Regardless of religious persuasion, Pope John Paul II was spot-on when he quipped, “Modern society will find no solution to the ecological problem unless it takes a serious look at its lifestyle.” With respect to overarching ecology and impacts to ecosystems, hunters have played a critical role in hunting as a tool for our American model of conservation. Identifying problematic issues and seeking to understand and solve them remains foundational to improvements and outright solutions. A notable example of a problem challenging healthy America’s ecosystems is feral hogs.
As an outdoor writer and avid hog hunter, I have spent decades surveying negative impacts to our fragile ecosystems and have spent countless hours in the field thinning sounders. Of course, my work, and the work of thousands of well-meaning hunters, trappers and wildlife biologists, barely scratches the surface; however, we continue to do the work. Fortunately, feral hog meat is delicious, and at the end of the day, what is most vital is that more hogs are taken from the field. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published in agreement with wildlife biologists that 70% of the feral hog population must be eliminated annually just to keep the population where it’s at — not even to begin reducing it.
My last check on distribution revealed feral hogs have been reported in at least 39 states and five Canadian provinces — mostly Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. To date, roughly 6 million feral hogs roam our nation from coast to coast, with an estimated 3 million making my home state of Texas their stomping grounds. Nationwide, crop damage estimates stand in excess of $190 million, while Texas alone suffers more than $50 million. Perhaps more jaw-dropping, overall agricultural damage in the Lone Star State stands at more than $400 million, while nationwide, that number skyrockets to $2.5 billion.
Unfortunately, while a small handful of state legislators throughout the nation (Ohio as an example) bury their heads in the sand while pushing for bans on hog hunting, many more continue to embrace year-round feral hog hunting, especially on private land, including when feral hogs are most active — at night. That makes sense, right? Yes, pursuing invasive species (and other problematic wildlife like coyotes) when they are most active is definitely the best approach.
That said, an increasing number of states now allow nighttime feral-hog hunting, as well as predator hunting, year-round. This is a boon for hunters, farmers and ranchers. Not only have more state legislators relaxed their views on low-light hunting and understand the importance of keeping populations of invasive species in check, many also have relaxed their views on some of the popular tools liked thermal imaging and digital night vision — digital riflescope and handheld devices specifically designed to leverage odds in favor of hunters exercising eradication efforts.
In hunting, the right tool for the job is a vital part of overall strategy, including safety, especially in low-light environments. Nighttime adventures also make sense, since wild animals like feral hogs are exponentially more active between sunset and sunrise. What does all this mean? Digital optics like thermal imaging and digital night-vision riflescopes, as well as handheld devices, are the best tools of the night-hunting trade. Even better, high-tech optics like Pulsar’s array of thermal and digital night vision devices have never been more affordable.
A technology once unavailable to the public, one day became so; however, prices were extreme, routinely running $20,000 to $30,000. Fortunately, in 2024, riflescopes have never been more affordable than right now — but the buyer should beware, because gimmicky thermals are certainly out there. In a get-what-you-pay-for world where legitimate entry-level thermal riflescopes start at close to $2,000, retailers and consumers should definitely focus on trusted industry-leading thermal producers like Pulsar. If it’s too good to be true… it’s too good to be true. This is as true for retailers as it is for end users. Of course, when it comes to the best tools for hunting hogs, predators or any other huntable species at nighttime, Pulsar is considered the industry-leading producer of consumer thermal and digital night vision optics. Perched at the top of Pulsar’s robust lineup of thermal riflescopes is the absolute best tool for the job: the Thermion 2 LRF XL50 Thermal Riflescope.
In an industry where premium thermal riflescopes average 640x480 microbolometer sensor resolution and 17-micron pixel-pitch, Pulsar’s Thermion 2 LRF XL50 Thermal Riflescope boasts 1024x768 sensor resolution with a 12-micron pixel pitch (the lower the number the better), and <40 mK NETD (noise equivalency temperature differential). Resulting image quality is ridiculously crisp, and the adult-size heat-signature detection range is rated up to 2,500 yards in zero light. The XL50 also features an integral laser rangefinder capable of distancing out to 900 yards (+/- 1-yard), an enhanced F50/1.0 germanium-glass objective lens, 1024x768 AMOLED display, eight-color display palette, 10 reticle styles (including scalable) in nine colors, onboard still photo and video, 64gb internal storage for better media file protection under recoil impulse, picture-in-picture for precise shot placement, 1.75-14x digital zoom, storage for 10 rifle profiles and 100 distances, StreamVision compatible Bluetooth and WiFi, rechargeable internal and external batteries and an integral ballistic calculator. For durability, the Thermion 2 LRF XL50 is IPX7 waterproof-rated and recoil-rated up to .375 H&H. For easy mounting, the Thermion 2 XL50 is compatible with standard 30mm scope rings. Learn more about the Thermion 2 LRF XL50 Thermal Riflescope, as well as Pulsar’s full array of thermal and digital night-vision optics, at www.PulsarNV.com.
