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Night Vision FLIR T-50 Initial Set-Up

You must be tired of eating hogs by now. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

We delivered over 300 pounds of meat to the Saint Frances house, a Catholic Charity for the homeless and the Salvation Army. We have fed thousands with our kills over the years.

We did keep the tenderloins though! And the Bald Eagles got the offal.
 
We delivered over 300 pounds of meat to the Saint Frances house, a Catholic Charity for the homeless and the Salvation Army. We have fed thousands with our kills over the years.

We did keep the tenderloins though! And the Bald Eagles got the offal.

That is awesome, keep up that great work! God knows there is enough Hogs around and folks like you to feed the needy! You ever need some assistance getting some financials to assist with transporting, you let us know on that one Sir.

Vic
 
From now on, I will be using this scale to verify hog & coyote weights!

500%20lb%20Scale.jpg
 
Having NV & Thermal sure helps when you are walking around at night hunting coyotes and hogs and you come up on this thermally glowing log on the ground in front of you in the rain.....

Kanapaha%20Gator2.jpg


Kanapaha%20Gator.jpg
 
I'm thinking he'd taste like chicken....

It is gator mating season and I'm sure he's been run off out of his homeland by a big bull gator, he's about 1/2 mile from the nearest pond and headed towards another pond about 1/2 mile in the direction he was headed...

We also had some fresh black bear prints at one of our feeders.
 
Here is a day photograph of the "Bacon Tree" where the coyote took a dive...

Day%20Shot.jpg
 
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HaHa, that boar did not get away. Nice ending to a great Memorial Day weekend.

Saw him near the game cam tonight @ 175 yards with the FLIR thermal and put one Barnes 70 grain TSX through his lungs.

He made it about 150 feet and died. The shields on this dude were a solid inch thick when we took out the loins for a BBQ party next weekend, each loin weighed 10 pounds....

Hog%20Grapple.jpg


Scale%20350%20lbs.jpg


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Told the game warden about some bear tracks we've been picking up around one of our hog feeders, so they set up a trap to catch him.

The bear also seems to like pork too, as we found this freshly killed hog next to the trap when we caught him, he'd broken the hog's back with one bite....

Bear%20Trapped.jpg


Bear%20Hog.jpg


He was tranquilized and taken to Ocala National Forest for release....
 
Was sitting in the kitchen eating dinner and just finished and was washing the dishes in the kitchen sink, when I looked out the window and about 25 hogs were in my backyard in the twilight darkness. Ran over to the safe and dialed the combo and removed my SIG 716 7.62mm with FLIR T-50 Thermal and Barnes 130 grain handloads.

Slowly went outside with the FLIR LS-64 scanner and picked them up about 175 yards out. Got situated on my stand and was putting the ACOG crosshairs on one of the largest ones when suddenly two deer came running out from the side and stopped in the middle of the field. This black sow came running out about 100 yards to the deer and stopped right in front of them and the deer started snorting at the hog?

I figured I can take care of this for the deer, so put one Barnes 130 grain handloaded TSX through it ear.

BLACK HOG DOWN -> DRT!

T50%20Backyard%20Sow2.jpg


T50%20Backyard%20Sow.jpg
 
Barnes 130 grain 7.62mm split the atlas-axis vertebrae in half and dumped her right there, here is the exit:

762%20Exit%20Wound.jpg


suicide2.gif


That FLIR T-50 has taken over 50 rounds of full power 7.62X51mm without a flinch.
 
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Here is a game cam pic of how my hog went to chase out the two does and ended up meeting a 7.62mm to the head...

Hog%20Deer.jpg
 
Here is another reason to invest in night vision and FLIR thermals to kill coyotes.

This fawn was freshly killed by a pack of howling coyotes, we heard them howling while walking out to put some corn in our feeders and came upon this, they ate the heart first....

Coyote%20Kill%20Web.jpg


I will have my game cam thermally covered tonight!

Coyote.jpg
 
One 7.62mm Barnes 130 grain TSX @ 175 yards to the neck in the pouring down rain right at sunset using the FLIR T-50 thermal puts down this 225 pound sow:

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More to come, they are tearing things up around here...
 
The FLIR T-60 Thermal Clip-On is a solid performer too, as evidenced by this 150 pound sow that took a handloaded Barnes 70 grain TSX to the head today @ 225 yards in thick deep cover, no way could I see this hog without Thermal......

Sow%20T60.jpg


Sow%20Grapple.jpg
 
Man you have got it going on! The hogs are a pain in the rear but it sure is fun getting rid of em. That's terrible about the fawn, stupid yotes.....
 
T50 took down another hog before dawn today, 185 yards and 285 pounds one handloaded Barnes 130gr TSX:

SIG%20716%20T50%20285lb%20Hog.jpg


285%20lbs.jpg
 
Had some real excitement last night with that hog carcass.

Set up the FoxPro Prairie Blaster right before sundown in intermittent rain and started calling with a couple of female invitation howls and long howls. Had a group call back to me right before sundown. It was off and on rain, so I could only go out to my stand about every 30 minutes.

About 10:30 I pick up three thermal signatures on the FLIR LS64 coming out of the thick woods on the edge of the clearing about 275 yards out from me. Started Coyote Distress #3 and one split off and went left while the other two came in towards me.

At 125 yards out, I shot both of the pair coming in and knocked each one down (still had coyote distress playing on the e-caller), one ran into an alligator infested pond and the other hightailed it towards the woods.

As soon, as I shot both of them, the other one on the far side of the clearing about 175 yards out ran parallel to me and I knocked him down too, he got up and went into the woods.

It started raining again and I went out walking around with the thermal trying to find them, no luck after two outings in the rain, it was getting dark so I gave it up.

Got home from work and found this one on the edge of the clearing, apparently the other one that ran into the thick grass on the edge of the pond attacted three gators to him and he was ripped to shreds. The third one on the far side I have not found yet but will keep looking, probably find his skeleton in a week or two.

That was the first time I had hit three different coyotes at the same time! Pretty freaking exciting for me standing out in the dark rain...


T60%20Triple.jpg
 
Had some real excitement last night with that hog carcass.

Set up the FoxPro Prairie Blaster right before sundown in intermittent rain and started calling with a couple of female invitation howls and long howls. Had a group call back to me right before sundown. It was off and on rain, so I could only go out to my stand about every 30 minutes.

About 10:30 I pick up three thermal signatures on the FLIR LS64 coming out of the thick woods on the edge of the clearing about 275 yards out from me. Started Coyote Distress #3 and one split off and went left while the other two came in towards me.

At 125 yards out, I shot both of the pair coming in and knocked each one down (still had coyote distress playing on the e-caller), one ran into an alligator infested pond and the other hightailed it towards the woods.

As soon, as I shot both of them, the other one on the far side of the clearing about 175 yards out ran parallel to me and I knocked him down too, he got up and went into the woods.

It started raining again and I went out walking around with the thermal trying to find them, no luck after two outings in the rain, it was getting dark so I gave it up.

Got home from work and found this one on the edge of the clearing, apparently the other one that ran into the thick grass on the edge of the pond attacted three gators to him and he was ripped to shreds. The third one on the far side I have not found yet but will keep looking, probably find his skeleton in a week or two.

That was the first time I had hit three different coyotes at the same time! Pretty freaking exciting for me standing out in the dark rain...


T60%20Triple.jpg

Aside from the usual T-50 killing spree's, I do find the gator shredding even better!
 
Vic, they have been crawling up out of the pond and ripping off chunks of the hog, they dragged his entire pelvis section back down to the waters edge.

They like it nice and nasty, well fermented and falling off the bone so the joints dismember easily.

I put the coyote carcass in front of the game cam to see if I could get a photo of a gator shredding the 'yote.....
 
What's the deal with hunting Gators in Florida? Are they a game animal? How does that work?

Gators have a specific hunting season, you have to apply for a Gator Permit earlier in the year:

Cost (All Sales are Final, No Refunds):

There is no cost to apply
$272 for Resident Alligator Trapping License (includes 2 CITES tags),
$1,022 for Non-Resident Alligator Trapping License (includes 2 CITES tags),
$62 for 2 CITES tags only (must have Alligator Trapping License that is valid through 11/01/2013)

Requirements: You must be 18 years old by Aug. 15 to apply.
Issuance Method: Statewide Alligator Harvest Program permits are issued by random drawing during Phase I. Once the drawing is conducted, successful applicants must purchase their permits by the specified deadline. Permits not purchased by the deadline (See Application Dates & Deadlines below) will be issued on a first come first served basis during Phases II and III. Phase II is open only to customers who do not already have a permit from Phase I. Phase III is open for everyone, including those who already have permits from Phase I or II. You may obtain additional tags for hunts that have not filled during Phase III.

http://myfwc.com/license/limited-entry-hunts/general-info/alligator-hunt-permit/
 
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Where we have our hog contact is a large State Park with lots and lots of wildlife on it, here is a photo of some wild horses and some wild bison that we see when we are out hunting wild hogs.

Paynes%20Prarie%20Bison.jpg


Paynes%20Prarie%20Horses.jpg
 
Where we have our hog contact is a large State Park with lots and lots of wildlife on it, here is a photo of some wild horses and some wild bison that we see when we are out hunting wild hogs.

Paynes%20Prarie%20Bison.jpg


Paynes%20Prarie%20Horses.jpg

Amazing....Better be careful, you might be accused of hunting Gators illegally with some. ; -)

Vic
 
There are more than PLENTY OF GATORS out here, some are very large and well fed due to all the hogs! A couple of ponds at night looks like you could walk across the water from one side to the other stepping on gator heads....

We shot two water moccasins this past weekend, they were both about four feet long and fat and ugly....I really dislike the moccasins.
 
If Red touches yeller he's a dangerous feller! Water moccasins should be blasted on sight! Hey if ya can, get some video of the gators through the FLIR! I find reptiles to be hugely interesting when viewed through thermal!
I went to Amarillo Texas to Film a TV Episode about Hog hunting, and one night just as we were getting set up a BIG OLE fat Texas rattle snake slithered right through the middle of the TV crew which of course created a small stir! Everyone whipped out Pistols to blast the snake and I was like "hang on a second!" I wanted to see if the snake showed up in my M-18 and to my surprise he was VERY hard to see and very well camouflaged! I could barely see the diamonds on his back as he moved through a large bush. He was very sluggish after having eaten something very large that was still showing in his midsection. After about 10 seconds of my scientific curiosity, everyone unloaded on the hapless reptile and his blood sprayed all over the inside of the bush he was hiding in. Interestingly the blood splatter turned INSTANTLY cold (viewed as black) through the thermal. Now it had been a hot day and as evening wore on it hadn't cooled off much. I know that reptiles are called "cold blooded" but my assumption was that that there should be some heat present but there was NONE!

P.S. Nice Pics by the way! 300 F2.8?
 
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Sniffle Sniffle, here are some of the last pictures through my MTM before I nuked it. Still get misty thinking about, not easy digging up these memories.

Yes, snakes don't seem to show up to well.



 
This was the exit wound from the Barnes 70 grain 5.56mm @ 175 yards:

Exit%20Wound.jpg


Had to chase off an 8 foot gator with the front end loader that was walking up to the hogs when I went out to retrieve them, but got them all dressed out:

Dressed%20Out.jpg
 
Did not take long for the eagles to show up for some fresh bacon today!

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Two%20Adults.jpg



That is prima facie evidence that killing hogs is patriotic!
 
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I have got to be careful using my FoxPro Prairie Blaster as the gators come up out of the pond to the caller when they hear Rabbit Distress:

Game%20Cam%20gator.jpg
 
Coyote @ 175 yards DRT:

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Young%20Coyote2.jpg


What's even better is my T-70 is on the brown truck to be delivered next week from TNVC!
 
I have got to be careful using my FoxPro Prairie Blaster as the gators come up out of the pond to the caller when they hear Rabbit Distress:

-
WTF !!!
once in a while I get a shiver up the back of neck if suspecting a Cougar in area @ night . walking up with Gator in the Grass, Fuck that .
.
 
The Specter DR 1.25-6X-42mm ballistic reticule works very well with the SIG 716 and the FLIR T-50 thermal out past 225 yards @ 6X magnification, even with the 320 pixel core of the T-50.

As usual the real image is much better than my crummy pic shows:

Specter%20&%20SIG%20716.jpg


Specter%20Reticule%20T50.jpg
 
The FLIR T-70 is a real nice Mil-Spec Thermal for sure when used with an ACOG or Specter DR.

The DBAL-D2 does not interfere at all with the view either.

Sig%20716%20T70.jpg


Sig%20716%20T70%20Close.jpg
 
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It is apparent that the FLIR T-70 was specifically designed around the ACOG/Specter DR day optics as it is a perfect complementary fit to both of these.

I am especially impressed with how light this unit it, it is as light as my T-50 with the magnesium body and much more slimmer, compact, and lower sitting on the rail.

The LaRue mount provide a solid lock up on the rail.

The controls are easy to access and simple to operate as well (more on this later).

T70%20ACOG%20Left.jpg


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T70%20Top.jpg


DO LIKE!
 
Haha, the farthest one from the camera just told his buddy "holy shit! Why is this pig inside out!?"


Did not take long for the eagles to show up for some fresh bacon today!

Young%20Eagle.jpg


Two%20Adults.jpg



That is prima facie evidence that killing hogs is patriotic!
 
BTW, the velcro on top is to attach my mini-DVR for video recording, good place for it there on top out of the way....

It finally cooled down to 65 degrees out tonight after a heavy 7 inches of rain, that is 10 degrees cooler than it has been all summer.

The T-70 is a blast, it is so beautiful with the ACOG, the view is absolutely gorgeous and anything within 300 yards of me would be simple to take out.

Really liking the ACOG/T-70 combo, you can tell how excellently these two instruments were specifically designed for each other.
 
Got the Elcan Specter DR ready to rock and roll.

I just removed my ACOG TA02 LED and installed the Specter DR and co-witnessed it with the DBAL-D2 Visible Green Laser @ 200 yards.

Took two shots @ 200 yards to the lower left, adjusted, took two shots to the upper right, adjusted, took two shots over center and dropped elevation one notch.

Next target will be some hogs with the FLIR T-70 in front of the Specter DR!

Target.jpg


Sig%20716%20&%20Target.jpg