Beyond the Hunt: What a Texas Boar Hunt Taught Me
Back in May, I jumped at the chance to head out on a wild boar hunt with Rob, my best friend and business partner, and Chan, a new friend of mine from Miami who in the last decade, has fallen in love with the outdoors. I’m calling this our “turn-and-burn” trip because it was a quick three-day adventure that packed in a whole lot of action.
The whole thing kicked off when Chan and I were catching up at NRA Atlanta earlier this year. He floated the idea of doing a shoot for his company, paired with a hunt in Texas with some real thoroughbred outdoorsmen. The second he mentioned rifles, wild hogs, and good ol’ Texas dirt, I was all in. Rob and I booked our flights and got ready.
A few weeks later, we touched down in San Antonio, where Chan and his buddy AJ scooped us up. AJ’s a small-town Georgia guy—half hunter, half stand-up comic, with a Southern drawl and a laid-back energy that had us laughing all night.
We drove an hour out into the Texas countryside and met up with Wade and his cousin Ethan. These two were the real deal, lifelong hunters who grew up chasing boar and coyotes like it was a rite of passage. The moment we all linked up, the energy clicked. It felt like old friends getting back together after being apart for years. We were swapping stories, cracking jokes, and sighting in rifles like we'd been doing it forever. (Admittedly, they have been. Rob and I? Not so much.)
Gearing Up
For this hunt, I ran the Rossi R95 Triple Black .44 Mag, kitted out with some beautiful Ranger Point Precision furniture—the M81 Rossi Exclusive setup. We loaded it with Hornady 240 grain .44 Mag XTP and topped it off with the Swampfox Warhorse LPVO 1-6 FFP optic. That thing looked slick and shot even better. Shout out to Chan and Rossi for bringing that piece along for the hunt.
Once the rifles were dialed in, Wade gave the signal: “Aye y’all, we’re gonna hit a few spots where the pigs usually show up.” No hesitation, we loaded up and rolled out across 8,000 acres of raw Texas land he manages. Rob and I rode up top, sitting in a mounted hunting stand on the back of the truck. As the sun faded, we crept up on a pack of hogs. Oddly, no adrenaline kicked in – I was waiting for the excitement to set in and be mind blown, but transparently, I was incredibly calm and had my mind on one thing: clapping that pig. (Clap means shoot in this instance)
2 Best Buds
Breezy and I riding in the bed of the truck in a hunters rack.
Chan quietly told us to hop down, mount up, and get ready. The rifles were already on tripods, we simply leaned into our shots, stocks tight in our shoulders. Wade coached us on forming a tight triangle for better stability, then whispered, “Y’all ready?” We gave a soft “yeah…”
“Three… two… one…”
BAM. One hog down.
It was my first kill. My first real shot at this life I’ve been easing into. Rob missed his. It happens but the night wasn’t over. We gave chase in the truck, hoping to track the rest down, but no dice. So we headed back to camp, hearts full and minds racing.
First Blood.
My first kill.
Camp Vibes
Around dinner time, we relived every second. The nerves. The steadying breath. The explosion of the shot. That experience is once-in-a-lifetime. When I realized that I had killed my first pig, that surge of energy and excitement sat in. It's hard to describe unless you’ve felt it. We also discussed our approach, what worked, what didn’t, and what we’d try next time.
Then AJ, MVP of the night, asked the best question you can ask a bunch of hungry guys after a hunt: “Y’all hungry?”
He busted out a cooler packed with fish he’d brought from Georgia. Next thing we knew, he was frying up fish and tater tots like it was a cookout at a lake house. Golden, crispy, hot and it hit the spot. We kicked back, cracked jokes, and just soaked in the moment.
Good Eats!
AJ deep frying some fish loading up the pan Chan is holding.
Sleep is Optional
After the fish fry, bellies full and spirits high, we geared up for round two. By now, Rob and I had been awake for a full 24 hours. As we were hopping into the truck, Rob glanced at his phone and said, “Yo bro, we haven’t gotten any sleep.”
I just smiled and said, “I know... but it feels good to be out here.”
He nodded. No complaints. Just that quiet agreement you share when something's worth the exhaustion.
Around 2 AM, it happened.
We rolled up on a massive sounder—30-plus wild pigs—right there in front of us. At this point, we were all running thermals. The sky was pitch black, moonlight barely breaking through the clouds, and there’s no way we would’ve seen a thing without that thermal gear lighting up the night like a video game.
We spread out and lined up silently. Then… one of the hogs must’ve heard something. Maybe a shuffle, perhaps a breath because the whole pack took off running.
And just like that…
POP. POP. POP. POP. POP.
All five of us opened fire.
Rob finally got his pig. His first. The excitement in his voice was everything. I tagged my second of the night. The energy was electric. All that exhaustion, all that effort, it paid off right there under the stars.
Breezy’s first blood.
Breezy, aka Rob, with his first ever kill.
This trip was everything I hoped for. Good people, great gear, wild Texas land, and that perfect mix of work and adventure. But more than that, it was about the brotherhood. The camaraderie out there was something special. I have a profound level of gratitude for Chan. A friend who’s become a brother to me. This is an experience I’ll never forget. Hunting, while fun and exciting, isn’t just about the kill. It’s about the friendships forged in the stillness of the night. The unspoken trust we put in one another as we stand side by side, locked in, rifles in hand. It hits differently.
For a city guy like me, stepping deeper into the outdoors, their hospitality meant everything. The way they welcomed us, laughed with us, cooked for us, and shared their way of life. It turned this from just a hunt into something real. Something I’ll carry with me.
And that made it more than worth it.
From Left to Right: Cush, AJ (back), Rob, (Wade and his son, Ethan and Chan.
About Cush
I love everything outdoors. I grew up in South Florida near the beach, as a city kid, that was our sense of the outdoors. With my newfound faith and fitness journey, I’m discovering the outdoors for an enriching life while experiencing nature. I’m an entrepreneur, a marketing professional, 2A advocate, Husband, and a father of 3.
Connect with me @Amazoncush
