Upland hunters: use hearing protection?

[Dave R]

Just curious whether you hunt upland with hearing protection.

I never have, but as I get older, I get more concerned about such stuff. After a successful quail hunt, my ears felt a bit "cottony", which I believe is a danger sign.

[Scorch]

I use Sonic Ear Valves when I hunt birds, it really helps. And my ears don't feel cottony, they just flat out ring constantly from years of exposure to firearms, hot rods, jet engines, working in a factory, and rock and roll music. My wife thinks my favorite word is "Huh?".

[James H]

I've given a bit of thought to this.

It seems like whenever I'm hunting and have taken a shot at game, whether it's big game (whitetails) or small game (turkeys, grouse, ducks, geese, rabbits etc.), I find that I have enough adrenaline in my system, from when I first see a potential target to when I pull the trigger, that my ears aren't affected (maybe it's not adrenaline, but something in my body blocks that noise of the gun when I'm focusing on the target and where it lands/runs after I hit it).

The only time I remember when this didn't happen was when I shot a whitetail at about 30 yds with a .308. The deer went down and I was high on adrenaline or whatever it is. The deer dropped in its tracks with a chest cavity shot but when I walked up to it, it was squirming and bleating and making so much noise. I put the muzzle of my rifle about 6" from its neck at the base of the skull and pulled the trigger. That was a bad idea. I could barely hear for about two days. At that point I was cool and calm and sure I had this deer tagged, which I did. I wasn't excited, just trying to end the kill. I still think that one incident affected my hearing even though I've had other hearing damage (tinnitus after shooting and running chainsaws and chippers for a few years).

When bird hunting, If I have to put a bird out of its misery, I just break its neck with my hands...or I'm chasing it down while it's running and I still am full of adrenaline.

If I ever shoot a firearm bigger than .22lr at a range without ear protection, yes I get ringing in my ears, and that's why I wear ear protection then. But I don't while I'm hunting, even if rifle hunting. Seems like my body takes care of itself in hunting situations if I'm smart about it. Keep in mind though that hearing loss in cumulative. Small amounts every once in awhile have the same effect as one "big bang". This is what I've heard, anyway.

And I'm not advocating anything...it's just what I do. It probably is better to wear ear pro. I find that most of my success bird hunting, though, is hearing the birds flush before I see them. I don't have a dog, so I've got to rely on my own senses.

[Lewiston]

For pheasant or grouse hunting no. The only time I wear hearing protection while hunting is for waterfowl when more shots tend to be fired due to more game.

[Fat White Boy]

Eh???

[James H]

Scorch...can you actually hear things when you have those things in your ears? Like soft sounds? Leaves crunching? Deer walking? Just wondering. I've been wondering how the hearing protection works and if it lets quiet sounds in while still blocking really loud gunshots.

[Double Naught Spy]

It seems like whenever I'm hunting and have taken a shot at game, whether it's big game (whitetails) or small game (turkeys, grouse, ducks, geese, rabbits etc.), I find that I have enough adrenaline in my system, from when I first see a potential target to when I pull the trigger, that my ears aren't affected (maybe it's not adrenaline, but something in my body blocks that noise of the gun when I'm focusing on the target and where it lands/runs after I hit it).

Sorry, but adrenaline does not negate any of the mechanical damage that occurs as a result of exposure to loud noises. You are doing damage whether you realize it or not.

Whether you are upland hunting, swamp hunting, desert hunting, etc., hearing protection is a good idea. Electronic hearing protection is even better. You can actually have both better than normal hearing and have hearing protection at the same time.

[Cowboy_mo]

+1 for double spy....... the adrenaline might keep your mind off the sound but it doesn't negate the decibel level of the sound waves.......

After the bad tinnitus set in about a year ago, I always wear the electronic muffs whether shooting targets or hunting. I tried one pair that only had two microphones and they weren't sensitive enough so I purchased another set with 4 mics (2 per ear) and I can hear squirrels playing in the trees, birds singing, etc.

There are several different brands ranging from $150 and up and I suggest you google search the ones you're interested in for reviews.

I also found that I shoot much better with the noise reduction muffs than I ever did before. Might be just me, but I think the noise shock may have caused some flinching even though I didn't think the noise was really loud.

[BILLDAVE]

Being close to 41 years old there was no wearing hearing protection when I started hunting at 13. I wish there was. I took a hearing test a few years ago and soon as the nurse finished she said, "Do you shoot a lot?" Now I know what causes my tinitus. I think when your doing high volume shooting, people should wear some kind of protection for sure.
BILLDAVE

[hooligan1]

Speaking of Huh?,,,,,my wife's about had it too! I don't bird hunt anymore, but I like to spend some hardcore time at my local range, so I wear two types of protection at all times at the range!!! good stuff, mainerd!! (the other name for tinitus is,,,,,marriage!!)

[natman]

t seems like whenever I'm hunting and have taken a shot at game, whether it's big game (whitetails) or small game (turkeys, grouse, ducks, geese, rabbits etc.), I find that I have enough adrenaline in my system, from when I first see a potential target to when I pull the trigger, that my ears aren't affected (maybe it's not adrenaline, but something in my body blocks that noise of the gun when I'm focusing on the target and where it lands/runs after I hit it).

Once again, you may be distracted enough not to notice the sound, but your ears suffer the damage nevertheless.

Get a set of Peltor 6 muffs. Properly adjusted you can hear and locate sounds, but they turn a shotgun's BOOM into a faint, faraway boom.

[ZeroJunk]

I bet many of you are concientious about wearing hearing protectors shooting and then you mow for several hours, run a chainsaw or tractor without anything.

[Double Naught Spy]

You know, I would not be one of those people. I have a set of Peltors hanging off the lawnmower as I type. I also carry spare ear plugs in the car that come in quite handy for a variety of tasks.

Being electronic, the Peltors are great, especially in situations where the amount of offending noise varies. They stay on the whole time and I am able to have converstations with others without removing the muffs and so I don't do without hearing protection. For example, I don't remove the muffs when I go from mowing to edging or trimming, but can still chat with my neighbor in the process.

[Lewiston]

I bet many of you are concientious about wearing hearing protectors shooting and then you mow for several hours, run a chainsaw or tractor without anything.

Actually I buy foam ear plugs in bulk and usually always have a pair within reach. Chainsaw, trimming, weed-wacker, the muffs are built into the safety helmet. Mowing - noise canceling muffs with input for music (the same for woodworking). I will be looking into the Sonic Ear Valves Scorch mentioned.

[James H]

I worked as an arborist in the Portland, OR area for a few years and I'm well versed in the requirements put forth by OSHA. I always wore full protection on the job. I guess you can't ever really have enough, as long as you can hear all the noises of critters that you're hunting. All of you that wear the electronic kind of protector, can you still tell where a sound is coming from...as in behind you or to one side of you? That's what I'm wondering about with bird hunting.

[Crankylove]

I never use ear protection when hunting, especially if there are other hunters around. I like to be able to hear if somebody is trying to warn me about something, or be able to hear the other hunters moving if they are not in my line of sight, or hear game moving through the brush/trees, all without being muffled and distorted by the ear plugs/muffs.

[zippy13]

Being close to 41 years old there was no wearing hearing protection when I started hunting at 13.

Sorry to hear that BILLDAVE, I don't know where you were shooting, or if your shooting coach had his head buried in the sand; but, we were routinely using ear protection long before your birth. There's an article, A Device for Prophylaxis of Acoustic Trauma, by R T Barton, MD, on the Sonic Ear-Valv shooter's plugs in California Medicine, that dates back to April 1954.

[huntinaz]

I don't wear protection when I hunt but I feel like I should sometimes. Obviously it isn't good for your ears. I may carry plugs this year if I remember.

[FrontSight]

Used to not, now always do, even more religiously when waterfowling; small boat = big ouches.

[Countertop]

I wear ear protection in my right ear, next to the firearm. I don't with my left ear., which is on the other side and somewhat shielded from the sound of the gun. If I'm big game hunting in a stand, I wear ear plugs in both ears.

[langenc]

If I ever shoot a firearm bigger than .22lr -copied from JamesH

James et al-you get it from a 'little 22' also. Decibel is about 135-like a jet engine.

I have been wearing for couple years now when mowing the lawn.. Wish Id started 35 yrs ago.

Young guys-always wear and get some for your wife/kids.

[James H]

Crankylove brings up a good point. I also want to know where other hunters are, even if I hear a faint shot from a mile away. Guess I'd just have to try the electronic ear protection to see for myself if it can do what I want it to do.

[James H]

Countertop...I've always found that my left ear suffers the most when I shoot without hearing pro. It's mostly been shotguns and rifles the past 20 yrs, and I'm right-handed, so my right ear is closest to the firearm, but it's always the stock. My left ear gets more exposure to the sound waves coming from the muzzle and action. Might be a good idea to protect your left ear more than your right.

[Double Naught Spy]

I never use ear protection when hunting, especially if there are other hunters around. I like to be able to hear if somebody is trying to warn me about something, or be able to hear the other hunters moving if they are not in my line of sight, or hear game moving through the brush/trees, all without being muffled and distorted by the ear plugs/muffs.

Crankylove brings up a good point. I also want to know where other hunters are, even if I hear a faint shot from a mile away. Guess I'd just have to try the electronic ear protection to see for myself if it can do what I want it to do.

Guys, as I mentioned above, there is NO REASON to sacrifice your ability to hear while hunting and NO REASON to expose your ears to the damaging report of a rifle. With electronic hearing protection, not only can you still hear what is going on around you, often you can hear even better than without the hearing protection because the sound picked up by the microphones can be amplified above normal. You really do get the best of both worlds.

The downside I experienced is that on one particularly quiet night (hog hunting at night), I had turned up the volume too far. With super hearing, the sound of an armadillo coming through the leaf litter at 30 yards sounded like it was a 400 lb hog or some giant unexpected very large animal. I waited on the edge of my seat, trying to see the monster approaching me. Finally, I noticed the leaf litter moving. The dillo was under several inches of leaf litter, hence the noise and why I could not see any critters.

Generally speaking, you can get decent stereo electronic hearing protection from around $50 and on up. It is really a worthwhile consideration.

[the blur]

At the range, I wear foam plugs, and the ear muffs. & some times I wish I had more at the indoor range with guys shooting 12ga slugs.