. I'd put it up there with eland for flavor and tenderness.

Well, Bob, all hunting experience is subjective, so your opinion is fine in my books. Even though I hold contrary!

I've shot one nilgai, a cow at about 75 yards, and two oryx, at about 325 both times.

I killed my nilgai with STXHUNTER on the coastal islands off the coast of the King Ranch, at a place he knows. The nilgai cross back and forth to these islands pretty regularly, apparently, and the islands are State land, so free to hunt. Anyways, we laid in wait in a spot where they ford across at low tide, and sure enough a cow and calf came across. I took the cow with my .270 WSM, and Roger took the calf with his 300 RUM. My cow ran about 100 yards and then collapsed; I'd double-lunged her, and that did the trick as well on her as it has on any other critter I've double-lunged. For reference, the nilgai cow was about the same size as a cow elk, in my estimation.

My oryx both occurred on a ranch I know in the Trans-Pecos. We were hunting mule deer, but saw the oryx and the rancher/guides suggested I go for one of them. They "planted" oryx several years ago, and now have a herd of over 50. We stalked a group of about 10 of them to within 300 yards or so, but they weren't willing to let us get any closer. As they moved off I took a hurried shot but missed, so we left them and went back for mule deer. We later found the cow about a mile south of the spot, a lone cow, with a broken leg which I had apparently caused. I finished her with a neck shot. The second was the larger of a pair of bulls at a laser-ranged 320ish yards, and again that was as close as we could stalk. I put one bullet in his boiler room and he dropped dead 10 yards from where I'd hit him. I was surprised by the size of these oryx, I'd estimate their live weight at well over 300 pounds. It's a good bit of lifting for me and a strong young Texan to get one into the bed of a pickup.

All 3 critters fell to a 270 WSM, 140 gr Accubond.

I've eaten both. I couldn't pick between them

That's been my experience. They're both very good--but as always some people prefer milder or "more flavored" game meat. I've killed and eaten nilgai from cows to trophy bulls, and while some claim cows are much better (as they often do with elk) we've had fine meat from both.

Relatively few hunters kill female oryx, whether scimitar-horned or gemsbok. Have eaten mature males and females of both and they've all been good.

(following!)

Prices on both types of hunts seem to have gone up pretty dramatically from what I can recall. Not too long ago many ranches were shooting Nilgai out of helicopters in an effort to eradicate them because they were potentially going on a protected species list. The status of the herd in their native habitat was making listing them a viable threat. Now they are getting $5k for a 2-day hunt on an invasive species!

Whatever floats your boat no wrong answer

“ Now they are getting $5k for a 2-day hunt on an invasive species!”

King Ranch =they? Are both considered invasive?

On the King Ranch they’re way less invasive now than they were. That freeze killed a lot of mature cows and bulls. They said herd numbers were down a lot, but they have twins a lot of times so it should rebound in the next several years.

I guess I could also add that the amount of meat I got from my bull was 202 pounds, and it tastes great.

Took a scimitar horned oryx some yers ago. Tasty table fare but darn tough. Butcher asked me if I wanted it to go through the tenderizer? I said no, he replied yes you want it to go through the tenderizer. Good ‘nuff! Glad I took his advice as it was still tough. But tasty. MTG