Night 1 – Blog Post:
Night 1 of this 2-Night Hog Hunt in Americus, Georgia was a true test of patience, communication, and adaptability. With six hunters split between two guides, Hank and Clay, the plan was to maximize opportunity by covering more ground — but the conditions had other ideas.
The night began with an ambitious attempt to split-stalk a sounder, bringing the full group together for one coordinated approach. Unfortunately, swirling wind, dead-silent conditions, and bright moonlight made the stalk extremely unforgiving. Despite careful movement, the hogs picked up on the disturbance and slipped away before an opportunity could fully develop.
After the sounder busted, the decision was made to split up and Hog Hunt separately, giving each guide the chance to adjust tactics and look for new opportunities.
Hank stayed mobile and eventually located a single hog near the edge of a field, positioned close to the road. With the wind working against him, the stalk required a long, patient approach. As if the setup wasn’t challenging enough, two coyotes appeared and pushed the hog toward the treeline, threatening to end the opportunity altogether.
Fortunately, the hog held just inside the edge of the trees. Hank stayed patient, waited for the right moment, and executed a clean setup — resulting in a successful recovery right where the hog stood, with no long drag required.
On the other side of the Wild Hog Hunt, Clay continued working fields and staying persistent but wasn’t able to connect with another hog on Night 1. That’s Hunting — sometimes one side of a split hunt comes together, and sometimes it doesn’t.
Despite the challenges, Night 1 delivered exactly what Thermal Hog Hunting is about:
• adapting to difficult conditions
• staying flexible when plans change
• and capitalizing when the opportunity finally presents itself
With the same group returning for Night 2, spirits stayed high and expectations remained realistic. Night 1 was in the books — and the Boar Hunt was far from over.
