Hunting and Hearing

[SteelEye]

I've never hunted but intend to go bird hunting either this fall or next year. The other day I watched one of the outdoor channel programs on elk hunting. The shooter and his spotter did not have any hearing protection of any kind.

When I'm at the range and hunters are sighting in their big guns, I have to double plug just to be able to remain at a lane. Double plugged, the noise is deafening.

I can't imagine shooting one of these heavy magnum calibers without blowing my ears out. Now, I realize that shotguns don't make anywhere near the db noise level that mag rifles do, but, still, I have no intention of firing any firearms without at least some plugs.

What do you guys do? If you don't plug up do your ears ring for days?

Thanks,
SteelEye

 

[Sam]

Most hunters like most soldiers just suck it up. For the 1 or 2 shots you might make during a big game hunt, it just is not an issue for realistic people.

A big bird hunt might take you through a hundred shot shells but those are pretty far between and for that type of hunting hearinf protection is realistic.
For Joe Duck/pheasnt/rabbit hunter, suck it up.


Sam

 

[Double Maduro]

SteelEye,

Try wearing plugs and putting a good set of phones on over them. This should take care of you on the range.

When hunting I don't wear anything, but then my hearing is gone anyway, just ask my wife.

You might look into some of the products like Walkers Game Ear, there are some newer less expensive ones out now. They amplify sound but choke off loud noises.

Hope this helps.

DM

 

[Remington788]

The only time I ever noticed the sound of my shot while hunting was the first time I tried handgun hunting for deer. Needless to say, a .44 mag with a 5 inch barrel is VERY loud and my ears rang for days.

When using a rifle though, you don't fire that many shots. One or two should do the trick (if not, you need to practice more) and so you won't notice it. That does not mean there is no hearing damage, just that in the rush of the moment, you tune it out.

 

[JohnKSa]

Hard to tell if someone is wearing hearing protection these days. They have "all in the ear" models out there with amplifying electronics if you're willing to pay.

 

[SteelEye]

When I wear plugs I can hear pretty well and it cuts the sound of gunfire enough so I don't have ringing or pain. It is a well known fact that this type of exposure, over time, will lead to a certain amount of deafness.

Case in point: Pete Townsend. Deaf as a doorknob. Now, that kind of exposure is quite different from the occassional gunshot but loud noise will cause damage.

 

[entropy]

Really can't recall the sound of any gun I fired at a deer. Same goes for small arms fire while training in the military. Now, the M109A2's that battery fired about fifty yards behind me one night just after I'd gotten to sleep...

 

[hso]

Gunfire damages hearing. "Suck it up" is never a good idea. If you wear plugs and electronic muffs you can adjust the volume so that you can hear fine, but the muffs turn off when the shot occurs so you can get an effective noise reduction rating around 40 with good plugs and electronic muffs.

 

[Steve in PA]

Hunting is alot different that blasting away at the range.

I've been hunting alot of years and when I've used a rifle, I do not remember hearing the shot. Ditto with a shotgun.

When I hunt with a handgun (SRH .44mag), the ears will ring.

 

[JohnKSa]

I do not remember hearing the shot.

That doesn't prevent damage. Auditory exclusion happens in the brain, the sensor (the ear) is what is damaged. The fact that your brain didn't register the sound offers no protection to the delicate structures in the ear.

Any time your ears ring after a loud noise, it is indicative of permanent damage taking place. However, your ears may also be damaged from loud noises that don't cause ringing.

 

[JohnBT]

"suck it up"

Yeah, I did that for 30+ years and now I regret it. It's like there's somebody following me around 24 hours a day with a whistling tea kettle.

Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones.

John

 

[Sam]

Ocassional exposure, as in hunting is significantly different from sitting on a range or playing your stereo full throttle for 3-4 hours at a whack.
hso , do you think you can hunt well plugged and muffed?
JohnBT,was that 30 years of hunting or 30 years ont he range?

Sam

 

[arcticap]

I don't go hunting with anything louder than a 20 guage. If I really thought that I did need protection from a louder gun while hunting, I might consider just plugging one ear (probably my right) so that I could still have some freedom to naturally hear while woods hunting/stalking.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Firing one or two shots at a deer or elk, and I can still hear perfectly normal, even though a rifle shot has been resounding off trees and rocks right back at me. Fire that same rifle on the range w/o plugs, and it's hours before the ringing goes away. It is a strange phenomenon, but I have experienced this every time. I don't understand it, but I'll take it!

 

[jefnvk]

I don't bother for hunting. Don't shoot enough to bother me.

 

[sumpnz]

I carried ear plugs with me when I went deer hunting last year, and plan to carry them again while elk hunting this year. I figured if I had time to put them in I would, otherwise I didn't worry about it. Took two shots a spike (missed both times) and I could tell afterwards that it would have definatly been better to have had the plugs in. But, I jumped the deer while walking along the edge of a wash and probably would not have heard him had I been pluged at the time. Maybe I still would have seen him, but it was the noise that alerted me to his presence. A couple other times, it was my ears that told me there were deer nearby before my eyes.

This year when I go elk hunting I'll carry the plugs again, but will only put them in if I have time. Last years experience taught me how important it is to be able to hear the animals. When I can afford them (hopefully before next year's hunting season) I'll get a set of muffs or plugs that will amplify soft sounds and exclude loud ones. That way I'll get the advantage of hearing the animals, and save myself from future deafness.

 

[BruceB]

EVERY SINGLE ROUND fired without protection will make its contribution to reducing your ability to hear, specifically INCLUDING the .22 Long Rifle.

For all my shooting life, now over fifty years, I have tried to use hearing protection when shooting....except when hunting, where we pretty well have to be able to hear what's going on in the woods around us.

I used hearing protection when I became an underground miner, BEFORE it was required, and was considered a wuss for doing so. I used hearing protection when doing jobs like cutting the winter's wood with a chainsaw, and during a long career of competitive pistol shooting. Whenever possible, in other words, I've used such protection....and I STILL have serious hearing loss.

This fall I'm taking a new muzzle-braked Savage .338 after elk in Alberta, and I am ALSO taking my Pro-Ears electronic muffs. This will do several things:

-I'll be able to use the brake;

-I'll still be able to hear what's going on around me, in spite of my damaged ears, due to increased volume inside the muffs;

-and my ears will be WARM while doing all the above.

Win-win, I'd say.

Protect your ears!

 

[Polishrifleman]

It would be interesting to know about exposure over time (shooting on a long term continual basis like the range) and exposure in spike form (like hunting) and the damage. In simpler terms is a sharp shock to the system worse than the dull drone.

The electronic aids now will aid in the hunt whereas hearing protection in the past meant giving up one of the senses while in the woods which I wouldn't agree with, so if we are just talking regular plugs it wouldn't be for me on the hunt.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I've never worn any hearing protection while hunting.

I prefer not to during big game hunting. The distant squirrel bark or twig snap can make a difference in a hunt. Most times I hear the animal before I see it.

Bird hunting is a different story. I should wear hearing protection but haven't yet. I have on the other hand been conteplating buying some electronic muffs for bird hunting.

 

[NoahFN]

I don't wear hearing protection when I'm hunting with a shotgun...whether it's deer (slugs) or small game.

However, when I use a centerfire rifle for varmint hunting, I definitely use hearing protection.

I always wear ear protection while doing any shooting other than that done when hunting.

The first thing my uncle told me when I was getting into hunting and shooting was..."I'm not one for wearing motorcycle helmets, but wearing ear protection while shooting is something you should do." After years of shooting/hunting and working with power tools doing construction he has trouble hearing dinnertable conversations.

 

[CAPTAIN MIKE]

My Fellow Hunters Can Be Dumb Sometimes

I'm a competitive shooter, a CCW instructor, and a hunter. Ear protection IS the way to go.

'Sucking it up' in the field with firearms and no protection is just plain dumb, kind of like some hunters who used to drink beer while driving to the hunt.

I strongly suggest doing what I do. Get the "inside the ear" custom-made earplugs which allow you to hear at a distance in the field and yet muffle the sound of a firearm being discharged.

 

[gulogulo1970]

Well there is some problems with shooting as little as one or two shots if where you are hunting is really quiet.

Eskimo hunters who use rifles for hunting most are now deaf. The ice flow can be very quiet when the wind is down. Reasoning is, if you are in a somewhat noisy environment, wind, leaves russling, creaking of the woods your ears are reacting to that sound. If you are in an almont silent area you ears (cochlea) are relaxed and a sudden extremely loud sound will hurt them more than say a gun shot near you in loud rush hour traffic. I've been sitting in a silent office and slapped a book down and my ears rang for most of the night. That same noise in a full, louder office would not have shocked my ears.

Seems to me that is why war veterans can still hear some. By all reasoning they should be deaf. Battle is full or screaming, explosions and gun fire but their ears were ready for most that sound.

Not to say that all loud noise doesn't add up but sudden noisies in almost silence are worse for you, quicker.

 

[Lennyjoe]

My Fellow Hunters Can Be Dumb Sometimes

Pardon me sir!

 

[SteveS]

I usually take some plugs and put them in if I have time. I have some electronic muffs, but I have never tried them for hunting because I wasn't sure of the sound quality. When I am at the range, there are some sounds that are very irritating when heard through the muffs, such as wind.

 

[Lennyjoe]

F.Y.I., midwayusa has Caldwell electronic muffs on sale for $29.99 with a limit of 3. Not the highest quality but for the price they are acceptable. I just ordered a pair.