Hearing Protection in the Field?

[jonutarr]

Im new to hunting and im really scared of tinnitus, (my ears are sacred to me).
So would i look like an total idiot with ear muffs on in the field?
Are there any other practical options?
thanks guys

[WingstotailsTaxiderm]

Walkers game ears a little spendy but worth there weight in Gold.
Don’t look foolish, and you can gain a hearing advantage. As for muffs, if you’re hunting in the right spot, killing dinner, (and supporting your local taxidermist ) you shouldn’t see any one, and who cares what they think, they are your ears and if you fell you need them use them. They may restrict you though; I would think the bulkiness would get old in a hurry. Good luck, have a safe and great hunting season. Jim W

[MeekAndMild]

Little bitty foam rubber ear plugs help a lot.

[leadcounsel]

Electronic sound dampening earmuffs work well and actually AMPLIFY other sounds too, all for around $100.

I like mine alot and they work well at instantly (nanosecond technology) dampening sound and also amplifying sound with small microphones.

[FirstFreedom]

When hunting, since muffs get uncomfortable after a couple hours, I normally use just rubber earplugs about halfway in on my left side, and about 2/3rds of the way in on the rifle (right) side. It dampens the noise and still lets me hear the game fine. Whatever you do, don't use those intra-ear electronic plugs - they normally just amplify sound, with no sound cutoff. But quality electronic muffs from Peltor, ProEars, Walker, Silencio, Radians, etc., will work well in amplifying sound, and cut out reliably at 85-90 Db. I use ProEars Predator 200 now at the range, and occasionally hunting. No, you wouldn't look stupid, I don't think and if you did, who cares - it your ears, not theirs.

Take a gander:

http://www.midwayusa.com/ebrowse.exe...686***10509***

[Scorch]

Depending on how much you shoot in the field, there are several options I can think of. One is Walker Game Ears, which have the added benefit of amplifying sound in case your hearing has already been damaged. Another option is Norton Sonic Ear Valves, an ear plug with a little spring mechanism inside that responds to lud noise by momentarily shutting off sounds. I have used them for 30 years. They allow you to hear normal conversation but block sudden loud noises. Don't wear them to the range, though. The constant firing means they open and shut continuously, only blocking a small portion of the noise.

Of course, there are quite a few electronic ear plugs available on the market that actually shut down when the noise level exceeds 90 dB, prices ranging from $80 to $700.

[jonutarr]

thanks for the comments guys, I think il try find some comfortable light earmuffs,

[Torsten2806]

who cares.
Please keep in your mind that the recovery time of the ear is very long. For example when you reach 130 dz (spelling) the ear needs some 7 days for recovery, do not catch me on details, I will only give directions. The primitive nozzle brake I use on my rifle even increases the noise to some 165+ dz.

Do not make the same mistake I did: cheap electrical protectors. Mine work very well only that there is one microphone only. Perception of space is gone. Awful during hunting. Because of our dense bushes I like the amplifier a lot still. The next time I will buy Peltor. Cheaper than ears

[guntotin_fool]

Also consider this, the Navy Hearing Pill, seriously, this works if you have good hearing and are exposed to loud noises. Google it. My good friend is a navy doc who was around when it was tested, All the medical personel were like "yeah right" now it is daily dosed to flight deck crew and the like. they have seen it work, I know a young man who works sound board for a very loud band and he claims that since he started to use it, no more ringing ears in the morning.


When I hunt in a pit blind with others for water fowl, I often screw in the soft foam 28- 30 DB ear plugs, I find I can hear the comments around me, and I do not get ringing ears if we shoot a lot. Big game hunting I do not use plugs, I can not hear the wind etc well enough thru any of the electronics that i can afford. I also know that i will be hearing one shot, and I will use auditory exclusion during the shot. When i go to the range or races, I usually double up the plugs with muffs,

[Desertfox]

My daughter is hunting with me and she has muffs. The big idea is the muzzle blast. She keeps them above her ears until it is time to shoot. I have Walker's Game Ears in. She actually wears the muffs for 7 to 10 seconds while pulling the trigger. Muffs are alot cheaper than game ears or the like. Unless your rifle is going to fire without you knowing it, muffs work great.

[krieger6]

Jonutarr, please do use hearing protection. I have an uncle who went deaf at 45 years old. He did lots of hunting here in Texas in his youth.
For what its worth, hearing aids will not fix this kind of hearing damage.

I have been using these for the last couple of years.

http://www.aosafety.com/shooters/products/ear_03.htm

You can hear normal conversation but it blocks gunfire sound.

They cost about $10.

I have a pair of the Tactical 7S electronic muffs, but I always end up
using the $10 ones.

[banditt007]

Yup i would go with the (semi)disposable ones above with the valve, they might not be the best for range use, thats where you use the disposable NRR32's or so but for hunting they should work great and are affordable. Something is better than nothing.

[limbaughfan]

you don't need ear protection if you are doing something like deer hunting,because at the most you will only fire a few rounds.And as far as bird hunting,I don't wear ear protection,because a shotgun does not hurt my ears.

[jhgreasemonkey]

I cant see using ear plugs to hunt big game where I live. The forests are thick and you need to hear any movement. There have been many times that I have heard a rustle in the brush and I get down and wait then a critter comes walking out. If I didnt hear it and kept moving along I would have missed it or scared it off.