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Best Tasting Texas Exotics?
Posted on 7/8/26 at 3:11 pm
Posted on 7/8/26 at 3:11 pm
Appears my cousin will sell the property I’ve had almost exclusive use of in Mississippi prior to deer season, so all of a sudden, I’m down to my one week in South Texas where I have limitations on what I can take. So I’ve started looking into doing a “meat hunt” in Texas as I used to. I’ve only eaten axis (a lot, and delicious) and fallow, I’ve got a spot offering both of those, Nilgai, broken horn Oryx, red hind…the eland and impala are out of my price range. Soliciting thoughts from those that have dined on the others.
15
Posted on 7/8/26 at 3:36 pm to Icansee4miles
I love nilgai.
I have a deep freezer full in my basement of jalapeño cheese sausage, sweet heat sausage, hamburger meat, snack sticks and some steaks.
It’s a leaner meat and less gamey than deer. I told my wife it was organic
she and my 3 y/o eat it too. Haven’t bought ground beef in a long time
I have a deep freezer full in my basement of jalapeño cheese sausage, sweet heat sausage, hamburger meat, snack sticks and some steaks.
It’s a leaner meat and less gamey than deer. I told my wife it was organic
she and my 3 y/o eat it too. Haven’t bought ground beef in a long time 
Posted on 7/8/26 at 4:04 pm to Icansee4miles
Nilgai is the best and you get a lot of it. If it's a meat hunt, you can get a cow for a lot less than a bull. Sounds like you already know about Axis. Those are really the only 2 I would truly consider really good tasting. I actually have become addicted to Axis meat. I get it delivered year round from Hawaii. Oryx is kinda meh to me although the one I shot was old so that probably had a lot to do with it.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 5:38 pm to MWP
I’ve seen Rize rave about Nilgai as well. So, follow-up question, I know they are big, tough animals, what caliber gun will I need. My .300 WinMag would obviously be my first choice, but something happened (probably the optics) and I’ve been unable to get it dialed back to where it once was. Can I use my son’s .270 WSM? I’m team .270, but I’m not Jack O’Conner thinking I can take everything with it, and they don’t appear to have much of a neck.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 6:40 pm to Icansee4miles
If the opportunity presents itself, Red deer hind (doe) all day long. IMO, better than Nilgai
Posted on 7/8/26 at 7:00 pm to Got Blaze
not a ton of meat, but i think black buck is outstanding.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 7:03 pm to Got Blaze
Good to know, this one ranch must be overrun with red deer, those are quite a bit cheaper. Axis prices are up everywhere since that big freeze decimated them a few years ago. Best I’ve found so far is $700, before the freeze, I could get those for $300.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 7:33 pm to Icansee4miles
Hopefully, Rize will see this thread…..he is in a club in south Texas where there a bunch of exotics.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 7:35 pm to Icansee4miles
Can’t beat a cheap red deer hind. I shoot one every other year.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 8:07 pm to Icansee4miles
Red deer hind for the price for sure. Nilgai is delicious too. Scimitar oryx is amazing as well and I've heard Gemsbock (oryx) is just as good. Hard to go wrong with any but I'm cheap so I'd so whatever is lowest per pound ????
Posted on 7/8/26 at 8:54 pm to Icansee4miles
Man Nilgai can take a lot of abuse from a big rifle and act like they aren’t even phased. I’m not saying a 270 won’t kill one but all the guides I know that run Nilgai hunts will not let their clients use much less than a 300 Mag. Shite I watched a video of Keith Warren putting a couple of rounds from a Barrett in one and the bull ate both before collapsing.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 8:55 pm to Icansee4miles
quote:
My .300 WinMag would obviously be my first choice, but something happened (probably the optics) and I’ve been unable to get it dialed back to where it once was
Unless you’re leaving tomorrow, why not get a new scope for it and get it dialed back in before the trip? I’ve never been on one of those hunts, so I can’t say if a 270 is considered sufficient or not, but if I had a 300 win, that’s what I would bring.
Posted on 7/8/26 at 10:55 pm to Icansee4miles
Nilgai and Axis
Posted on 7/9/26 at 9:19 am to Icansee4miles
I’ve never had nilgai, but axis is top of the list for me. Elk is #2 and sika is close to those as well.
Blackbuck was fine but no better than a young whitetail IMO. Aoudad wasn’t great.
Blackbuck was fine but no better than a young whitetail IMO. Aoudad wasn’t great.
Posted on 7/9/26 at 9:35 am to Icansee4miles
Never had axis but I’d rank red hind over nilgai. But not very far behind. Both are way better than whitetail IMO.
Posted on 7/9/26 at 10:48 am to Icansee4miles
quote:
Can I use my son’s .270 WSM
Yes. It'll kill it dead if you put the bullet in right place. People have killed them with 243. Shoot it dead in the shoulder with a heavy bullet or mono.
Nilgai is much better eating compared to whitetail deer.
This post was edited on 7/9/26 at 10:51 am
Posted on 7/9/26 at 11:27 am to Icansee4miles
Angus
Posted on 7/9/26 at 11:40 am to Icansee4miles
Nilgai cows are much easier to kill than Nilgai bulls. They have much thinner skin and easier to clean also. 6.5 PRC,.308, .270, 7 mag are all fine for cows. I use a .300 win mag with a good bullet and shoot until they drop
I keep my freezer stocked with axis and nilgai at the house and whitetail for camp meat at my ranch. Both axis and nilgai are better than whitetail so you’d be happy with both. Good sized nilgai cow should be over 300 lbs so a good bit bigger than an axis doe.
I’ve seen a ton of wild shite at my ranch and my lease in the Hill Country. I haven’t shot them all just axis and nilgai. Trying to build up the population of Sika and Fallow at the lease currently but the fallow will be tough because I’ve only got 2 hanging around. Got a good amount and growing population of sika deer currently.
I keep my freezer stocked with axis and nilgai at the house and whitetail for camp meat at my ranch. Both axis and nilgai are better than whitetail so you’d be happy with both. Good sized nilgai cow should be over 300 lbs so a good bit bigger than an axis doe.
I’ve seen a ton of wild shite at my ranch and my lease in the Hill Country. I haven’t shot them all just axis and nilgai. Trying to build up the population of Sika and Fallow at the lease currently but the fallow will be tough because I’ve only got 2 hanging around. Got a good amount and growing population of sika deer currently.
This post was edited on 7/9/26 at 11:48 am
Posted on 7/9/26 at 12:49 pm to Icansee4miles
If they have a cow elk for the taking that would be my vote, lots of meat and better than any of the others mentioned in my opinion anyway.
Posted on 7/9/26 at 1:23 pm to TxWadingFool
quote:
If they have a cow elk for the taking that would be my vote, lots of meat and better than any of the others mentioned in my opinion anyway.
I haven’t had elk in a long time so I don’t even remember what it taste like. I hear sika is similar to elk.
This post was edited on 7/9/26 at 1:27 pm
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