I am planning a S. Texas nialgi hunt for after the new year. Please relay any outfitter/ranch experiences that you may have had with prices please.

Thanks.

That critters on my bucket list as well. Look forward to what you get for answers.

Dober

I'd take my Mashburn, how about you?

Doc and Dober,

If I were you, I would call the King Ranch Saddle Shop in Kingsville, TX. Yes, it is part of the King Ranch and this is where they book their Nialgi hunts. You want to hunt on the Norias Division of the King Ranch. The Kennedy Ranch and the Chapman Ranch plus a number of others have Nialgi hunts too. But just to hunt on the King Ranch is an experience and the deer you will see are awesome!!! You'll understand why a very nice deer hunt will be in excess of $10K on the 800,000 acre King Ranch.
The number to call is: 877-282-5777 Monday - Friday 9 am - 6 pm. A bull fee is around $750 and a cow fee is $300 with a $300-$1000 trophy fee. You can shoot hogs and javilas for $150
The best time to go is after Christmas when the rattle snakes are slower due to the cooler weather and you can see what stings you! The hide on a Nialgi bull is TOUGH! Buy the best knife you can afford that holds an edge. Then buy a second knife to use because the first one is going to get too dull to cut.

Sorry Dober, you will have to leave your 7mm "Coyote Gun" at home! (I hate tell you but we consider 7mm Mags as a good coyote gun in Texas and Oklahoma.) Most place, unless they have changed, require you to shoot a .300 magnum or larger.

It is an expereince and do take pictures to post for the rest of us!

For a farm raised deer?



That one has me laughing!

I hunted the Kennedy a number of years ago as a business guest "ala Texas oil". I brought a Ruger 35 Whelen loaded with 250 gr Speer's and absolutely rolled a big bull at 150 yards in one of their legendary full gallops. A lot of luck with the shot without question. Their "toughness" proved less so as I recall seeing its rear legs flip vertical as the recoil caused me to lose the finality. There he was dead. The ranch hand was so impressed with the rounds performance and having never heard the Whelen asked he if I would give him a round for his collection. Of course I did and that hunt sold me on the Whelen.

I have hunted nilgai a few times, and in my experience the Norias division of the King Ranch was indeed the best place to go. A really nifty part of the world!

If you consider a pasture that may have anywhere from 15,000 up to 54,000 acres a "farm", well then, yeah--they're "farm raised". The King Ranch is famous for its netwire fencing (that they invented), but the fences are only 5 1/2 ft tall and whitetails clear them with ease. (The nilgai go under).

You "nawhtherners" really have no idea.

For a farm raised deer?


Yes sir, $10K is just the start for a nice freaky horned deer and they quickly go higher depending how freaky the deer's horns. And the "farm" we call'um "spreads" or "pastures" can easily be 10,000 - 40,000 depending on whose spread it is.

People often get the wrong idea about "pens", even high fenced set ups. A good friend has 1,000 acres under high fence in Louisiana along the Red River in rich bottom land hardwoods. He has deer in there that he's seen maybe once or twice on a trail camera that he's never laid eyes on. It's not a cow pen with a few animals grazing about.

DF

I would love to go shoot one of those Nialgi. I know they're tough and can take multiple hits. I wouldn't hesitate in taking one with a 28 caliber 175 Partiton.

In regards to the deer you mention, are they indigenous or specially breed and fed?

I'd just soon shoot a penned up beef cow as one of these.
http://www.winnwhitetails.com/deer-sales.html

I'm with you SU, I'd hammer one in a heart beat with my Mash and a 175 Noz. Thinking he'd quickly take a long Nozler nap...grin

Dober

Native deer, feed on acorns and mast. Owner does plant clover.

DF

I sure hope you're kidding with that one........

+1 BIG TIME

Coyote rifle... Sheesh...

I can't see how that wouldn't work.

Or put another way. I wouldn't bet against it...

DF

Call Chico Barrera on the IBC Borregas lease on the King Ranch (you may have to call the King Ranch offices, but they will tell you how to contact him). If he can't fix you up, he will know who can, both on the King and surrounding ranches. I hunt nilgai across the fence from the King on the south end. I use my .280 or 7x57 ALWAYS and have used 140 TB or Partitions or 160s Partitions with never a problem. My partner uses only a 30-06 with TB, but he just got some Swift A-frames, again, never a problem. However, as stated, most of the ranches down here require a .300 or larger. My guess is you have a bunch of city slickers that can't shoot, don't know where to shoot, etc... NIlgai aren't bullet proof, but if you hit them wrong, you may be in for a long day.

That is interesting... it would seem to me that if a great hit is necessary you'd tell the hunter to bring whatever he shoots best and have it loaded w/ a premium or ultra-premium bullet.

A bad hit w/ a 300 mag won't kill faster than a good one with, say, a 257 Roberts, will it?

Rhetorical of course, stating the obvious I know, and directed at no one in particular...

I have looked at several sites and the Yuturra Ranch says only .300 Mag and up with premium bullets. My Mashburn would work to me. They aren't any bigger than a big elk and you just have to hit them in the soft spots. In my experience if you hit most anything in the wrong spot you will be in for a long day.

I also have a.375 Ruger that with 235 gr. Barnes should work.

$3 K seems to be the going rate.

Most "city slickers" would be better off with something which produces less recoil than a 300 Win Mag. I would rather take someone who shoots a 243 well than someone who has a 338 Win Mag they can't shoot well.

That would be a Nilgai ?

As I have posted several times in the past, we killed them with a variety of cartridges ranging from .243s up to and including the .338 Win Mag. Most of the stories about nilgai absorbing copious quantities of lead result from people taking running shots, often at extended ranges, at spooked animals. Non-magnum cartridges work well with the right bullets if you can place your shots where they need to go. That is the key to successfully putting one on the ground.

The bulls are tough: we had to put down several that were walking around with parts of their intestines dragging the ground after they were ripped up in fights with other bulls.

What are the usual hunting tactics? I have had this one my list for a while but was turned off when it seemed like most of it was done from vehicles.

Do any of the ranches have terrain that would be better suited to a spot and stalk kind of hunt?

Seems to me that JB did a hunt and if I recall right he did it on foot S&S style. Thinking I'll have to get him and Ingwe in the truck and head south one of these days.

Perhaps I'll bring my 22/250....grin. I've seen it dump enough elk to know I'd be all right with the right shot placement.

Gasp....

Dober

For any horned animal in North America.

There are several 6mm properly constructed bullets made which will kill well. Most shooters with "magnum-itis" cannot shoot the their rifles worth a hoot. Give me someone that can put that bullet where it needs to be every time.

Nothing at all wrong with the 7mm's (just that weird Mashburn thingy sorry I had to do it Dober )

Personally I shoot a 388 Win Mag. It is my favorite caliber for deer on up. ymmv

U be nice EH, you may have to ride along on a Wyo sheep hunt (if I ever draw...) and watch me put the cochise to a borrego Mashburn style...

Dober

I still feel bad ya didn't shoot a bullwinkle.....

contact Val he's a member here and a really good guy.

http://qualityhuntconsultants.com/

For what it is worth, the Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR offers a draw for nilgai hunts. If drawn you get two days in Feb to hunt on the refuge. Two weekends are available. Cost is $60 only if you are drawn. I've drawn twice. My boys draw nearly every year for deer and the nilgai are FREE (all you want to haul out). Plenty of animals there too!

No worries my friend, I had a super time! And I appreciate your help on it.

Dober

THANKS MUDHEN.... I hope our 'naysayers', nawtherners or not will read your post WITH AN OPEN MIND and learn somthing.

OTOH there are CANNED (hunts) SHOOTS that I think are disgusting.

Just looked back in my hunting notes: I did not hunt the Norias section of the King 10 years ago (the last time I hunted the King) but the Tio Moya. Dunno if the TM is still available to paying hunters, but I hunted it a couple of times for deer, nilgai, pigs and javelina, and it was great.

One of the hunts I did on the TM was an "industry" hunt with a dozen hunters field-testing the then-new .270 WSM with 140-grain Fail Safes. Before the hunt started the guides were nervous, but afterward (with around 30 nilgai taken) they thought the .270 WSM was a GREAT nilgai rounds. They're no tougher than elk, but taste even better.

One of the reason I liked hunting the Tio Moya was the nilgai were hunted on foot in the brushy sand dunes near the coast. I went on one "pickup chase" nilgai hunt (my first) and would never do that again. But still-hunting them is great fun, and productive.

Mark--I'm ready to go back, and I bet E. would come along. If we shared gas money it wouldn't be expensive at all!

Jb and Perro,

Count me in as long as you swing my southern Arizona to pick me up on the way!

John-lets cuss and discuss this a bit this spring while trying to find a suitable bruin for E.

My better half wants to be the nilgai shooter

Dober

Sounds like a deal!

We're heading east for turkeys first, but Eileen is eager to hunt bruins this spring.

ingwe since John and Dober are taking there better half...we better round up Travis, Dan, shrapnel and BGG to make the trip to keep them out of trouble!

Been in contact with Josh down there. The wolves have pushed the moose down to those ranches.

John,

The Tio Moya is just one of the pastures on the Norias Division of the King Ranch. It is on the south end next to the El Sauz Ranch (which used to be a part of the King Ranch).

Ben

I've read this with interest. Many moons ago I was privileged to hunt on a place that had a common border with the King. You could bait some of the King Ranch bucks over the fence and take them. No problem. However you could see others in there that you could not bring out that would make your jaw drop and your eyes water.
If you were stupid enough to cross their fence and get caught God help you. I am sure it is "better" now but back in those days you might just disappear and never be found. That happened more than once as anyone who knows that country can attest.
Anyone, like mudhen, that knows that county will know that I speak the truth. You absolutely did not want to see one of the King Ranch fence riders and you had better not if you were on the wrong side of the fence. Better if you were back away from the fence a ways too. Like a hundred yards or so.
Just like I don't know nothing about hunting elk in the mountains so I keep my yawp shut and just listen. Anyone that don't know about hunting in, on or around the King best just keep still and listen.

Ben,

Thanks for the clarification!

I'm thinking about running down the inter coastal and hunting the spoil islands

We need to talk one of these days.

Sounds like a great meat hunt. <$500 for a cow and some piggies?

Getting the hell out of the PNW for a week or so in Jan. or Feb. sounds great too!

I spent a good bit of time on the King about 20 yrs. ago before Martin Clement and Tio left doing range mgmt. stuff. I've just never hunted there. I see Nialgi frequently when I fish up the Port Mansfield shore line and want to do this as a present to one of my industrial clients who likes to hunt.

I will not do anything but a spot and stalk hunt. Riding around in high seat trucks is stupid and doesn't do anything except spook game. A lot of pretty good deer leases have been ruined by that sort of thing however there are plenty of stupid and lazy hunters out there.

Thanks guys. Any of your Montana people or Bob in N.Hampshire who want to test Mashburns with me can co-ordinate. A gathering of Mashburns so to speak.

pm me

The last time I was at the King Ranch, biologist Justin Feild mentioned starting an early season archery hunt over water holes for nilgai and wt. I'm not sure if that hunt ever came to be or not, but it would be a blast.

I killed this cow in 2009 while deer hunting. Running shot with a MK V 30-06, 165 grain SST. This was the best tasting wild game I've ever eaten.


These bucks are some of the high dollar deer. I dont know the prices but I knew they were out of my price range.




The turkey hunting is also phenominal.