First Thermal Hog Hunt

[JPK]

My 15yr old son and I went on our first thermal hog hunt last night and we had an incredibly great time.

My son missed on the first opportunity at a loan hog at about 70yds, due to "buck" fever. I connected on the next, also a loan pig, at about 50yds. Then we found a sounder of seven and set up when they were at 50yds, but they were walking/feeding toward us and by the time we were ready they were at 30-35yds. We got three each, with my son getting two for one on his first shot.

We were hunting with Hal, owner of Hog Swat near Albany, GA. I used our new IR Hunter MKII 35mm and my son used Hal's 3x, 640 Armasight.

Today I will get my son families with our new Patrol, which I mounted stand alone on one of our AR's, so he can give that a try tonight.

I'll post photos when I get them from Hal. And hopefully some more from tonight.

JPK

 

[FrankT]

Congrats, that would have made a great video!

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

30 yds away feeding towards you is like the worlds slowest hog attack! Sounds like you made them pay for it! Look forward to the pics.

 

[Curly Shuffle]

Great stuff on the first hunt!! Nice going!! BANG BANG!!

 

[Ratdog68]

Sounds like a great time for all, congrats.

 

[Lancer]

That's quality family time in my book! Good job Dad!

 

[gshock]

Congrats! Can't wait for pics or vid.

 

[Brian Shaffer]

Very cool!

 

[bldsmith]

Good for you... I did not get my son out until he was 30. Still had a great time.

 

[JPK]

We're in from tonight's hunt and it went about as well as last nights, with seven recovered hogs and one lost in the woods. Again a great time.

Tonight my son connected at about 80yds on a single small hog with a limp. Then we found two small boars together and my son and I each got one at about 50yds or so. Nearing the end of the hunt we found a sounder of six and dropped four, my son getting three of those, with my second hog escaping wounded into thick cover. None of recall where the sixth hog went, and we didn't video.

I'm having trouble loading photos to Photobucket and the photos may have to wait until we're home, which will be Friday.

After yesterday's hu t we left our gear in Hal's FWD van called the "Hambulance," so I didn't get the opportunity today to show my son how the IR Patrol works, so tonight he stuck with Hal's AR with the 3x 640 Armasight Zeuss and I used our 35mm Mark II again.

This isn't the first time my son has outshot me, and I hope it won't be the last!

JPK

 

[FrankT]

Good going JPK, you and your son must be very pleased!!

 

[JPK]

Frank,

We are both tickled. We made the 845mi drive with high hopes, but the reality beat expectations and even the high hopes.

I am really tickled by my son's performance on running hogs, and standing hogs for that matter. He shot darn well after getting over his bout of "buck" fever. I think watching some of TLM's video and his tutorial video on shooting running game helped my son a lot.

For anyone in the Mid Atlantic area who needs to travel to hog hunt, I would recommend Hog Swat. Hal, the owner, is a good guy and he and his brother, also a good guy, spared no efforts to show us a good time and put us on hogs.

On our way home today we met Hal and his 7yr old daughter for lunch at a little outdoor burger stand in a cross road town near where Hal lives and while we were waiting and then eating lunch a half dozen local farmers stopped by to see how the hunting was going and to give Hal an update on the crop and hog status on their places... And usually asking Hal to get by to hunt hogs. Moral of the story is that there are lots of hogs and Hal has lots of "scouts" and access to farms with hog problems. Also, his "Hambulance" with a thermal camera sticking out the roof isis unmistakable!

JPK

 

[FrankT]

I have never used a for pay place to hunt so glad you had a good experience and a good outfitter.

 

[customcutter]

Glad you and your son had a great time. Sounds like he's a natural. TLM has some great video's. I'm 60, and he's teaching me things, you're never too old to learn.