Hearing protection while hunting.

[Wolfe28]

Do you wear hearing protection while hunting? I'm thinking no, because you are only taking one or two shots (deer hunting), but wanted to know the INGO take on the subject.

D

 

[Titanium Man]

Good question. While I've taken many shots in my life hunting, I've never expenienced ringing in my ears, or even recoil pain due to one or two consecutive shots. Gotta thank adrenalin!!

 

[Manan]

Yes you should wear hearing protection while hunting. There are electronic products that will even enhance your hearing so you can hear the game better, but when that muzzle blast occurs, you really should have something that saves your hearing.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I have plugs with me. Sometimes I have time to put them in, sometimes no. Every shot I've taken hunting wasn't nearly as loud as on the range. I'm very protective of my remaining hearing but don't sweat it hunting.

 

[Bosshoss]

Yes you should wear hearing protection while hunting. There are electronic products that will even enhance your hearing so you can hear the game better, but when that muzzle blast occurs, you really should have something that saves your hearing.

^^^^^^
BEST way to go.

 

[dingodog]

No. Not while hunting. The couple shots taken, if any at all, have never bothered me.

 

[Sajer]

Never have .....but probably should have as my hearing is slowly eroding.

 

[canamscott]

I am extremely protective of my hearing and it has paid off. I can hear many things in the woods the buddies I am standing with can't hear. I wear one ear plug while hunting, in the ear by the gun. I am sure it does somewhat handicap me, but in the long run I would rather have one ear hearing some of the time and great hearing the rest of the time than diminished hearing all of the time.

 

[hountzmj]

I don't while deer hunting. Because as others have said, it's typically a 1 or 2 shot deal.

I have a pair of custom fit "sonic filter" plugs I bough from an audiologist, that I wear for waterfowl or other repeated shot hunting. They are basically solid ear plugs with a piece in the middle that has baffles and a valve or such in them. They aren't perfect but take out probably 95% of the blast.

 

[Willie]

Take it from a person that has severe hearing loss.. i just dropped $3,300 on a pair of hearing aids.

One shot can damage your hearing big time.

I can not and will not hunt without hearing protection..

I wear electronic muffs when I gun hunt for deer or turkeys.

Like the old song goes - "You don't know what you've go till it's gone" is true on hearing. Protect it while you've still got it..

 

[kong1911]

I always have worn earplugs when hunting....I have a 25 year old pair of "reed" style plugs that work great....you can hear well with them in, but when you shoot, the percussion closes the reed and protects your hearing....I have worn them for 1000s of rounds on the range, shooting trap and sporting clays, and hunting.....at 53, I still can hear better than most....

 

[netsecurity]

Hearing is more important than sight to me when hunting, so I do not cover my ears. The shotgun is not asloud as a rifle though, I'd have to have some protection if I was using a rifle!

 

[Fishersjohn48]

I frequently wear my Howard Leight Sport electronic hearing muffs while deer hunting. They serve three important functions:
1) They keep my ears warm!
2) They amplify sounds in the woods that you may not hear otherwise.
3) They protect your ears from the gun report.

 

[thoroughbred]

I think hearing protection is a must, with electronic hearing protection I'm able to hear anything and everything. The only negative thing I can say about them is if it is a windy day, they can get annoying real quick. Just like most stuff out there though the better the quality the more you are going to have to spend.

 

[smittygj]

I lost most of my hearing working around jets and on the flight deck in the Navy.
So, no, I don't wear them. My ears ring all the time anyway....

 

[selinoid44]

I'm sure that muzzle percussion makes just as much noise in the woods as well as anywhere else, but it doesn't seem like it. I dont where hearing protection when hunting. It seems like the trees soak up a lot of the sound when the gun goes off. That's a poor excuse I'm sure, but it gives me a reason to say, HUH?, when my wife says something to me and I'm not listening. I think hearing loss is hereditary somewhat.

 

[Willie]

I lost most of my hearing working around jets and on the flight deck in the Navy.
So, no, I don't wear them. My ears ring all the time anyway....

You are still doing damage to your hearing even if they are already ringing.

I have two distinct ringing in my ears - a riiinnnnggg and a hummmmm. It gets real bad when I'm trying to sleep..