Hi all,

So, I just got the notice today that I was drawn for the Lower RGV NWR - East Lake Exotics Hunt in November. Has anyone familiar with the area or hunted there before? What should I expect from the area? Any recommendations on hot spots there? Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance!

Also, is a 308 going to be enough gun?

Killed a couple nilgai cows on the Kenedy Rach a few weeks ago. Was shooting a .300 win mag and it did the trick. Those are wiley animals! Had never hunted them before and they are spooky as hell. Not sure how you are allowed to hunt, but we had the best luck glassing for them in a high rack, then moving up in to position in the pickup and taking the shot out of the rack. They pop up out of nowhere sometimes so be ready. Never saw any sitting in blinds. Granted this was only a three day hunt so my view on things is limited to my one experience doing it, they might show up to feeders or water holes, but we never found them at either.

I tried to post pics of my hunt down there but got frustrated by the new imgur and gave up.

My son got drawn for the youth hunt a few years ago at that refuge and I've bow hunted multiple times at the refuge further west. I've also shot a Nilgai on private land. I used a .30-06 and that was plenty. I think a .308 would be fine. For the youth hunt we brought both the .30-06 and .243. The .243 in case there was a smaller cow,

There is only one entrance, so you have to park and walk in. Everyone else will be starting from the same spot. There are only two roads. One basically goes north and the other west. We setup at the far end of the west road. We used bikes to haul in our pop-up. Lots of Nigai signs, but we didn't see any Nilgai during the trip. After trip, I figured out we were the 6th weekend of hunts and I'm guessing the hunting pressure had turned them nocturnal.

If I did it over again, I probably would not have ventured far from the parking lot and setup here:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/26%C2%B031'26.8%22N+97%C2%B051'29.6%22W/@26.5241043,-97.859731,698m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d26.5241006!4d-97.8582231

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My son got drawn for the youth hunt a few years ago at that refuge and I've bow hunted multiple times at the refuge further west. I've also shot a Nilgai on private land. I used a .30-06 and that was plenty. I think a .308 would be fine. For the youth hunt we brought both the .30-06 and .243. The .243 in case there was a smaller cow,

There is only one entrance, so you have to park and walk in. Everyone else will be starting from the same spot. There are only two roads. One basically goes north and the other west. We setup at the far end of the west road. We used bikes to haul in our pop-up. Lots of Nigai signs, but we didn't see any Nilgai during the trip. After trip, I figured out we were the 6th weekend of hunts and I'm guessing the hunting pressure had turned them nocturnal.

If I did it over again, I probably would not have ventured far from the parking lot and setup here:

[url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/26%C2%B031'26.8%22N+97%C2%B051'29.6%22W/@26.5241043,-97.859731,698m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d26.5241006!4d-97.8582231][/url]https://www.google.com/maps/place/26%C2%B031'26.8%22N+97%C2%B051'29.6%22W/@26.5241043,-97.859731,698m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d26.5241006!4d-97.8582231

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Thanks for sharing your experience! Any idea what they have planted in the fields to the south of your marker? Any particular reason why you would have chosen that area? (Other than distance from the parking lot?)

Not sure what was in the fields when we hunted.

That spot had deepest rut where you could tell they had been moving through on a frequent basis. In my nocturnal reference, I also think they were moving off the refuge at dawn, moving back in at dusk and possibly heading into that grove that is right off the refuge.

We setup here: https://goo.gl/maps/orsthzNBNHz

It was close to a sign that said you couldn't go beyond the creek you can see on the map to the southwest of the marker. It was about 1.5 miles from the parking lot.

Thanks! Will definitely scout that area you suggested.

Good luck on your hunt. Let us know how it goes.

My deer lease is a few miles north/ northeast of that unit. My goal is to get a nilgai with my bow this year.

Nilgai return to the same spot to defecate. Find a pile of semi-fresh poop and set up shop.

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Nilgai return to the same spot to defecate. Find a pile of semi-fresh poop and set up shop.

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I know this is a widely held strategy, but its not like a single Nilgai uses a single dung pile. Multiple Nilgai will use multiple dung piles along their path of movement. On the hunt on this refuge, they were moving out of the refuge during day and they were using the dung piles on the refuge at night.

If possible, I would use a portable tripod. Their vision is their most acute defense but elevating gets you out of their normal line of sight. I've never had them smell me, but all except a couple have seen me before I could see them. They will pause for a second staring at you and then run off. Your best shot would be a quartering away shot if you can get set up so they can't see you as they are passing by.

A bike is your friend on that hunt. You definitely have a shot at getting a nilgai there. Scout for sign and set up on a good trail and have a lot of patience. The areas that have been mentioned before are good. There are some big snakes down there so watch your step.

Yeah, snakes was the first thing to cross my mind! Hopefully they won't be too bad in February.

Wanted to bump this thread and see if there was anyone on the board who was drawn has hunted the Lower RGV NWR this year for Nilgai?

My hunt is next week and hoping to get some more current information on what to expect to see.

Thanks!

I have hunted the coastal areas south of there along the shore. I had nilgai tracks and droppings in my backyard, practically.

My duck hunting spot had a cut away full of nilgai scat everywhere. Looked like a mountain range of **** spanning about half a football field. You will know when you find one. Nothing like it.

I would duck hunt the same areas and never saw any between 5am and 11am. The most nilgai action I have seen is right after cotton planting, they are grazing seedlings in fields from the evening through twilight.

Since there are no crops out, yet, they shouldn't been in the fields and will be running around their feeding grounds. If you can find their paths, you will know. I would set up a camp as close to to the poop mountain ranges or tracks you can find, down wind, primitive. Start at the coast and work your way back.

You should be able to see this.






I don't think this is a dog....it was the size of my hand.

Looking for my poop mountain range pics.

I'm pretty sure that last one is a dog. What else would it be?

I dunno, it was on the Nilgai trails and huge.

I thought it was too wide for a dog, but I am certainly no expert in tracks.

AgEng06 said:

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I'm pretty sure that last one is a dog. What else would it be?

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I am going to say a big dog.

By the way, if you down a Nilgai in mud without a vehicle around.....good luck

Thanks!

Never still hunted nilgai but they **** in the same place. Find a pile of **** and sit close. 300 win mag is a good caliber if you want to kill/find and don't want to limit to neck shot.

The big star in the middle of the track means dog. The width vs. length points domestic dog.

Thank you, lol.