Hearing protection

[JJD]

I have significant hearing loss in both ears.  I need to do a better job of protecting what I have left. 
I have hearing aids that shut down at a certain decible level, but they are the open type (small stem goes in ear) but they let outside sounds in as well as the sounds they amplify.  Plus if I sweat at all, the moisture kills the batteries in the unit that fits behind the ear.

I need a type of amplification that allows me to hear the duck or geese or the shot being called, yet cancels out the blast of the shotgun.  I hate ear muffs as you end up shooting in some pretty contorted positions when ya hunt out of lay out blinds and the muffs always tend to be in the way.

Looking for suggestions

[Colin]

Been thinking about getting some of these Game Ears. Anybody have an experience?

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Hunting-Accessories/Hearing-Protection-Enhancement%7C/pc/104791680/c/104734980/sc/104381280/Walkers-Game-Earreg-Digital-HD-X-Game-Ear/1214146.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhearing-protection-enhancement%2F_%2FN-1100132%2FNo-0%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104792580%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNP%26recordsPerPage%3D48&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104792580%3Bcat104381280

[h20hunter]

I have tried the muffs and find them to be less than ideal. Maybe they are cheap....but i find the white noise/static very distracting. They are great for amping up sounds and then muffling the loud stuff like shots but I would try before you buy if at all possible.

[addicted]

I have the peltor Emufs and the Howard leight Emufs.  Peltors are more comfy but the Howards have clearer sound with better amplification. I like hearing the boar chewing 45 yards away.

[addicted]

I hear sport ear is the way to go but you better get your insurance in on it if you want the customs cuz they are like 2 grand.

http://sportear.com/

[Yelper Guy]

I have hearing (or lack of) issues myself, just ask my wife. But seriously, I own a pair of the Walker Game Ear Muffs in Mossy Oak camo. They do slightly get in the way as I take aim on a bird, but they really help reduce the gun blast noise. If I have the amplification turned-up too much, a small fly can sound like a fighter jet!

[hunting4sanity]

Like the OP, I have hearing aids and also very bad tinnitus, ringing in the ears.  If I could go back in time and stop the hearing damage $2k would be well worth it.  I'm looking at the SportEar and also Etymotic, it's hard to spend that much money, but I'd say well worth it.  Now, I just need to listen to my own advice and get off the fence and buy something.  To you guys who still hear good - PROTECT IT!

[wadu1]

I've got the same problem, I tried all the brands of muffs and game ears. They all had some issues like to big and the game ears haven't lasted a season. I'm now using the Howard light Ear muffs while hunting they don't snag on anything in the blinds. I even use them to hear the TV when watching with my wife. 

[Russ McDonald]

Wild Ear.  So a couple Outdoor Channels hunter using them http://wildear.com/products-page/bowhunter-series/ $969.  Walker has almost the same thing for almost half that price http://www.basspro.com/Walkers-Game-Ear-Micro-Elite-Hearing-Enhancement-Aid/product/10202930/

[Jingles]

Isn't Walkers game ears supposed to amplify the normal sounds and deaden the sharp sounds of gunfire?

[JJD]

I hear sport ear is the way to go but you better get your insurance in on it if you want the customs cuz they are like 2 grand.

http://sportear.com/

If someone could restore my hearing, I'd throw them 2G's so fast it would leave them awestruck.
2 grand to keep what I still have ain't a bad deal either, "IF" the protection meets my needs.

Needs;
low profile so they don't interfere with the mounting of the gun.
water resistant, they don't need to be "water proof", but I hate it when I sweat a little and it kills the batteries as with my current hearing aids.
do a good job of taking gun report down to an acceptable level.

[PA BEN]

I use these work good for me http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=708649&destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct.jsp%3FparentCategoryId%3D104791680%26categoryId%3D104734980%26subCategoryId%3D104381280%26productId%3D1214146%26type%3Dproduct%26destination%3D%252Fcatalog%252Fbrowse%252Fhearing-protection-enhancement%252F_%252FN-1100132%252FNo-0%253FWTz_l%253DSBC%25253BMMcat104792580%2526WTz_st%253DGuidedNav%2526WTz_stype%253DGNP%2526recordsPerPage%253D48%26WTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104792580%253Bcat104381280&WTz_l=YMAL%3BIK-230762
I bought walkers this year and wish I never bought them lots of background noise.

[300rum]

I used Howard Leight "Impact Sport" muffs last weekend and they worked great.  They are electronic and I am able to hear which direction the sound is coming from.  I could tell where the whistling wings were coming from, or if they were coming behind me.  I had the amplification up a bit and it absolutely helped to hear better.  The muffs are also low profile and I had zero issues mounting a shotgun with them.  It was a bit windy and I didn't even notice the wind with them on even though I have with others that I have tried.  You can find them for around $40 if you search around.

The best part was that I did not have a headache the next day and had zero ringing in my ears.         

[pianoman9701]

I went to get fitted for hearing aids on Tuesday. $6K for them. Of course after insurance (which we're losing with my wife's job today), $3.5K. The clinic is pushing hearing aids for one company, which I find extremely distasteful.

I'm planning on having my earmuffs around my neck when I goose hunt this year. I need to protect what's left of my hearing. White noise? Part of my every waking moment.

[JohnVH]

my ears have been ringing for 4 years now, since an antelope hunt. I have the cheap in ear walker game ears, its like hearing through a toilet paper tube, but they do work, Ive also been using the howard leigh e muffs, they work good and sound isnt too weird.

Im about to the point of spending 500-1000 on some quality inside ear ones, my brother has a quality set and they feel good, and the sound is great, yet still shut down when a certain decibel is hit.  Its worth it, the loud ringing sucks... 

[JJD]

I went to get fitted for hearing aids on Tuesday. $6K for them. Of course after insurance (which we're losing with my wife's job today), $3.5K. The clinic is pushing hearing aids for one company, which I find extremely distasteful.

I'm planning on having my earmuffs around my neck when I goose hunt this year. I need to protect what's left of my hearing. White noise? Part of my every waking moment.

Sorry you hearing is going too.  If you are paying that kind of $$, I sure hope they are the waterproof ones.  Mine are 5 yrs old and I didn't think it would be an issue, but the batteries gong dead every time I sweat a bit really pisses me off.  Water resistant / water proof are now available, but I'm not quite ready to part with another 4 - 6 grand to resolve that issue.
The sport ear 412 waterproof are about $2500 and the high zoot 812 waterproof are about $3 grand plus tax, license and dealer prep.  For that kind of dough, I think I'll talk to my audiologist and see what they offer.  Appt next week.

[pianoman9701]

Not waterproof for $6K.

[addicted]

Gotta get health insurance to cover it.

[JJD]

Not waterproof for $6K.

Wow, prices have really increased in 5 years. 
I complained because mine were over 4 grand.  I bought my first new Pichup truck in 1972, it cost me $3500 off the showroom floor across the river in Portland.  Dang hearing aids cost me more than my first new vehicle.