Nice work on the hogs!
I was reading the comments on thermal. I have used a MTM, W1000, Thermal Eye X50, and Thermal Eye x200 (if I remember right), however, I do not own thermal myself. The huge advantage , i see, thermal has over gen III night vision is spotting ability. I firmly believe in spotting with thermal and shooting with gen III night vision. I feel thermal imagers don't have the resolution to 100% ID a target in all situations. I hunt around cattle and have mistaken bedded and lone calves for hogs in the thermal, but as soon as I see them through a pvs 14 I can easily tell if its a hog or not. I'm not putting thermal down at all, in fact, I can't wait to be able to get my own! Just stating my preferred way of using the tools of the trade.
I've yet to try calling hogs. I have made grunt sounds with my mouth and kicked around some dirt before and was able to get a few of a sounder to move towards me in the dark. I think they were just curious as to what I was more than me actually calling them or speaking there language. I will have to try a sow protection sound the next time I'm stalking in on a sounder in the dark just to see what they do. It would be great to get 20 hogs to come to 10-15 yards and have 3-4 shooters ready and waiting.
I've rambled enough. GO KILL PIGS!!!