Night Vision NV and thermal kills...

I was after this guy in the Spring but he quit showing up after several failed attempts to get him. I didn’t expect to see him tonight.
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With this Thermion, I've noticed a bit less sensitivity to humidity than my old Trail. Unfortunately, I've blown out about two dozen pixels shooting it...so it will eventually have to go back to Sellmark (next year) for repair work. However, as long as it is working well otherwise I am going to hold onto it until next spring.
Unlike your other videos, you don't see the dead pixels in the latest one.
My 35 gunner doesn't have much recoil, but I was planning to sight in my noreen semi auto 30-06 with the thermion and am having second thoughts now.
 
Unlike your other videos, you don't see the dead pixels in the latest one.
My 35 gunner doesn't have much recoil, but I was planning to sight in my noreen semi auto 30-06 with the thermion and am having second thoughts now.

You're right...I didn't have any dead pixels jump out while I was shooting the last couple of times. I'm hoping that the Thermion will be good now...and not simply because I switched it to a lighter recoiling rifle. Time will tell...starting another. 308 build.
 
I lost the skull of my big boy for the year (cutter wise) as I'm sure a coyote dragged it off somewhere.

To be honest though, I was a lot more into keeping the skulls when I was only killing a couple dozen hogs per year. It seems like now I have just enough free time to load more ammo.
 
I lost the skull of my big boy for the year (cutter wise) as I'm sure a coyote dragged it off somewhere.

To be honest though, I was a lot more into keeping the skulls when I was only killing a couple dozen hogs per year. It seems like now I have just enough free time to load more ammo.
You definitely kill more than than I do. I should hit #50 for the year in the next couple weeks, I’m sure you’re close to, if not double that.
 
I'm just happy that this area hasn't got to the point where landowners want to charge me money to shoot hogs on their property. It's apparently getting that way down in some areas of TX now.
 
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I have not seen that other than with some of the touristy type hunting lodges, but with the way some people are here it would not surprise me. I have seen people go way overboard with what they want to charge for deer. One thing I do like about where I live, I can shoot in any direction and hit someone I don’t like.
 
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Once money is involved, the "Problem" will never go away.


Yep. 20 years ago, I could buy 5 pig tags, OTC, for $8 here in California. Then someone figured out we have 5 species of wild hogs, and people were going after the full house. Last I heard, a single tag was $25 (license is up to $70 for just hunting), and you can only get one tag at a time. Meanwhile, the central valley farmers howl about the destruction. DFG doesn't care; they're all about generating revenue for their tree hugger projects. Fuckers.
 
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I talked a good buddy from the Corps into buying a thermal a year ago. Took him out up here and showed him the learning curve before he went back home to Beaumont TX. He hasn't been out since. Apparently everyone he's spoken with wants money to hunt their land. The landowners are bitching about damage one sentence, and then discussing rates the next. As a former recruiter, I doubt that he's not asked enough people either.

Pardon my language, but fuck 'em...I hope that their properties look like the surface of the moon.

As a landowner and cattleman myself, I understand the risks of letting anyone out on your place. But if someone is willing to accept financial responsibility for their actions I don't see the reason to charge them for the privilege of helping me with my problems.
 
I talked a good buddy from the Corps into buying a thermal a year ago. Took him out up here and showed him the learning curve before he went back home to Beaumont TX. He hasn't been out since. Apparently everyone he's spoken with wants money to hunt their land. The landowners are bitching about damage one sentence, and then discussing rates the next. As a former recruiter, I doubt that he's not asked enough people either.

Pardon my language, but fuck 'em...I hope that their properties look like the surface of the moon.

As a landowner and cattleman myself, I understand the risks of letting anyone out on your place. But if someone is willing to accept financial responsibility for their actions I don't see the reason to charge them for the privilege of helping me with my problems.

Yeppers. I hunted a couple of ranches outside San Angelo (Luwake) and one south of Abilene years ago, and they were the same. "You shoot any cattle, you bought'em. But if you're looking to kill some pigs and/or deer, have at it." I miss those days...
 
Yeppers. I hunted a couple of ranches outside San Angelo (Luwake) and one south of Abilene years ago, and they were the same. "You shoot any cattle, you bought'em. But if you're looking to kill some pigs and/or deer, have at it." I miss those days...

Part of my introduction to a new landowner/property is my volunteering to reimburse them for any errant shots ($1K/calf, $1,500/cow). It helps to put them at peace a bit. This is also why I started putting my stuff on YouTube...to show that I'm not another asshole with a thermal.*

*Not that everyone is...but I regularly see shooting scenarios that make me cringe. Not that I'm completely immune to getting a little tunnel vision at times...but some of these dudes send their opening shots downrange over and in front of cattle.
 
Yep. 20 years ago, I could buy 5 pig tags, OTC, for $8 here in California. Then someone figured out we have 5 species of wild hogs, and people were going after the full house. Last I heard, a single tag was $25 (license is up to $70 for just hunting), and you can only get one tag at a time. Meanwhile, the central valley farmers howl about the destruction. DFG doesn't care; they're all about generating revenue for their tree hugger projects. Fuckers.
Wow! I guess I cannot bitch too much about Alabama...and I do...there is a lot of preaching out of our DNR about how bad hogs are, how much damage in $$$, etc....heck the State has even hired professional hawg killas with our tax dollas...but requires us landowners to request a night permit to hunt our land at night for piggies. Which ends prior to deer season because you know we cannot be trusted not to poach deer at night 😡. I hope they do not discover there is $$$ in charging for those permits!
 
^ Here in OK I have to fill out a feral swine night shooting exemption as well, as both a landowner (my place), and as a landowner designee (the other properties I hunt). Its a paperwork drill...plus I have to have written landowner permission on me, as well as let the local warden know when I'm out (his request, but it takes 10 seconds to send a text). I don't mind complying with all of that to stay legal and maintain a good relationship with the warden.

During gun season that all goes away as well, and I have to have to contact and receive written special permission from the warden to shoot hogs on my own damn place at night....and to that last part they get on my shit list.
 
Definitely the sandals!

My intention was to start with a double, but I think I may have had a better chance placing the shot in the necks. I was thinking a 180 Accubond @ 2600 would punch through both skulls.
My scope doesn’t pick up the thumps, but I did hit flesh with the 2nd round, so something ran off with a stomach ache and another with a headache. I’ll be back out for more in a few days.
 
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I wasn’t having luck in my clearings, so I decided to try calling tonight - you can hear one of my favorites playing. This guy came in pretty fast. One second nothing was there, the next he was right on me. Shot from 12 yards...and I obviously did not focus my scope before recording. It all happened fast.
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It's haying season, so I'll be spending a lot more time in a tractor for the next couple of weeks.

I did go out two nights ago with the last of my 123gr SST loads for the 6.5 Grendel. I shot at least 6, but only recovered 4 due to the tall grass. ***I was having a sucky night with shooting conditions as some asshole (me) managed to look through his scope so much that he fogged the screen right before he started shooting***. LESSON LEARNED: On those nights where this can happen...remove the eye cup



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Our night season for coyotes doesn't open until after deer season. Been using this new Super Hogster prototype from Bering Optics as a daytime optic. It is a coyote killing machine. This video is from the last time out with 4 coyotes taken. Notice how much better the image gets of the deer at the end of the video because the sun as set and everything is starting to cool down.

 
I've got a buddy who is also playing with the Super Hogster right now as well, and he is saying good things.

*Edited because spell check was drunk.
 
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