Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Ear protection / sound amplifiers

Do any of you guys deer hunt with this type of muffs or earbuds? Do do they work for you? With muzzle blast, id like the protection but dont want to lose the ability to hear game. Would love to hear some real life experience.

Used the walker game ears for many years. I started wearing only one and a plug on the other side. Then went to both. Much better with both for direction of sounds. Need to keep them turned down in wind and I do like the old foam tubes better than the new ones, they held better in my ears. Also have to watch you don't lose them with hats and glasses going off and on. I'll keep using them but there may be some better ones out there since I have these a long time.

I used some this year duck hunting. was shocked to hear teal coming down the wind! never knew they made that noise.
then I could hear the geese winging over from the next pond.
next I heard the ducks on the far side of the pond yaking at each other.
haven't used them in the woods deer/elk/bear hunting yet but walking around while duck's were napping I could hear stuff I haven't heard in 40 years.
walkers alpha 360's you'll love them if you have any hearing loss.

I started hunting with the surefire EP5/7 a couple years ago. No amplification, but cheap on amazon, I can hear well enough with them in, and decent protection.

I have a set of Howard Leigh’s and a set of walkers With Bluetooth. Both muffs. I have heard deer walking in pine straw that I wouldn’t have heard without them. They do amplify sound well, as I learned one duck opener as I was siting in my tree a mile from the river. When those boys opened up it sounded like I was right on top of them. Just far enough away that they amplified the shots instead of suppressing them.

Predator Pro Ears Gold

I'm deafer than a door knob and was thinking of trying the Walker's Game Ear, that is until one day I got in a hurry at the range and forgot to turn my hearing aids off. I fired about five rounds before realizing they were still on. When you turn em off they act like ear plugs. Anyway, my hearing aids were cutting off the excess decibles. After that range trip I went to my hearing center and ask about it. They said Phonak would not guaranty or even advertise this because in this age of PC BS they don't want to chance a law suit, so they play dumb and don't go there. They just say they haven't tested them for that and don't recommend it because they don't know at what decible level the sound is cut off . But trust me, they shut off the excess decibles as well as Walker Game Ear or anybody else. I've been using them at my own risk for about 5 years now. I can tell when I'm getting too many decibles. I just make sure I've got 'em in good.

However, I will say that if I had good heariing I'd be all over Walker's Game Ear or something similar to make sure I didn't damage my hearing. Being deaf and having to depend on hearing aids SUCKS!

Thanks for all the info so far. There will be a pair of muffs and buds in my hunting future. Sounds like they work as advertised. Not to sift through reviews and check out recommendations

Love them, going to try the new model they just introduced the Stealth Elite.

My ears got bad enough to force me into a different job description/environment. My son and I wear electronic muffs for all hunting activities, including chasing birds. Not crazy about wearing them birding, but cannot afford further damage. Electronic plugs are more confortable, but not as effective as straight foam plugs or electronic muffs.

For our deer stands there's really no downside to muffs, they keep the ears warm. Foam cup models like the ubiquitous Howard Leights get uncomfortable after hours, especially if you wear glasses. At the ranges it's easy enough to take a break, or remove them between rounds.

Picked up a set of MSA-Sordins for deer hunting and can wear them literally all day. Fidelity is quite a bit better, too, but that's not so critical sitting in a blind.

i hunt deer with the howard leight impact sports. they amplify sound nicely and block out muzzle blast. i use them for power tool work, chainsawing, practically anything that makes noise. the only problem with hunting with power muffs is how to wear a hat. i found that those skullcaps work the best.

I hunt wearing the Howard Leight Impact Sports amplified ear muffs

I put a foam ear plug in my left ear for the duration of the hunt. My right ear is my best hearing. For the hunt, with my left ear plugged, I wear a plastic neck band. Once I have placed the “eye of the Tiger” on my quarry it takes seconds to cover my right ear with the banded ear plug.

This facilitates using my best ear right up to the trigger yanking.

I've tried wearing the amplifying muffs before but I don't like the way it makes the woods sound plus I hunt somewhat close to a major highway and it amplifies the trucks too much. The last couple years, I take my ear muffs and just rotate them around my head a little to clear my ears. When I see deer I think I'm going to be shooting, I slide them down over my ears. Seems to work.

Used GrizzlyEars this year during waterfowl season. I’ll never hunt birds without them again. A single shot on big game may be different, but killing piles of ducks/geese can take a lot of shooting and it’s nice to be able to hear after 20 boxes of shell go off around you.

I've just recently started using a Walkers Razor Slim electronic head set.

They're great on the range for making it comfortable to shoot, but one of my favorite uses is on the quad.
Accessing some of the sites I like to hunt means a quad ride, sometimes well before daylight.
It's plenty damned cold on the ears! By wearing the headset I keep my ears nice and warm and my hat stays put.

In some situations I can see where they would be handy for letting you know that game is moving your way. I always wear them while running the chainsaw or a nail gun.

I have been using the Peltor series of electronic ear muffs for years. They work for shutting off loud noises and for amplifying normal sounds. I have heard deer walking thru the woods before I could see them, though they have to be fairly close. As someone has already stated, there is really no downside to using muffs while hunting from a stand. In my case I use a rifle with a muzzlebrake but suffer no ill effects when shooting either from a deer stand or at the range where I can still hear range commands. In cold weather I wear a camo head mask that covers the entire face. I just slide the electronic ear muffs over my mask and ears and this works well for me. Finally, Peltor offers soft gel pads as replacements for going over the ear. These make wearing the muffs for hours quite comfortable. I will never hunt or shoot without wearing some type of electronic ear muffs.

I was looking for the Peltor TAC 100 with orange covers.
Only found the blacks.

I have hearing loss, but only certain frequencies, whatever frequency a turkey gobbles at, that’s what I can’t hear.

I’ve been considering trying these or some time as 1. I’d like to preserve what I have, 2. I like to hear a turkey gobble before he’s in my lap. Anyone have experience using something for this application? I tried the early version of walkers game ear (amplification only) and they didn’t help.

I use Howard Leight Impact Sports amplified ear muffs for all of my hunting

Thanks, not too costly, gonna have to give them a shot.

I use Peltor. They work great. I shoot better with muffs on.

You guys don't have trouble with the wind noise in amplified muffs?

Some cut out wind noise better than others. The best I’ve used in this regard is the Sordin Supreme Pro-X.

I am going to hunt with them next year. See how it goes.

I bring a set of amplified muffs to the stand with me. I put them on right before I shoot. I don’t like wearing them the whole time.

I like electronic muffs at the range. I hate them in the field. Some ITC stuff is good for hunting, but not shooting, and vice versa....of those I’ve tried. I hate the behind the ear stuff, too. I still think itc is the way to go, but I’m looking into shells or custom molds, because it’s a pita to get foam ones inserted just right, and the silicone can get uncomfortable after several hours. I have peltors and walkers razors on hand. I’ve had Caldwell and Howard light......both of those were wimpy in design (muffs) and broke the extensions....too much plastic. I don’t know what’s ‘best’, because I haven’t been up to spending more than $250-$300 on any, thus far. Some don’t amplify enough for me for some hunting, and the ones that do often have NRR or shutoff issues for gunfire. Battery life, fit, longevity, etc....I’m sure the $1-$2K stuff would be a huge leap up, but my cheapskate side insists that somebody HAS to be able to get there under $400 these days.

I use Leights (sp?) muffs and I keep them clamped on my leg until I see some activity and I’ll either put them on correctly or on the top of my head where I can place them quickly if I need to. If there’s no activity, I’ll generally put them on near sunset and crank up the volume so I’m ready to go if something shows up. The amplification can help sense movement or a change in the woods noises that may give me a heads-up that something’s moving.

We generally hunt from box stands and several years ago I popped a coyote with one of my 700 carbines In 30/06 with a 20” barrel and that convinced me I needed some protection for my ears. 😳

I have been using them on my elk hunts for several years. My hearing is so impaired that I cannot really tell how much noise I am making, as well as not being able to hear elk moving in the woods around me. The muffs have increased the quality of my hunts (I can actually hear bird calls again) and I don't have to worry about suffering additional hearing loss when I shoot.

My deer hunting is all open country, but I still use them to enhance the hearing that I have left and to ensure that I don't lose any more. These days, I wouldn't be able to hunt turkeys without them, either.

I use Leights. They work well for me and I don't sweat loss or damage as they aren't that expensive to replace.

YMMV.

Thanks to years of shooting without hearing protection my ears ring constantly. So now i use walker Razor XV, the ones with retractable ear buds. I hunt in duck blind or deer tent so wind doesn’t normally bother me. Work great to hear everything but block out those gunshots when needed. I also use them on walks around the neighborhood with my dogs because they pair with my phone and I can listen to podcasts. This is when noise really gets me.

I wear hearing aids and when I first got them about 15 years ago I thought the Dr said I could wear them while shooting as they will cut off at a certain decible which the do. Although they worked perfectly the next visit the Dr said I wasn't to wear them. I still do when unplanned shooting is needed around the fields here.

Bought a set of -30db Howard Leight muffs in hopes of using them to listen to music while mowing, but alas, they clamp the music too. I wore them to the range and they worked well there, but when my neighbor unlimbered his braked .338 Lapua, I doubled up with foam plugs. The concussion was still considerable, but the noise was well-controlled.

Not worried about one or two shots a year at deer, but will try them for small game and definitely doves.

Always keep your mouth shut to avoid brake concussion

Depending on how much you want to spend ESP makes an excellent electronic ear plug that works very well and does not interfere with your cheek weld. They are also rated for indoor range use. The thing I like about them is they are tunable for your specific hearing problem just like hearing aids to optimize the frequencies you can hear. They are also waterproof. A lot of folk shooting USPSA and IDPA wear the black or green series due to their programing ability. I especially like them during the summer as they are not as hot as the ear muffs. I was initially worried about their durability but I talked to several folk that have been using them for 4-5 years.

My ears are pretty much worthless aside from holding my glasses up so I started using Howard Leights this turkey season. I was amazed by how noisy the woods are between the blowing wind and the noisy brook. I can also hear how noisy I am while walking through the woods. I'm pretty much deaf in my left ear so I still can't determine the direction of the sound but I've had no problem hearing both gobblers and hens talking. I plan to use them for deer season too.

I know this is a slightly older post, hope it’s okay to bump it.
The plugs the op is talking about are referred to as impulse plugs. They filter out higher decibel noises while allowing lower decibels in.

For hunting, I use a pair made by Rooth C&P (not sure if I’m allowed to link it, but you can find em on amazon). They’re the 2 sided plugs- half yellow, half olive drab.
Stick the yellow side in and they allow some lower noises to come through. Turn em around and stick the green side in your ear and they work as “ear plugs”, blocked all sounds(up to 25db I think it said).

They work pretty well, imo. Better than nothin’