在德州里奥格兰德河谷的金牧场，一次以获取肉为目的的猎捕凸显美国「野生蛋白」的热潮：猎人追踪近12小时，在约100码外开枪；若未穿透肩部与心脏，受伤的尼尔盖可能以每小时30英里逃逸，甚至需要动用猎犬。中弹后牠跑了约50英尺才倒下。

尼尔盖约于1924年被引入德州，雄兽可高达5英尺（1.5米）、重达660磅（300公斤），每头至少可产出100磅肉。由于入侵物种可全年狩猎，配额反而成为稀缺：导游称一年做约150场，但若配额允许可卖到1,000场。价格也上升：两天行程最高约6,000美元，2020年约3,400美元；金牧场的尼尔盖猎行需求较疫情前增近25%。

保育与金钱的关系呈现分歧：在坦尚尼亚的例子中，研究指出猎获收入回流社区不到3%，而生态旅游常更有效。美国端则以许可证与税收支撑资金：野生动物复育基金在2024年较2019年增加47%，接近10亿美元（最新有数据的猎证购买高峰在2021年）。若缺乏管控，利润也会反噬：野猪于1930年代引入、1980年代因繁殖放养而暴增；田纳西规定可猎数量为0，德州则几乎「全数」。食物援助尝试扩大野味用途：圣安东尼奥食物银行去年分发逾60,000磅鹿肉至至少29个郡，并开始处理入侵物种（含尼尔盖与经活体检验的野猪）。

A nilgai hunt in Texas illustrates the rise of “wild protein” in the US. After nearly 12 hours of stalking, the animal was shot from about 100 yards away; a bad hit can mean tracking a wounded nilgai that can run 30 mph, sometimes with dogs. This one sprinted roughly 50 feet before collapsing—turning a long, high-effort chase into dinner.

Nilgai were introduced to Texas around 1924 and are treated as an invasive species, so they can be hunted year-round. Adult males can reach 5 feet (1.5 m) and 660 pounds (300 kg), yielding at least 100 pounds of meat per animal. Supply is managed by quota: one guide says he runs about 150 hunts a year but could sell 1,000 if allowed. Prices rose too: up to $6,000 for a two-day hunt, from about $3,400 in 2020; King Ranch demand is up nearly 25% since before the pandemic.

Conservation outcomes hinge on where the money goes: research cited from Tanzania suggests under 3% of trophy-hunting funds reached communities, while ecotourism can generate repeat value. In the US, hunter-linked restoration funding rose 47% in 2024 versus 2019 to nearly $1 billion, and tag purchases hit a record in 2021 (latest data). Profit incentives can also worsen invasives: feral hogs introduced in the 1930s exploded after releases in the 1980s; Tennessee allows 0 hogs to be hunted, while Texas targets effectively all. Food-bank programs show scale limits but momentum: San Antonio Food Bank distributed 60,000+ pounds of venison to 29+ counties last year and is beginning to process invasive species, including USDA-inspected hogs.