A Force of Nature, on the Hunt for Nilgai

 

Story by Lea Anne Powell

IN THE WILD, where courage meets skill, one woman stands out: Michelle Rathkamp—a force of nature whose prowess in hunting doesn’t just earn respect, it commands it. As an avid angler who’s spent time in the woods with a few, I can confidently say Michelle is a rare breed. Her expertise and unwavering confidence make her an unforgettable companion in the great outdoors.

Each year, Michelle applies for Texas Parks and Wildlife management hunts, including the archery draws. One of the most challenging Texas Draw hunts, with an 8% success rate overall and a mere 1% success rate for nilgai, caught her attention.When she got the email saying she’d drawn a spot for the December 16–20 hunt, she didn’t waste a second securing her permit.

Day 1: Scouting

Unfamiliar with the refuge and the specific region for hunting, she eagerly anticipated the opportunity to pursue Whitetail and nilgai. Seeking guidance and information from others, she embarked on a scouting day to survey the land, searching for fresh tracks and signs of deer and nilgai, including high game trails and other indicators.

Michelle Rathkamp secured a place on a TPWD draw archery hunt last December, and came away with a rare (one-percent success rate) nilgai kill.

(Photo: Lea Anne Powell)

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Satisfied with her chosen area, the following morning she pedaled in on her bike, and set up a pop-up blind. While observing a doe crossing her path, she later spotted another doe and a buck that used the same trail, yet found it challenging to get a clear shot at their vitals.

Day 2: Blind Change

On the second day, Michelle left her blind and positioned herself under some trees and brush along the trail. Concealed in the foliage, she heard a whitetail blowing. Initially unable to spot the source, she quickly realized it was a young buck expressing its disapproval of the pop-up blind she had left out.

After the buck made a swift exit, she retrieved her blind and repositioned it under a nearby tree. This gave her two shooting lanes, one on the left and one on the right.

Later that day, a doe unexpectedly appeared—not on the anticipated trail, but to her right, less than 20 yards away. It was evident that the doe, like the buck earlier, was unsettled by her pop-up blind. Michelle folded the blind and retrieved a camo cloth from her backpack, seeking a location that offered both cover and clear shooting lanes.

She found a large mesquite tree with some grass on one side. There, she constructed a makeshift blind using dead limbs, the tree, and nearby brush to secure the cloth and protect it from the wind. This two-sided impromptu blind seemed perfect, granting her an excellent field of vision with 90-degree shooting lanes to her right and left.

Day 3: Slow

On the third day, the morning was slow, and she only spotted a pig, a coyote, and a couple of distant whitetails walking on a trail.

Day 4: Rain & Nilgai

The fourth day began with rain, which boosted  Michelle’s prospects, as she suspected that many other hunters had chosen to sleep in due to the weather.

Once the rain subsided, a boar passed by, but she chose not to take the shot. Later, she noticed movement to her left, behind some trees and brush, but was unable to discern what it was. Using her binoculars, she identified a cow nilgai with a calf, marking her first in-person sighting of a nilgai.

The cow approached, stopping about 25 yards away, and stared at her. As she waited for the cow to be distracted, she prepared to draw her bow. However, as she began to draw, the sound of her jacket startled the cow, causing it to flee. While she regretted not being more cautious about the noise of her clothing, the cold and wet weather left little choice. The rest of the day was uneventful, but tough in the face of continued frigid conditions.

Day 5: Final Shot  

On the fifth and final day, she woke up early, mentally preparing herself to make the most of the day. She encountered a coyote running toward her, but it quickly turned and fled once it realized she was there. Despite this, she remained hopeful.

Michelle field dressed her kill, but had help from a pair of mountain bikers getting the meat back to base camp.

(Photo: Lea Anne Powell)

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Later, she noticed the presence of some nilgai calves and a cow. She prepared her bow and waited for an opportunity to draw on them, but they moved off in a different direction.

As the animal activity slowed, she spent time deep in thought, engaging in internal dialogue and observing the surrounding environment. Suddenly, a cow nilgai appeared, about 30 yards away. Her heart racing, Michelle eagerly waited for the cow to approach. But it walked out of her shooting range.

She debated whether to stay put or attempt to stalk the cow, then decided to move toward cover. When she returned to her blind, the cow appeared again, standing behind a tree. She waited for the right moment to draw her bow and set her sights on the approaching cow.

When the cow stopped roughly 20 yards away, she took the shot, and her arrow struck the cow’s chest. She heard the impact and saw the cow flee, mentally marking the last place she saw it. She waited a short while and then began to search for the cow.

She found blood and tracked it using her onX hunting app, eventually discovering the cow less than 20 yards away, having successfully completed her hunt.

She marked the cow on her on Xmap, then made her way back to her blind to gather her gear, knife and game bag, planning to walk straight in from the trail to retrieve the meat.

Using the onX app, she relocated the cow and began to quarter her, managing to cut off both hind quarters and a shoulder. Realizing she couldn’t carry all three quarters by herself, she packed the shoulder and a hind quarter in her bag and headed to her bike. Despite getting turned around a few times, she eventually made it to the main trail where her bike was waiting. She wrapped the quarters in the cloth from her blind, hoping to retrieve the rest of the meat before dark and before coyotes found it.

While wrapping up the meat, she noticed two men approaching down the trail with e-bikes and a cart. (Michelle, was one of the only ones in the woods at the time of this hunt with a good old fashioned pedal bike.)

With a sense of relief, she accepted the bikers’ unexpected help. Together, they retrieved the cow and got her back to Michelle’s truck.

Reflecting on the experience, she found the biking in and out during the mornings and evenings to be the most challenging part.

The physical exertion took a toll, especially in the rain and mud, making her consider investing in an e-bike for future hunts with similar transport requirements.

Despite the hardships, she was proud of the effort she put in, arriving at her blind early every morning and staying until after sunset. She had even made meaningful connections with the wildlife and deepened her spirituality through conversations with nature and with God. And despite not having success until the final day, she was content with the experience and looked forward to applying for the same hunt in the future.

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