Hearing loss

[dscubame]

You guys crack me up.  Same guys that use latex to gut their deer Id imagine. LOL


dont forget, campfire smoke is harmful to you as well.    Better mask up

Good chuckle    Put me on the side of the fence with no ear protection while hunting.  Range and target shooting absolutely.

46 years old.  Couple dozen big games animals to my record without protection starting with 30-06, 7mm, and many with the 30-378.  No issues thus far.  I imagine the AC/DC concerts caused more damage.

[ljsommer]

Good conversation so far, it sounds like some of us are blessed with more resilient hearing than others. I picked up some plugs with a neck cord to hang when not in use, as well as Caldwell E-Max Low Profile Electronic 20-23 which are pretty incredible after some testing in the woods.

[Bullkllr]

I have been hunting for 43 years and have never wore hearing protection in the field and my hearing while not perfect is very good, I also have a muzzle brake on my rifles. Different story at the range!I think you would be fine UNLESS you are a terrible shot and have to shoot a whole box of bullets... Only sissy's wear protection in the field       

This is me for big game hunting, only wear protection at the range. I have started wearing muffs while waterfowl hunting though

  Lots of heavy duck/goose loads week after week really started to get to me. Had to start doing something so muffs were the answer. A rifle shot a couple times a year does not seem to affect whatever hearing I have left.

[Rainier10]

 

 Got myself a really nice pair of hearing aids when I turned 45.  Man I wish I would have taken better care of my ears when I was younger.  Left ear is almost deaf to certain tones, classic symptom firearm damage for a right handed shooter.

Protect your ears, when you get older you will still be able to hear them call you a sissy but that is better than not being able to hear them tell you what a tough guy you were before you lost your hearing.

[bearpaw]

 Got myself a really nice pair of hearing aids when I turned 45.  Man I wish I would have taken better care of my ears when I was younger.  Left ear is almost deaf to certain tones, classic symptom firearm damage for a right handed shooter.

Protect your ears, when you get older you will still be able to hear them call you a sissy but that is better than not being able to hear them tell you what a tough guy you were before you lost your hearing.

  Sadly I'm in the same boat with my hearing, I wished I had been careful.

[biggfish]

Good conversation so far, it sounds like some of us are blessed with more resilient hearing than others. I picked up some plugs with a neck cord to hang when not in use, as well as Caldwell E-Max Low Profile Electronic 20-23 which are pretty incredible after some testing in the woods.

How you liking the caldwell I bought a pair but can't get a good cheek weld with an ar.

Sent from my LG-US701 using Tapatalk

[Pegasus]

Damaged my hearing years ago while in the military. Back in the day they did not provide hearing protection. Rifle range, pistol range, firing every weapon the Marines had and then getting to play with explosives and grenades. All without ear  protection. Later carrier operations, missile launches and being around jet engines and helicopters did not help either. Finally was given my first ear plugs and a lecture about a year before departing the Marines. By then I had trouble carrying on a conversation in a crowded room like a restaurant and tinnitus was occurring. Now I use ear protection to save what's left of my hearing. The plus side is I don't have to listen to my wife telling me that I have chores to do...

[PolarBear]

You guys crack me up.  Same guys that use latex to gut their deer Id imagine. LOL


dont forget, campfire smoke is harmful to you as well.    Better mask up

The same guys who wear shoulder length orange gloves.  I can't tell if they are gutting an animal or doing a palpation test on it.   
I have hearing damage from years of shooting competitively and playing my guitar at 11.  I only use hearing protection at the range but not while hunting.  I did lose my hearing for about 3 days after shooting a buck with my B.A.R. .300 win mag with the B.O.S.S. muzzle break in a box canyon.  That sucked.  I wear ear plugs all day at work and when I sleep but not in the field.

[BigGoonTuna]

I've  often thought about picking up a set of electronic earplugs for hunting.  I could see packing a set of muffs in open country where one can set up for a shot, but that ain't happening when trying to kick a blacktail out of the brush.

[TriggerMike]

I use walker game ears, but mostly because I already have hearing loss.  I can't hear a grouse beating its wings, or a buck snort, or a cat stalking me. I have a hard time with elk bugles far away, and forget about soft cow calls.  My buddies hear them, stop and put their hand up in the classic "I hear something" gesture; I about pop a blood vessel straining to hear what they're hearing and I cannot.

If you're worried about it I'd suggest the inserts to help amplify noise a little but still deaden a shot and you don't need to stop to put them on. 

If you archery, the muffs don't work unfortunately.  I still use them for archery until I get the buds, but instead of taking the time to put ears on I have to have time to take the ears off 


I'll be switching to ear buds like these that'll stay in the whole duration of the hunt.

I bought the ear pro pictured here a few months ago and used them while turkey hunting. They worked great. I'l be using them this Fall for sure.

[bearpaw]

I use walker game ears, but mostly because I already have hearing loss.  I can't hear a grouse beating its wings, or a buck snort, or a cat stalking me. I have a hard time with elk bugles far away, and forget about soft cow calls.  My buddies hear them, stop and put their hand up in the classic "I hear something" gesture; I about pop a blood vessel straining to hear what they're hearing and I cannot.

If you're worried about it I'd suggest the inserts to help amplify noise a little but still deaden a shot and you don't need to stop to put them on. 

If you archery, the muffs don't work unfortunately.  I still use them for archery until I get the buds, but instead of taking the time to put ears on I have to have time to take the ears off 


I'll be switching to ear buds like these that'll stay in the whole duration of the hunt.

I bought the ear pro pictured here a few months ago and used them while turkey hunting. They worked great. I'l be using them this Fall for sure.

Were you able to hear what direction noises were coming from?

[RadSav]

Were you able to hear what direction noises were coming from?

I have the stereo head set I use for turkey.  I can tell direction much better with those than I can without them.  If I ever draw a good bull tag in this state I'll probably use them for that as well.

Only problem with the headset is I can not shoot gun or bow with them on.  They are cancelling though so I do use them when shooting the pistola.

Real cool part of the design is you can amplify the sound you are looking for.  Tune out the water sound or wind sounds and turn up turkey gobble sound.  Takes a bit of getting used to like about anything else.  But for directionally challenged guy like me...it's pretty sweet!

[KFhunter]

I have the quad pro ear muffs with 4 microphones that kinda help tell direction, but I swivel my head a lot and still have trouble hearing direction with them on, my left ear is dead so I have the volume cranked on that side and my right ear down lower to balance things but I struggle still.   

I got busted by some bears today checking a camera and if it wasn't for my wife that went with me I wouldn't have heard them crashing out, my wife can hear feather land on carpet, I think she hears too much 

[heronblu]

Anyone who might poo poo the concept of ear protection obviously hasn't experienced the maddening condition of tinnitus. I am a carpenter and can tell you that over the years I have seen people experience serious hearing loss, cut off fingers, lose eyes, and develop lung disease. The common thread among all of those accidents is that they were all avoidable had the people been taking the proper precautions (i.e. ear protection, blade guards, eye protection, respirators). I always wear my safety gear whether its while hunting or working. I want to continue to be able to hear the crunch of a leaf underfoot, the far off whistle of an incoming duck, or the sounds of my kids voices for as long as I can. People who might call you a sissy are uncomfortable in their own skin and are projecting their own insecurities onto you in the form of machismo, which in the world of safety I have no patience for. Protect your ears and eyes, and welcome to the hunting life.

[Jonathan_S]

I wear ear pro in almost every foreseeable situation. However, I don’t wear it deer hunting and it’s not machismo. I just find it odd to wear it while deer hunting unless with a braked rifle.