[stonewall50]

My time shooting shotguns my dad dropped these old fashion spray painted green hearing protectors. They had cotton stuffed them to help muffle the sound, and they were probably the most ungodly uncomfortable things I have ever worn(next to the baffle plugs). Being a duck hunter in tight Florida swamps or in a boat right next to someone, you really start to understand how loud a shotgun can actually be. I was so protective of my hearing that I wouldn't hunt without them. Of course this got me made fun of by cousins and family members. I even hated the idea of turkey hunting or deer hunting without protection (because I "didn't need them" for firing 1 shot).

Over the years of being made fun of, and going through some different types of hearing protection (plugs, headphones, electronic headphones, etc), I started to figure something out. I was always the person confirming if that sound was a turkey, a deer blowing, whislting wings, or what that sound was way out there. Gradually those mysterious sounds grew closer, and now it is to the point that that mysterious "turkey" we hear gobbling is a dog barking or a wood pecker making a sound lol.

Don't try to be macho. Don't try to prepare for something that won't be a factor in the 1-10 seconds you might deal with.