One of the most unique yet often
unknown exotic game species in the state of Texas has to be the Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus Pallas). Nilgai were originally
released into the rangeland of South Texas by the King Ranch in the 1930s. These antelopes stand at an astounding 50 to
60 inches at the shoulder making them the largest antelope in their native
rangeland of India and Pakistan. Nilgai cows can range anywhere from 300 to 500
pounds, while the bulls can average anywhere from 400 to 600 pounds. Nilgai bulls, who are often called “blue
bulls” due to their blue tinted hide color, have horns that extend anywhere
from 8 to 10 inches from the top of their head.
Due
to the similarity in habitat preferences, Nilgai have adapted extremely well to
the South Texas rangeland and their population numbers have flourished. In fact, they are the second most populous
free-ranging exotic ungulate species in the state, behind feral hogs (Sus scrofa). Previous research has shown that the Nilgai
population has grown around 13,000 individuals since 1979 and they now number
around 15,000 in South Texas (Butts, 1979; Davis, 1994). However, their distribution has been strictly
limited to this area for one reason: temperature. Nilgai cannot handle the cold extremes north
of these South Texas rangelands for two reasons. First off, Nilgai have only a thin layer of
fat reserves that give them little sustainable insulation and secondly these
low temperatures suppress the forage opportunity for this exotic species. In Texas, Nilgai have a diet consisting of about
65% grasses, 25% forbs and 15% browse (Sheffield, 1983). Outside of cold temperatures, coyotes and
hunting by humans are the only other mechanisms of predation for Nilgai.
Nilgai
are a great game species because of the quality and amount of lean meat they
produce. Although low temperatures
contain them to South Texas, Nilgai can become a pest. They have been known to destroy
infrastructure (mainly fence-lines) across South Texas ranches. Some landowners have made efforts to control
this species to a more manageable number.
Nilgai
have an interesting life history that often goes unrecognized. They have become part of the culture of the
vast rangeland of South Texas. They are also exotic game species, which allows
for hunters to hunt them year round with no bag limit. There are many
opportunities to hunt and observe these large creatures. Don’t miss out!
Picture
gathered from: http://www.fieldandstream.com
 |
| Bull Nilgai |
References:
Butts, Gregory L.
1979. The Status of Exotic Big
Game in Texas. Rangelands 1.2: 152. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
Davis, William B., Schmidly, David J.1994."Nilgai (Boselaphus
Tragocamelus)." Nilgai
(Boselaphus Tragocamelus). The Mammals of Texas, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
Sheffield, William J.
1983. Food Habits of Nilgai
Antelope in Texas. Society for
Range Management 36.3: 136.
Web. 17 Feb. 2014.