Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

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So I had my first gun related/dumb/hunting mishap after 18 years of hunting, and 22 years of shooting.

I went hunting this past Saturday and shot ducks and geese with my 12 ga, with no ear pro. Between calling, and listening to birds earpro has always gotten in the way. When shooting, I always wear plugs and or muffs.

After getting home, I noticed my right ear was plugged. It kept getting more plugged and I was getting some pain. Today the pain got so bad I had to go into the doctor. I have a perforated ear drum. The doctor who was really pro gun suggested that I needed to wear electronic ear protection to hear the animals and my call correctly.

I know when hunting damaged is incured when the dB threshold is crossed, but I never thought of my ear drum getting a hole in it. I will make a full recovery, the tear is fairly small. This sucks a lot however.

So, I ask those of you to think about your ears even when hunting. Not trying to be that guy-but just want to give you guys something to think about while we are in waterfowl/hunting season.

Take care and be safe!

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

With the frequency that you shoot during bird hunting, I can see your point. I never use hearing pro when I hunt, but I don't do much bird hunting anyway, mostly just deer, squirrel, rabbit.

Incidentally, they make ear plugs that filter sounds and make shooting tolerable while still allowing voices, animal sounds, etc. You may want to check those out as a cheaper alternative to the high speed ear muffs.

 

[mattj]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

I wear electronic over custom made low pro solid plugs due to a "scare" I hade with hearing protection during a match (muffs slipped off one year, pulled out the foam plug... braked .308 shooting with head in a barrel.... bad news).

But for hunting and the like, have the ear doc pour molds of your ear and get a pair of these made:

http://www.westone.com/hearing-protection-products/custom-fit-hearing-protection-products


...they are amazing. Except for your own voice (which sounds kinda funny) having them in makes NO noticeable difference in how well I am able to hear. However, when a loud noise occurs, the valve shuts -- it isn't quite as much sound reduction as solid plugs, but for activities like hunting where we're not talking constant gunfire, they are the cat's meow.

 

[High Binder]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

Dude... Seriously? You have to protect yourself.

I do just fine with electronic muffs. Occasionally I hit the lower portion of my right muff with the butt of my shotgun but that's the only problem I've had with them. Just buy elec muffs and be done with it, you can crank up the volume and have bionic hearing too. I bought the $30 Remington elec muffs from wallyworld years ago and they rock, cheap easy and bulletproof.

 

[mrredbeard1959]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

i use the little foam plugs and a set of muffs over them. i only have 60 percent hearing left and i want to keep it

 

[fw707]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

I use foam plugs <span style="text-decoration: underline">and</span> Peltor muffs at the range, and the Peltors alone when I hunt.
My tinnitus is about to the point that it can't be tuned out anymore.

 

[Redmanss]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

I've used the baffle type ear plugs for years, and they work very well for occasional shooting/hunting. They easily allow normal tone conversation and directional hearing of sounds when hunting, but block out the harsh report of a shot.

When it's cold out, cheap electronic Peltors are what I use but they're not my favorite. On the range working a 10+ shooter firing line though, it's foam plugs and the Peltors.

I've got a lot of time working and shooting on ranges including two straight years at Parris Island, and I have my Grandfather to thank that I can still pass a hearing test with flying colors. He was near deaf and made me swear to ALWAYS wear hearing protection and not make the same mistakes he did.

 

[King-Kong]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

Why woudnt i use electronic ear protection? They amplify sounds so i can hear better whit electronic hearing protection.

 

[Red Ryder]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

ZLBubba, PLEASE start wearing ear protection when you hunt deer. You don't want to walk around with a high pitch whine in your ears 24/7/365 - and this will happen if you keep shooting unprotected. Every shot screws your ears up a little bit more.

I use Sordins and this past deer season I heard deer coming everytime before I saw them. Of course if you use e-muffs in an environment with a lot of background noise, the amplified sound can drive you insane. I typically turn the amplification down pretty low.

 

[[email protected]]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

Thanks for the responses gents. Some electronic muffs are in my future. My ear was killing me last night, today it is doing much better.

 

[fw707]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

A few years down the road you'll be saying. "those old deaf guys were right".

 

[teknikallysekure]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

get a can, live in a state where it's legal to hunt with a can.

If you're a good hunter a few gunshots a year won't hurt

I only go every couple years though.

I hunt in thick brush though and it'd be downright impossible to find something on sight alone.

 

[[email protected]]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: fw707</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A few years down the road you'll be saying. "those old deaf guys were right". </div></div>

I agree. Lesson learned. My sig line is perfect for my story.

 

[Shootinsurveyor]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

I wore Peltor muffs and they worked great. I was hunting with a brake and didnt want to touch it off unprotected. I have decided I will probably wear them from now on even with non braked rifles.

 

[powell]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

I wear the Peltor Tac 6-S (E-muff), picked them up cheap at Sportsman's. I wear them in the Goose pit all the time. 4 guys with 12ga with 3.5 shells it gets loud. All the guys in the pit give me shit for wearing them but I can hear at the end of the day. I will even wear them yote hunting. For big game them are in my ruck and when I am sitting they are out and on my head at the least.

 

[Jerry m]

Re: Do you wear earpro while hunting? Some thoughts.

Being an expert in this area - wearing hearing aids in both ears, I ALWAYS wear ear protection, to keep what little hearing I have!!!
For years I have been chewing my buddy's ass about not wearing earplugs when we waterfowl hunt together. For years he has ignored me. Guess who's wearing hearing aids now? Cumulative exposure to load noises will catch up with you.

Good luck

Jerry