Do you wear hearing protection while hunting?

[Len Backus]

Last night at our Thanksgiving dinner my son's father-in-law was telling me that he took several shots at a deer last week with his lever action 30-30 and now his pre-existing tinnitus is much worse and he lost some more hearing ability.

He said he has never worn hearing protection when he hunts.

I developed mild tinnitus 4 years ago when I failed to wear protection for just ONE shot on a braked magnum rifle during a coyote hunt with new friends. Normally I did wear protection when hunting. I had left it in the truck, 100 yards away, when I discovered I left it behind. Too embarrassed to ask my new friends to wait while I went back and got it.

Now I wear the comfortable and tiny SoundGear Electronic Hearing Protection all the time when hunting. I can wear it comfortably for 12 hour days on a western hunt. I can easily hear my hunting partner acting as a spotter with my hearing protection installed.

I always did and still do wear double protection during practice sessions.

 

[one crazy kid]

I try to but alas I like to be able to hear my self when I am stocking. Some day I will be able to buy some electronic hearing protection, that will be the day.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

Hearing protection just hampers your hearing ability

 

[T3-OleMan]

Len, thanks for carrying these puppies, SoundGear Electronic Hearing Protection . As you remember, I used them on my CO 3rd Rifle hunt all 9 days. Used the same Duracells ever day and they did good. Too bad I did not get to test them out the 3rd evening but the ELK lived to fight another day...next year.

By the way, I did get the other device to play that little melody....lol.

I will be using them on EVERY hunt for the rest of their lives. My old 1994 SEIMENS (thats 20 years of Church and Hunting) still work but I can't get maint on one that needs a little twieekking...lol. Hope these last at least 10 years with very little use that I will put on them.

Hearing protection just hampers your hearing ability

'au contraire' These will Help on both ends of the GUN!

 

[canderson]

If legal, I hunt with a suppressor. Probably not as good as ear plug or muffs but, definetly not too hard on ears.

 

[Nimrod]

I usually don't while hunting with a rifle or shotgun, handgun hunting I always use some sort of plugs or muffs. I always use double protection at the range. I have been an avid shooter for 50 years now (wow that sounds like a long time) and in my youthful ignorance I didn't use hearing protection at all. As a result of this, I am, for all practical purposes, deaf in my left ear. I am lucky in one respect, my tinnitus comes and goes so I only have part time ringing. My right ear is still nearly normal though so I try to protect what I still have.

Bob

 

[grizzlyvalley]

I do for any playing,and when shooting anything with a brake and I would for sure when a shotgun is in hand,when I'm hunting I have a set of plugs around my neck ready for use if I can stalk and have time to put them in,grizzly country is best on the alert.I've never tried new tech devices,got enough gadgets in a drawer that are useless lightbulb

 

[Varberger757]

Both hunting and shooting range always with protection, we've got just one sense of hearing. If it's gone nobody can repair it! I usually use electronic protection like f. ex. Sordin.

 

[Triple BB]

Hearing protection just hampers your hearing ability

Guess it depends what yer using. I've been wearing ESP's digital aids for 12 years because I hunt a lot of waterfowl. Upgraded to the digital model a few years ago. They actually amplify sound if you turn them up. They'r also good for other things. When I worked in the office, we got a new boss who insisted on closing his door for every phone call. I'd pop in my hearing aids and could actually make out his conversation through the wall. Turned out the guy was a real ***** and the aids helped save my job as they were trying to eliminate positions...

 

[grizzlyvalley]

there's a lot of selection out on the market and don't get me wrong,I've worked oil/gas all my life and been around planes and heli's,I'll admit to hearing damage over the years,when I'm at the trapline there isn't a sound to be heard-manmade and I asked my pilot that I can hear a genset running and knowing there is not another human for a few hundred miles he say hearing damage.I was in a bad fire in 92 and burned my ears and now prone to ear infections,things in my ears bother me muffs don't always work.maybe in the new year I'll do some reserch

 

[joeycoates]

It really depends on what I am using to hunt with. If the 243 or m-4 I normally do not. But if using the 7RM, 454 Casull or 44 mag then I will. Strangely enough it is the 454 that will really put the hurt on your ears, that thing has one heck of a crack to it.

 

[Good]

You know, I really want to wear hearing protection anytime loud noises are present. Shooting- riding the motorcycle, etc. Hunting it's difficult. Most of the time it's not a quick thing to insert plugs when a shot presents itself.

I've tried several of the inexpensive versions of electronic muffs/plugs with horrible experience. My beef centers around sound quality. I have some plugs that work well, but the sound quality is horrible- distracting and hindering, but that said, I will never be able to afford $500 for hearing protection so I just have to deal with what I have. I'd like a product that just passes natural ambient unmodified sound through, then somehow mutes it at pressure.

 

[7magcreedmoor]

I have not worn hearing protection in the past while hunting, but my tinnitus is more likely due to a lifetime of exposure to farm machinery. Having said that, I recently had a chance to buy (on sale) Sport Ear in- the- ear electronic protection. I then spent all day at the range testing them out. I will NEVER shoot again without them. This website store also offers an in-the-ear type unit. Get it. I am not kidding. Get it. You will never believe how good these things work until you try them out. Absolutely normal hearing, and then when the gun is fired you suddenly realize you ARE wearing excellent hearing protection. And I shoot a braked 6.5/284. Fellow next to me on the line was banging away with a 338 Lapua with a 5-slot brake. No problem at all.

 

[Full Auto]

The first few years in the Army (11C/11B) the Army didn't force earplugs so not many guys wore, most of us now have severe hearing loss. Wear em whenever you shoot>gun)