Laguna Atascosa NWR 1/10-1/12 Rifle Hunt

[TGKIL]

What about watering holes? Looking on google earth and google maps, you can see tons of tracks/trails leading to watering holes. You can even see tracks through the mud in some of the holes. It is impossible to tell what left the tracks in the mud, but the trails sure look like game trails to me.

Anyone ever have luck posting up on a trail leading to water? If that is the route I'm gonna take, I'll make sure to be a few hundred yards down wind of the trail.

[Jspradley]

What about watering holes? Looking on google earth and google maps, you can see tons of tracks/trails leading to watering holes. You can even see tracks through the mud in some of the holes. It is impossible to tell what left the tracks in the mud, but the trails sure look like game trails to me.

Anyone ever have luck posting up on a trail leading to water? If that is the route I'm gonna take, I'll make sure to be a few hundred yards down wind of the trail.

Lots of travel lanes near the water holes. A lot of those will turn out to be nilgai tracks too, they are unmistakable in person.

You'll probably have good luck posting up near those and/or their poop piles.

[Muddy Bud]

The 300 will get it done but you may want to consider a heavier bonded bullet, Barnes or Nosler Partition type. These are big critters and a heavier bonded round will help get the penetration you will need to get through bone and vitals. Allthough the SST is a great round I don't think it has enough retention to get to the vitals well enough if it contacts bone first.

[Jerry1025]

I had success last year finding a convergence of trails leading to a main and active dung pile. Sat off the trail only about 100 yards and connected with a bull coming in broadside. Used a 300 weatherby mag with weatherby 180gr. Hit through the shoulder on the first shot and then had a quick follow up that dropped him. Found both bullets in the offside hide and left no blood trail so make sure you drop them.

[TGKIL]

The 300 will get it done but you may want to consider a heavier bonded bullet, Barnes or Nosler Partition type. These are big critters and a heavier bonded round will help get the penetration you will need to get through bone and vitals. Allthough the SST is a great round I don't think it has enough retention to get to the vitals well enough if it contacts bone first.

What do you think about Hornady 180 gr GMX? Solid copper core should hold up and punch through, huh? Biggest game I've ever shot are whitetails, so this is all new territory for me!

[piercebronkite]

What do you think about Hornady 180 gr GMX? Solid copper core should hold up and punch through, huh? Biggest game I've ever shot are whitetails, so this is all new territory for me!

That’s what I shoot but in .30-.378. Worked for taking my Nilgai and has stopped 170 pound boars in their tracks.


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[Muddy Bud]

I'm sure the SST would work but I'd rather be going into a hunt like this with a bonded bullet. The GMX would probably be a better option. I know guys that have sunk 4 shots from a 300 Wby mag and 220 grain bullet into good bulls to get them down. And then again I know guys who have taken them with a 270. I've shot a cow with a 140 gr Nosler Partition in 270 and it took three shots. First shot was a poor one running at about 175 yards. But it was enough to slow her down for the last two.

[TGKIL]

I just picked up a few boxes of 180 grain gmx, so I should be set. I’m gonna wait till after deer season to rezero for the gmx’s, and hopefully it won’t take too many shots to get it all set.

On another note, have any of you guys stayed at Thomae Park? I’m planning on staying there to save a few bucks and add to the nostalgia of the trip, but I’m not above getting a room somewhere if it looks like all my stuff will walk off while I’m out hunting.

[FlyGuyy]

[QUOTE=TGKIL;14397604

On another note, have any of you guys stayed at Thomae Park? I’m planning on staying there to save a few bucks and add to the nostalgia of the trip, but I’m not above getting a room somewhere if it looks like all my stuff will walk off while I’m out hunting.[/QUOTE]



Never stayed there, but I just booked a tent space for my trip. 1st time down to do this hunt. I’ve never had trouble before at a campground, and this one gets locked up every evening. Curious what others have to say about it.

[dannorocks]

Golly this thread makes me crave sweet baby nilgai meat.

Think of this...by December they've been hunted there a few months and the scent and sight of anything moving they run. A blue bull in a winter coat will have nearly black fur and the only thing you'll quickly identify is the white throat patch. So yeah a long shot is common, but if you can use cover and wind to your advantage do so. I've only killed one, a running Texas heart shot at about a 40 yard shot. So yes they can be taken by surprise, but if they see you first and run while you shoot, shoot anyway.

I've stayed at Thomae park, tent camping isn't quite as nice as like a state park, but theres an open area where they let us tent. Great place to be and trade info with other hunters too, but it can get loud on weekends. I had got locked out one night and ended up staying at Wal Mart down south, but heck I killed a buck that next day. Good luck y'all.

[FlyGuyy]

How many of you use a pop-up blind at Laguna Atascosa?

I’ve never used one before. Any recommendations on one that can be backpacked in? I also hunt the SHNF a fair amount (no deer lease) so I’d use it out there too if I decided to purchase one.

[Jspradley]

Never stayed there, but I just booked a tent space for my trip. 1st time down to do this hunt. I’ve never had trouble before at a campground, and this one gets locked up every evening. Curious what others have to say about it.

Campground is nice and quiet, a bit expensive per night but it's not bad.

THere's a shower on site too so that almost makes it work it haha

[Tiburon1]

The furthest shot I took on the 5 I harvested there two years ago, was maybe 50 yards. My advise is to practice walking up to your target, with the scope turned to 4 or 5 (I too was shooting 300 win mag with a 4x12 Zeiss) and practice getting on the target quickly. 3 out of the 5 shots I had were running but two of them (cow and a bull) had no idea I was there. When you are stalking, always keep your scope turned down low as it will give you more of a view of the animal. My partner pulled up on a huge bull and only saw fur when he got the animal in the scope. He didn't know what part of the body he was shooting at and by the time he corrected the issue the bull was gone. If the nilgai does not know you are there, you will have time to turn the scope up. Shooting sticks will work if you plan on sitting. But if you are going to stalk, then they will be a bourdon.

Thanks for the advice! I am shooting a 300 win mag with 180 grain Berger bullet and 500 yards is not a problem. Super excited about this hunt!!

[TGKIL]

I went ahead and booked at Thomae, couldn’t turn down a shower every night for only $20!

[Tiburon1]

[QUOTE=TGKIL;14388464]Hello everyone, long time listener first time caller here!

I was lucky enough to get drawn for this hunt, and my first thought was “I have no freaking idea what I’m doing!” I’ve been hunting over 30 years, but nearly all of those years have been spent ambushing whitetails in Arkansas, so I think it is safe to say the odds are against me being successful on this trip.

I’m not gonna be that guy that rolls into this forum and says “Tell me what zone to go to, or where do y’all see all the nilgai at?”, that’s not what I’m here for at all! I am looking for some general advice from people that have hunted nilgai before that can help me formulate a plan of attack before I drive down from Fort Worth and wander around aimlessly in rattlesnake country.




Premier conditions for a nilgai is clear and cool. If you have a cloudless and relatively calm day where it never gets above 55 degrees they will be out all day.



There pretty smart and typically go to thick brush to bed down.



When nilgai get spooked they do not run to the next brush line and stop like a white tail does but will continue to run for miles. This said, they are going to be wherever they are least pressured.



This kind of goes with your next question as your hunt is during the breading season. Large Bulls will break off of the bachelor herds and will begin to round up cows in a group.



See above



Using corn is prohibited on LANWR but I've hunted these guys on the King, Yturria, and the Kennedy and have never seen them come to corn, so no big loss there. Nilgai do have an interesting characteristic in that they mark their territory with scat piles. I've never bothered hunting the scat piles but if you find fresh scat then obviously there will be nilgai around. You'll understand what I mean when you see one. And you will see one.



If you have a frost, they will not be moving early in the morning. If it's clear they will start sunning themselves by about 8:30 am. Also, if it's raining they probably will not be moving. They are not fans of the rain.