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

You'll change your tune when one day the ringing never stops. Ever.

But by then it will be too late.
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as I said I have been exposed to a lot of seriously damaging noises, including jetblast, compressors, power tools, grinders, amplifiers, listening to music too loud, un-muffled motors, and of course, gun shots. the gun shots are few and far between, 99% of the shooting I do is with hearing protection, the only time I don't wear is while hunting, a lot of loud sounds are completely unavoidable and you're not going to develop serious hearing issues from one or two isolated incidents.
 
A400 Fan said:
.22lr can damage your hearing as well.
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A 22LR *rifle* is quiet enough that it would be virtually impossible to exceed safe exposure levels. You'd probably need to be shooting full-auto for 8hrs a day.


I believe that "I've already been exposed to a lot" is a pretty weak excuse. It only takes one shot sometimes. Someday, it WILL be that shot and you WILL notice the ringing and the ringing WON'T ever stop.

We spend thousands on guns, ammo, gear, camo, memberships, licenses, travel, etc, etc, but a few hundred on protecting our hearing is too much?

Someday it'll be $3500 on hearing aides instead
 
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I concur... 22 pistols could easily damage your hearing with prolonged shooting, rifles? that's a pretty far stretch, most firecrackers are louder than 22 from a 16 inch or greater barrel.
 
I'm 60 years old and have never worn hearing protection while hunting. That includes some pretty good dove shoots. I wear them for sporting clays, target shooting etc. when it really makes no sense not to. I always wear hearing protection when I mow the grass, run a chainsaw, wood splitter or use the tractor on the farm. And, my hearing is fine.

Now, there is no downside other than hassle or discomfort in wearing hearing protection. And, my hearing might be marginally better if I had never shot without protection. But, if it was that big a deal most of the men I know would be deaf.
 
The only reason I don't wear them is 1. I don't own any of the electronic ones (wish I did) and 2. The muffs alway seem to be in the way of the stock when shooting anything other than off the bench. When bench shooting I will wear both plugs and muff over the top and can maneuver tham around so the stock doesn't hit them. If you have then and by all means give them a try.
 
I am 57 and my hearing is nowhere near what it used to be, construction work, welding shop noise, shooting with and without hearing protection. This coming season you will see a set of electronic muffs on my head, that is if you walk out in the woods and find me in my tree stand. I was in my tree last season and a friend of mine was a ways away, a buck was grunting and he heard it, I didnt. I want to hear those deer walking up behind my tree and a grunt from over the next hill. Really, who cares if it "looks foolish"? Its not a fashion show, its hunting!! So..I vote for hearing protection at all times.
 
...you're not going to develop serious hearing issues from one or two isolated incidents...
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It depends on your personal tolerance and also on the noise level. It is true that some people seem to be more resistant to hearing damage than others, but it is also true that a single incident can cause hearing damage under the right circumstances.

Mr. Pfleuger is one example of that according to his comment earlier in the thread. I am another. I had an incident involving a single shot from a .357Mag revolver that has left me noticeably hearing-impaired in one ear.
 
Ugh, you guys are gonna make me go out and pick up some electronic muffs now. I honestly have never thought about hearing protection while hunting, but now i can't believe i haven't thought of it sooner.
 
Ugh, you guys are gonna make me go out and pick up some electronic muffs now. I honestly have never thought about hearing protection while hunting, but now i can't believe i haven't thought of it sooner.
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Good. I have some tinnitus and I can't tell you how much I wish someone had told me what I'm telling you now:

Protect your hearing.
 
Someone mentioned electronic ear plugs, rather than muffs.
There's some advertised in the gun mags, lately.
Very small, about the size of a hearing aid, but with a little knob for the tuning.
Unfortunately, they were advertised as costing over $400.
Ouch.
But they are supposed to be as good as full sized muffs for enhancing sound and blocking gunfire.
Has anyone tried them or something similar?
 
i think this is extremely important info any new hunter should hear. i'm glad we had this discussion for all hunting newbs, like myself, to read.
 
2. The muffs alway seem to be in the way of the stock when shooting anything other than off the bench. When bench shooting I will wear both plugs and muff over the top and can maneuver tham around so the stock doesn't hit them.
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I wear them for sporting clays which can be a gun up start and also for FITASC which is a low gun start. They have never gotten in the way for either shooting game. Gun fit plays a role there.
 
g.willikers said:
Has anyone tried them or something similar?
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I have a Walker's Digital Game Ear that retails for about $350 IIRC. It works great. It even has a special wire that plugs into a radio but transmits wirelessly to the Game Ear. It allows you to wear a hat and shoot unhindered, although I've never found that shooting with muffs bothered me and/or got in the way of the gun. I only got it for the radio feature and everybody I hunt with finally went to texting for communication that year. It's sits on my fridge, unused, virtually brand-new.

It's cold during deer season up here and the muffs keep my ears warm.
 
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Get The electronic ear protection. Uther than the price it's the way to go. I some times hate that continus ringing. Why even start the WHAT! Thing?
 
Seen it

Back when I was in a club with a lot of shooting houses, and rifles with muzzle brakes (the Boss system was huge with those guys), more than one fella took a set of muffs to the shooting house after getting his bell rung shooting from same without them.

Never saw anybody, anywhere, use muffs on the hunt otherwise. Lately, protecting what hearing I have left......I've taken soft plugs on a cord crow shooting.
 
I also wear digital electronic plugs when hunting. They have a compression circuit and function like digital electronic muffs. I have a couple of pair I bought some years ago. They were very expensive (about $1,000.00 a pair).

On the other hand, I have significant hearing loss already and want to preserve what hearing I have left. So the cost is worth it.

And consider this: my hearing aids cost me about $6,000.00. If spending $1,000.00 now will help you avoid or put off for a long time that sort of expense, you'll be money ahead.
 
If you have enough hearing loss and also have tinnitus you would give almost anything to get it back. Hearing aids, which I wear, are very expensive and do not help the tinnitus. Wearing good ear muffs is a small price to pay for protecting your hearing. Hearing loss is a very gradual thing and other people will notice it before you do. I always wear electronic muffs around any thing noisy, I am 74 and wish to preserve what is hearing I have left.
 
When the ear dr. diagnosed my tinnitus a few years ago, I bought a set of electronic muffs and wear them anytime I will be firing a gun.

Wish I had known about hearing protection and tinnitus 40 years ago. Too many years of chainsawing, lawn mowing, and shooting without ear protection, not to mention several years inside an auto assembly plant where the noise didn't seem all that extreme but long term low levels work on you too.

If you hunt in cold weather, the ear muffs keep your ears nice and toasty!:D
 
I wear custom molded plugs with a valve setup inside that closes at high decibel levels. They allow me to have a normal conversation, hear whispers and critters and protect the old ears when the gun goes boom.
Got them at a hunter's exposition in Fort Worth a few years back. Don't think they were more than $20. But they work great and hearing protection is a must when firearms are around.
 
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.
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More or less what I do. I am hoping to purchase some high quality electronic in the future. I am wondering if I can write it off as I do work in a shop with noise levels outside OSHA allowable w/o protection.
 
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