Latest Articles

Sometimes, the unexpected that happens on a tactical hog hunt can turn out better than you could have imagined—as I found out on a recent hog hunt sponsored by the good people at NRA Outdoors.  I got to my hog hunting stand way late and well past dark.  Actually, I’d been there on time, more than an hour ago, when I spotted a malfunction with my rifle that forced me back to the main house of the ranch we were hunting.  There, I grabbed the only AR on hand, a Daniel Defense M4V1 gas-operated carbine in 5.56mm.  

Only problem?  I hadn’t taken a single shot with the DD M4V1 once at that point.  In fact, it had only been fired a relative handful of times in its whole existence.   Right out of the box, without a serious cleaning, how would it do?  Well, one pig later...

It seems like these days that one of the most popular fantasy cities is Zombieland.  Since much of the origins of our current knowledge and emphasis on zombies seems to have come from the film industry, perhaps Hollywood is the city being referenced.  I’ve been there, and while I didn’t have my AR and some Hornady ammo, I think I saw some similarities…  What does that have to do with hogs?  

As a SHWAT™ tactical hog hunter, I thought it would just be lighthearted and fun to refer to wild hogs as zombies.  Then I saw a zombie hog target.  Then I read Bill Wilson’s story that could have titled, “Zombie Boar: The Hog that Wouldn’t Die.”  So it fits! Our targets are really just another set of thunder legged, squealing, torso-of-muscle-and-grizzle creatures we have come to know as the wild hog. 

For most of recorded history, darkness has provided concealment to the hunted.  Night vision and thermal technologies changed all that.  The commercial market is seeing an explosion in availability and innovation of this type of gear.  This has opened the door to some serious game changers in Special Hog Weapons And Tactics™ hunts.  If you read my story, "East Texas Nights," you know that we recently had the opportunity to test drive some night hunting gear at the Wild Hog Roundup put on by Wulf Outdoor Sports in East Texas.  This is my After Action Report focused on the tools we used to see in the dark.  They range from the entry level Nite Hunter to a $15K thermal device.

The first official East Texas hunt for the SHWAT™ Team was an exciting success!  We were well equipped with a wide variety of some of the best gear available and had good land to hunt on.  Our kit included prototypes of new Laser Devices NV gear, Nitehog NV and thermal optics, EOTech, and much more.  It's all part of the tactical hog hunting fun!  

SHWAT™ fielded a team at the Wulf Outdoor Sports Wild Hog Roundup, and I'm pleased to tell you that the gear, guns and even the hogs cooperated nicely.  You'll have to read the rest of the story to get the details and the final score, but I think you'll like how it goes.

Ancient wisdom says we are all known by the company we keep, and SHWAT couldn’t be happier to file this initial recap of the $28,000 purse Wild Hog Roundup, sponsored and organized by Wulf Outdoor Sports. The SHWAT Team was there, sponsored by our good friends at Crossbreed Holsters.  You’ll like the kit we took along – gear from Nighthog (Night Vision and Thermal), DBAL-D² and prototype SPIR from Laser Devices, Laser Genetics ND3, LaCrosse Snake Boots, EOTech sites and magnifiers, Leupold  scope, Trijicon ACOG, Insight M6X white light/laser combo, and a pair of Blackhawk boots.  Rifles included guns from Accurate Armory, Rock River Arms, and Armalite.  Ammunition was DRT and Winchester.  You’ll want to dig into this for pictures, details and more.

By my standards it was too dark to shoot.  By the guide’s rules it was time to engage the target. Add to that the nasty cold drizzle. A 1-inch tube optic would have been frustrating, trying to keep the glass clear long enough for a shot. The guide whispered “See that pig with the white collar?”  Sure enough there was a porker out there in the 150-200 pound class that wore a white center stripe that looked like it had on a scarf.  I got down on one knee and looked through the Smith and Wesson MP15-PC rifle’s sight, a holograph EoTech with a 3x magnifier. At the bark of the .300 Whisper muzzle exit, there was heard a decidedly hard thump downrange.  This EoTech setup just works, and I'll detail it for you here.

I actually heard him first, walking through the dead leaves.  I assumed it was a deer.  A glance through my binoculars revealed black and squat and knew I had a pig coming in.  Heart went, stutt-TER!  I watched the coal black wild boar trot down the far wooded hillside.  He got to the edge of the woods and paused, his nose to the air, then headed into the field.  He seemed to know there was some corn scattered around the center of the field and made right for it.  Once he got his nose down in the corn, he turned and gave me a broadside view at about 100 yards.

I raised my Performance Center M&P15 rifle in 5.56mm, made by Smith & Wesson, and laid it over the front rail of the stand.  Placing the red dot from the EOTech holographic sight on the pig’s shoulder, I let out my breath and squeezed off a shot.  

And promptly missed, pulling the shot high!

The pig let out a squeal and a snort, spun around and took off at a dead run—right in my direction.