Good point on the thermal for scouting. Bought the cheapest FLIR Scout for about what you guessed below, and it's worth it. Haven't had time to hog with it yet, and still waiting for my NV scopes, but it's been great at spotting critters around the homestead (yard deer, critters after my chicken coop, etc.). Very rapid and efficient way to scan for life...
Some anomalies in the way it reads certain critters though. The feathers in my chickens block much of the heat unless on very high settings, for example. Still, it works very well, once you get the hang of it. As mine pretty much the cheapest thermal made, my resolution isn't very good. But I can spot stuff in a flash, and plan to use other tools for ID and shooting.
depending on what you want to do.....as of today (X-sight is not on the shelves for the public yet), thermal is the way to go to spot game. The cheapest thermal out (about $1600 reconditioned) is 1,000,000 better for finding game quickly than any night vision out right now. I don't see this changing for a while, but who knows.
I you don't believe me, rent some equipment from some of the guys on this forum. Go to a wheat field. Scan with your best night vision and count the number of deer on it. Then, use the cheapest thermal out there and do the same. First, you will find out that there are more deer than your night vision found. Second, it will take 10% of the time to find them. I have done this exercise many, many times.