Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Hearing protection while hunting.

This year I really wanted to buy some electronic hearing protection, mostly for the wing shooting. After doing a little research with in the ear and the muff models. I settled on the Peltor Tactical Pro electroic muffs. After taking them out this morning for a little trap, and bench shooting I am absolutely thrilled with them. They allow me to hear every bit of conversation going on around me, yet they will shut off instantaneously with just the snap of a finger. Also they don't get in the way at all with my shotgun a Winchester model 1300, or my Remington model 700 xcr stock. I can imagine that they might be a bit bothersome with other stocks designs, or with extremely low mounted scopes.

I bought some wrap around plugs what work rather well. I have not tried them in the field, but they work well at the range. I am going to try them out in the field this year as I already have moderate high frequency loss.

What's that? Say again?

HE SAID "This year I really wanted to buy some electronic hearing protection, mostly for the wing shooting. After doing a little research with in the ear and the muff models. I settled on the Peltor Tactical Pro electroic muffs. After taking them out this morning for a little trap, and bench shooting I am absolutely thrilled with them. They allow me to hear every bit of conversation going on around me, yet they will shut off instantaneously with just the snap of a finger. Also they don't get in the way at all with my shotgun a Winchester model 1300, or my Remington model 700 xcr stock. I can imagine that they might be a bit bothersome with other stocks designs, or with extremely low mounted scopes."

I got a good chuckle out of that

The electronic muffs are great but if you wear them in the field, you will really have sweaty ears. I recently retired after over 30 in the hearing aid business and I am a BIG fan of the all in the ear electronic instruments. They are comfortable to wear for long periods of time and my ears don't get all sweaty. I used to sell Action Ears in my practice and used them for years but I much prefer the custom products. They are more expensive but you can pay now or pay a lot more for hearing aids later.

Maybe you otta wear a helmet when your walking so if you fall you don't bump your head too, or better yet like the wife just laughing added is to "wear a helmet with muffs already installed."

Nice, I guess that is what passes for humor in Idaho. Yawn

I use the wrap around plugs too... they're great because you can put them around your neck and not even know they're there.

I think I will pass on the helmet idea. But prudent use of hearing protection can save both money (for future hearing aids you won't need) and trophies (big ones you won't miss by not hearing them). One of my patients missed a "well over 300" elk, before he got hearing aids, that had come within 20 yds of him during archery season. His hunting buddy heard it coming but was too far away for a shot. It was not until he first turned around that the elk saw him and ran, the elk and the hunter saw each other at the same time. A little better hearing and it would have been an easy shot. Electronic hearing protection is not for use all the time (it sounds like a herd of elephants if you walk through the woods wearing them) but on a stand or in a blind and definitely at the range, they have their place.

waynebo,

I use my Action Ears ALL the time while hunting. I don't turn them up all the way very often, but was able to find a downed deer one time. I turned them up all the way and pressed them against my head. Turning very slowly back and forth, I was able to hear its labored breathing.

Technology is so nice. Almost like cheating.

The really nice thing about the electronic ear muffs, is that you can hear much better, in fact, when I wore them hunting doves, I could hear the Peep, peep, peep, that the doves makes while it is flying...better throw your gun up when you hear that little noise!

Good one Tom, got me LOL thanks

You know, I thought about getting some of those amplified hearing protection muffs or in the ear devices and decided against them. I still hunt a lot and having an amplified device in my ear would just amplify the nose that I make while moving thru the brush. Instead, I put on one of those spring, head set type ear protection that fit around your neck and try and insert them into my ear prior to shooting. If time permits insertion, great, if not, so be it.