Another stupid question from new hunter: Why no earmuffs when hunting?

E

ezmiraldo

New member
Hi guys!

I keep hearing that one shouldn't wear ear protection when hunting. Why? I have a nice electronic muffs that actually increase the volume of low-level noise, which, it seems, would improve the odds of me hearing the critter (or any other minor noises), and would protect me from the rifle blast noise. What are your thoughts on this? Do you wear ear protection on hunts (especially electronic ear muffs that amplify quite noises, but block loud noise)?

Thanks again, all!
 
You know it really is a personal preference. I carry custom molded ear plugs that are tethered to my hat and I will slip them in at what I feel is the most opportune time. I am very protective about my hearing because I am exposed daily for hours on end to very unsafe noise levels and I don’t need to induce any more damage just for one shot. If I can’t get the ear pro in prior to the shot oh well, no shot.
 
If you have electronic muffs, by all means wear them.

Most folks don't have them and don't want to wear regular muffs or ear plugs taht would make it harder to hear approaching game
 
What Willie said.

I wouldn't trust any of the muffs I have in the field. Just to awkward and would probably fall off or something.
 
It all depends on a number of factors. Is the hunting you are talking about a "one-shot proposition" like deer hunting or boxes of shells as in dove hunting? For dove hunting, by all means! Do you hunt from a closed in blind, if so, by all means!

There seems to be some debate over the damage of one loud sound occasionally as being acceptable or the ear damage is cumulative with every loud noise adding to the effect. YMMV, but for deer hunting, don't use a muzzle brake & try to shoot only once! :)

FWIW...

...bug
 
When you're hunting you're usually only firing once a day (deer anyway). I don't think hearing a shot once a day will cause any irreparable damage to your ears, regardless of caliber.

The headphones you described sound good enough, but there's no way I would voluntarily block my own hearing while hunting with a regular set of headphones.
 
I started hunting with a silencer (suppressor) just cause I dont like walking around in the heat with muffs on my head or plugs in my ears. Id rather carry an extra 8 oz-2LBS of suppressor than be uncomfortable.

That said they are a bit of a pain (long wait time and tax stamp) and expensive so I can understand why people don't have them. I wear muffs at the range but often still shoot suppressed.
 
Have a enclosed blind to hunt from. Shoot out a window at my game. Most of my 270s muzzle blast is out forward of me in the open air. Seldom is a shot discomforting on the ears under this circumstance.
 
mardanlin said:
When you're hunting you're usually only firing once a day (deer anyway). I don't think hearing a shot once a day will cause any irreparable damage to your ears, regardless of caliber.

The headphones you described sound good enough, but there's no way I would voluntarily block my own hearing while hunting with a regular set of headphones.
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A single gun shot most certainly can and has produced instant and permanent damage, I am living proof.

With modern technology, there is no excuse for firing ANY gun louder than a .22LR rifle without wearing protection.

Electronic muffs actually ENHANCE your ability to hear game animals, improve your ability to hear conversation and cost as little as $30.

There is simply no excuse.

Sure Shot McGee said:
Seldom is a shot discomforting on the ears under this circumstance.
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Your ears couldn't care less if you feel discomfort or hear ringing. Those are not reliable indicators of damage or no damage. The human mind uses something called Auditory Exclusion to ignore sounds that it does not consider relevant at high stress/excitement moments. It happens in life/death (Self defense) and it happens when hunting. Pain or ringing is irrelevant.

Every. Single. Gunshot. Can cause damage.

Wear hearing protection, every single time.

I won't hunt or shoot without it, I will and have canceled a day of hunting because I forgot my electronic ears. I just wish I'd known when I was 15, instead of 30.
 
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If you have good quality electronic hearing protection then wear it.

Other than cost, there's really no downside to protecting your hearing with good quality electronic hearing pro while hunting.
 
My hearing is bad thanks to a lot of shooting while I was in the military back in 1988/90 .
My hears ring all the time, 24/7 . When in a meeting, I cant hear the person that's on the other side of tge table, and I am only 45 years old. Please, protect your ears as much as possible. Once the damage is done there is no going back.
 
you do get a smewhat lesser of a sense of from which direction the sound comes from but it is a small price to pay,

I arleady have lessened eharing from working in the music industry and wouldnät dream of risking anymore of it.

heck som high power .22s sound too much for me
 
I suppose electronic muffs have a place, especially in the Southern milder climates. I find them awkward and impractical in Northern hunting where temps can be -20 degrees or more. Warm headgear/hooded clothing/hats/etc. doesn't work well with muffs.
 
Rembrandt said:
I suppose electronic muffs have a place, especially in the Southern milder climates. I find them awkward and impractical in Northern hunting where temps can be -20 degrees or more. Warm headgear/hooded clothing/hats/etc. doesn't work well with muffs.
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That seems 100% backwards IMO. Earmuffs keep your ears very warm. Too warm in warm weather. I would NOT want to use them down south. They are absolutely perfect for cold NY deer season.

I've never felt the need to wear a hood while I have muffs on but my uncle does, every single deer season, and hasn't had a single problem or complaint.
 
...you do get a smewhat lesser of a sense of from which direction the sound comes from...
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The better quality electronic muffs preserve binaural hearing which shouldn't affect your ability to "direction find" with your hearing.
I suppose electronic muffs have a place, especially in the Southern milder climates. I find them awkward and impractical in Northern hunting where temps can be -20 degrees or more. Warm headgear/hooded clothing/hats/etc. doesn't work well with muffs.
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Good quality electronic hearing protection compact enough to replicate the form factor of a hearing aid is available. It tends to be somewhat expensive, but it would allow the use of any headgear desired.

There are also slimline muffs which should be workable with all but the most snug hooded clothing.
 
it's personal preference. I own electronic earmuffs, they're great for range day but I would never hunt with them. too much static, too little sound differentiation, and still find myself talking/whispering louder than I should when wearing them, even when they are so loud it hurts my ears. I would rather deal with the ringing in my ears after 1-2 shots than to try to overcome that handicap.
and unless you get the royally expensive, uber compact, binary sound differentiated plugs like John's talking about, you're restricted to full earmuff which... really... you're going to look ridiculous wearing out in the bush...

the way I figure it, I am damaging my hearing, but no more than I was exposed to being stationed on a ship where people are grinding on decks and bulkheads at all hours of the night, or being trapped in traffic next to a jack hammer, or in a confined shop with an air compressor running. if my hearing is going to go out from loud noises, avoiding 1-4 unprotected earshots per year is not going to make a huge difference either way.
 
Plugs, not muffs. The right one (nearest to rifle) all the way in. The left one about half way in, so I can hear the game coming.

Muffs are too hot/heavy, etc, and a tree limb rips them off your head while you're moving.

+2 (x100) to Brian.
 
I would rather deal with the ringing in my ears after 1-2 shots than to try to overcome that handicap.
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You'll change your tune when one day the ringing never stops. Ever.

But by then it will be too late.

I use electronic muffs whenever I hunt. I've had a set of Peltor 6s for twenty years and have hundreds of hours with them. If you adjust them correctly you can hear sounds just fine and tell what direction a sound is coming from. I sometimes forget I have them on.

The only objection I've read so far that has any merit is that they are rather warm in hot weather. If I hunted much under hot conditions I'd get a set of electronic ear plugs as well.

Too expensive? Once you get tinnitus, believe me you'd pay a LOT more than $50 to get rid of it. If you could.
 
With modern technology, there is no excuse for firing ANY gun louder than a .22LR rifle without wearing protection.
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.22lr can damage your hearing as well.

Earmuffs keep your ears very warm. Too warm in warm weather. I would NOT want to use them down south
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I wear them when shooting sporting clays and yes, it can get sweaty when it is 95 degrees outside, but I like to keep what hearing I have left.

Wear hearing protection and save what hearing you have. Tinnitus, aka "ear crickets", is a very distracting nuisance that is no fun when trying to be with a group of folks and all are talking
 
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