Ear protection while hunting??

I don't wear any hearing protection while hunting (or know anybody who does). The situation differs greatly from range shooting as there are not repeated shots, there is not someone shooting beside you, and for the most part are not shooting in an area confined by berms(ravines maybe). Also it is usually cold enough here that a toque is atop my head and over my ears.
 
While hunting you usually want to hear sounds of game moving in the bush, etc.

I think wearing ear plugs/muffs would make that pretty hard.
 
Could always bring a pair that would be easy to put on and just put them on before you take the shot, if you have the time that is.
 
I use ear protection at every opportunity. "only one shot" still damages your hearing, it is cumulative, and irreversible. I know from experience.
I have recently been using the Browning plugs that are reversible, the green end "out" allows you to hear reasonably well but still protect quite well from muzzle blasts. Green end "in" yellow end "out" gives as much protection as foam plugs. They are quite comfortable.
I sometimes use electronic muffs, they work well is some situations. I started using them for 5-stand sporting clays, because the electronic amplification allows the shooter to hear the trap release and you can get ready for the shot. It works the same to hear flushing birds in the field.
Regular foam plugs or non- amplified muffs do limit hunting effectiveness, but I will use them if shooting geese from a blind or similar situations where ability to hear does not matter much.
 
I wear the Peltor electronic when ever possible, especially varmint hunting and especially when in a blind for coyotes with a couple of other hunters, a 22-250 cracking off right beside you is not a good thing IMO. If its not windy and I turn up the amplification a bit I can hear better than I would with no protection.
 
What did you say? Huh? Speak up.

Never done it but seems like a good idea to me. I see lots of the younger folks doing it and just because I never did it doesn't make it wrong. I'd encourage everyone to do it when possible. Only takes a couple seconds to slip in plugs before you pull the trigger.......occasionally you may not have time but other than that, why wouldn't you do it?
 
:agree:

Yup, just because most of us never did is not a reason for the younger croud not to. I guess its just a matter of getting used to it, like way back when you had to start wearing a seat belt in the car.

I think it can be done easily in certain hunting situations. When in a blind and the deer is just casually walking, you have time to put on ear protection, and as mentioned, duck hunting I would think you have time.

Though I am sure shooting way back when I was young and never wearing hearing protection even at the range is one of the reasons I have real crappy hearing now. That being said, there are certain hunting situations I want to be able to hear well, as in when your doing a deer drive. I not only want to hear the deer moving, I also want to hear any of the other drivers.

And to be honest, half the enjoyment I get from hunting is walking the bush and just hearing the birds and animals even the wind through the trees. So for myself, walking with any kind of hearing device on or in my ear would take away a great part of the enjoyment of hunting for me.
 
Seems like a good idea, but I likely won't.
For one, I don't generally hunt with the really big noise rifles, although I realize the danger is still there.
Like heavybullet above, it would take alot away from the experience of hunting for me.
 
Peltor Tactical 6S are what i use, electronic noise reduction.

you can hear everything when you arent shooting, as soon as there is a loud noise it cuts the sound so your hearing is protected.

while mine are only the electronic ones, you can get digital units which are better again, i should have spent the extra $50 on them.

the thing with my peltors is that i can actually turn the volume up past the level of regular human hearing.. you can hear more of whats going on around you..

for example.. when i got them, i put them on , turned up full and could hear rain.. i didnt think it was raining, so i took them off, couldnt hear anything .. what pieces of trash i thought, too much white noise... but i looked outside anyway - sure enough, it WAS raining .. from that point on i was convinced .

i wear them duck shooting too for the same reason, can hear those lil buggers coming


they are reasonably low profile aswell so they dont get in the way of anything
 
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I usually wear ear plugs...BUT, I only barely insert them into my ear. It seems to deflect just enough of the noise, so they don't ring. ;)
 
Good plugs to use are those ones that come on a plastic curved half circle. You can put them around the back of your neck so you don't have to fish for plugs in your pocket. Just slip them into your ear before a shot (stand hunting, duck/crow hunting etc.) where you have a chance to see or hear game coming first. They sell for 2-5 bucks and last a while. The plastic breaks after using them maybe 10 times but they are cheap enough to keep a few on hand.
 
Longwalker said:
I have recently been using the Browning plugs that are reversible, the green end "out" allows you to hear reasonably well but still protect quite well from muzzle blasts. Green end "in" yellow end "out" gives as much protection as foam plugs. They are quite comfortable.

I sometimes use electronic muffs, they work well is some situations.

Regular foam plugs or non- amplified muffs do limit hunting effectiveness, but I will use them if shooting geese from a blind or similar situations where ability to hear does not matter much.
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Our family always wears some form of hearing protection when duck/goose and upland hunting. Contrary to some of the opinions above, they do not detract from the hunting experience, especially after the first shots are fired.

cath8r said:
Good plugs to use are those ones that come on a plastic curved half circle. You can put them around the back of your neck so you don't have to fish for plugs in your pocket. Just slip them into your ear before a shot (stand hunting, duck/crow hunting etc.) where you have a chance to see or hear game coming first. They sell for 2-5 bucks and last a while. The plastic breaks after using them maybe 10 times but they are cheap enough to keep a few on hand.
Click to expand...

I have used foam ear plugs on a headband when deer hunting (Howard Leight QB2. NRR 25 http://www.howardleight.com/segment/index/4) Wear them around your neck and they only take a second to put ON (not in) your ears.



With ear protection you don't temporary loose some of your hearing as you would if you don't use protection.

We use the EAR Combat valved plugs (Browning markets them under their own brand), foam ear plugs, and also the cheap Princess Auto electronic muffs. The valved ear plugs don't fit the kids very well so they use foam plugs.

Do a test for yourselves, only plug one ear, take a couple of shots, unplug that ear and hear the difference for yourselves. Hearing (or not hearing) is believing.
 
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I suffer from some hearing loss, but moreso am affected by tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears. My condition was brought on by industrial noise. I strongly advocate wearing hearing protection on the range, in the blind, or if sitting near to another hunter. Having said that, I do not wear hearing protection while upland hunting because I wear
hearing aids and therefore must wear muffs which I find too hot travelling over hill and dale, and the shooting is usually very limited.
 
At the range I wear foam plugs and Beretta db-25 muffs. I don't wear protection while hunting, but I do take noise into consideration when hunting with another person(s).
I used to wear electronic Peltor muffs when turkey and varmint hunting. They give you a great edge in hearing. Very easy to hear far off gobbles, pinpoint individual foot steps, etc.
I'd imagine most people on here, have damaged hearing. I get mine tested regularly and apparantly am quite deaf in my left ear...
 
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