Anyone use any type of hearing protection? I never have while hunting quail but I'm starting to rethink it. Need something so that you can still hear flushing birds, but after 3 days of shotgun blasts and whistles I think I have auditory fatigue! Lol. Caught a couple of muzzle blasts from my buddies standing slightly behind me that left a lasting impression. You guys that have been at it for a long time suffering any hearing loss from the shotgun?

Yes.

I found that light duty ear plugs and some "keep your ears warm" ear muffs take the edge off the crack yet still let me hear the birds flush.

I don't let anyone stand near me and shoot.

I do almost 100 percent of the time.. Can't afford to loose any more of what I have left!!!!!

Always wear hearing protection. Even the cheaper electronic muffs will keep your ears warm and let you hear the flush while helping protect your hearing.

always no matter what kind of hunting.

P.

I'm 82 years old and my hearing is still fairly good after 4 years in the Marine Corps and untold shotgun and rifle shots without any protection at all. I have a high frequency loss, which is the result of the shots, but it's not disasterous. I worked for Beltone the hearing Aid company for many years and the Audiologist there told me that close up rounds can damage your hearing. If I had to do it over, even though I'm not too bad off, I would wear ear plugs as much as possible. Especially in a Waterfowl Blind, where your partner is right next to you.

Yes, always. I won't shoot one shot without hearing protection any more. People who shoot without hearing protection are permanently damaging their hearing with every shot. It is cumulative, irreversible, and you won't know until it is too late.

My hearing has been severely damaged by doing too much shooting without protection and other dumb stuff. I have constant tinnitus and frequency loss and bad balance.

I use Etymotic hearing protectors lately while hunting, they are built something regular like hearing aids but are meant for shooters. Work OK and cost much less than prescription hearing aids.

I otherwise use electronic muffs, and somethimes the valve type ear plugs that still allow some sound in while giving some blast protection.

Like the others, I always do, for maybe the last 15-20 years after doing the first 15-20 years without, and having some tinnitus and hearing loss as a result. My brother has the expensive electronic devices, but what I found and like to use are what used to be called the Sonic Ear Valves, and are now a different name (link below.) THey are cheap so I have a pair in my upland vest, in my waterfowl gear. I can still hear birds flush, and wings of birds overhead when duck hunting. I believe they work as I don't experience the after effects of gun blasts, even in duck blinds with other guys barrels near my head, and I think I my hearing issues have not become worse. I think there are other brands similar on the market. Mine are fairly comfortable for me.
http://www.earplugstore.com/health-enterprises-acu-life-shooters-impact-ear-plugs.html

Hear is an article by a well-known gun writer about his experience with "Sonic Ear Valves" and his experience and feeling about them is exactly the same as mine (for once someone agrees with me!)
http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/the-gun-nuts/ear-valves-hearing-protection-for-hunters

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I have been using similar ear plugs for most of my bird hunting for the last couple years and they work great..

As a musician I have been using Etymotic High Fidelity ear plugs for years. They work great for shooting too. I use them for sporting clays and hunting.
Sounds are clear, you don't think they work until the volume goes up or the gun goes off.

Etymotic

Earlier season, especially when waterfowl hunting, use foam earplugs at the very least in the left ear. Calling often will hurt my ears as well as shooting.

If anyone is shooting near me, for sure I will have protection on both ears.

Late season pheasant hunting, I'm usually wearing a heavy hat with ear muffs and maybe a head band also. That seems to dull the shotgun blasts enough.

I have also found there is a distinct difference to me between ammo that produces 1400fps and higher velocities (say high-speed steel) versus 1250fps pheasant loads. The first really "cracks" my ears and feels damaging. The latter doesn't feel nearly as bad.

I'm trying really hard to convince myself to spend this much money: https://earinc.com/shothunt-series/

Until then, I have two sets of moulded silicone plugs, one set with Hocks Noise Brakers.

whttail, At least you are using something. There are less expensive earplugs around. I don't get the electronic ones. The ones I have seen only amplify sounds, not deaden them. I could be wrong on this, because I'm not looking any further. When I shoot, I just use a pair of foam plugs. They do it for me and they are peanuts.

rondrews, the Etymotic electronic plugs that I use do cut out blasts, not just amplify sounds. Of course, foam plugs do the job too!

I guess I figure I'm not really shooting that many shots when I go out for pheasants or grouse so I never bothered with it. Guess I should though. I lost some high pitch hearing from my time in the military but can hear just about everything else.

I've been wearing the basic foam plugs for many years - much more consistently now than in earlier years. I do have tinnitus (it's at a tolerable level) but I don't want it to get any worse.

I started to wear them this past season. My daughter in law works for a hearing aid company. She had me and my son come in and get custom molded silicon plugs with valves made. Work pretty good, hardly notice them they well made.

One guy in camp showed up this year with Howard Leights (sp?) Not that his 20 ga quail gun was loud, he just sort of wore them all day. (Maybe all night some guys have raised snoring to high entertainment levels.) Our deer season overlaps bird hunting in Kansas so we change things up depending on weather, the dog, the old man who owns the dog...stuff like that. I shoot a BOSS equipped rifle so naturally I am wearing some protection while deer hunting. Tried the muffs...Ed brought along three pairs. What I noticed is when walking, the amplification made you very aware of how noisy your footsteps are. Annoying at first but anything that slows you down and makes foot noise minimal is not hurting a thing. We all have a few pairs of muffs for range time but unless they are flatter NC muffs they seem to interfere with cheek weld or whatever shotgun shooter call it. The new thin designs deserve a place in the game fields.

Just started wearing hearing protection while bird hunting last fall. I grouse hunt a lot, as well as all other bird hunting. Was having increasing issues with hearing grouse flush in heavy early season covers, as well as the dogs bells when they got out abit. Muffs are too damn hot and interfere w/ gun mount.

Did a whole lot of research, and ended up with the Sound Gear customs by Starkey. They made a world of difference for me, like night and day. Fitted by an audiologist, work just wonderful. Use them on the skeet/5 stand range, bird hunting, turkey hunting and deer hunting. Wish I had done this years ago!!.

Duck hunters need hearing protection more than anybody.

NB

NB,

Which one of the Sound Gear systems are you using?

Battue,

After discussions with my Audiologist about expectations and times and places of wearing them, I went with the Customs. They are the molded devices which provide a nice, comfortable and secure fit in your ears. These will help block the gunfire sounds better than the other models. They have exceeded my expectations in the field and in social circles too. They are NOT hearing aids.

There is a NRA hearing benefit which knocks the price down some. The NRA directed me to the Sound Gear dealer. I will mention that I dropped one and it stopped working. It was within the one tear warranty period, it was sent in to Starkey and I had it back within the week. That is customer service.

I know quite a few hunting friends who should be wearing hunting hearing protection, but are not. Anyone can PM me with any specific questions.

Natty B.

NB,
Thanks. I have a guy close by that sells them.
One additional question. How are they as far a foot sounds and brush on clothing blocking out hearing the flush?

Battue,

In a word, "no problem" whatsoever with anything like that. There is a volume control on the ones I have; I set it to optimize the sounds I want to hear but nothing else. There are four different modes ie settings, depending on what you want to accomplish. They amplify everything but the leaves crunching, wind, traffic noise, etc is not distracting, at least to me. There is a big range of amplification available with these SG earpieces..

I can hear a grouse flush, at a distance, for the first time in a few years. And woodcock too. And the dogs bells, no matter how far they may have cast in heavy leaf cover. And also a distant gobble too.

So for me, they are definitely worth it. Hope this helps.

NB

Thank you again,

Going to stop by the place tomorrow and take a hear....

My audiologist provided a 60 day, no obligation trial period. I wore them for the first 60 days of grouse season, but it quickly became clear to me, they weren't going back.

Have since worn them clays shooting and worked very well there too. Looking forward to turkey hunting in a couple of months.

Good Luck.

NB

I wear protection when I hunt.

Walkers Game ear has been working well for me for many years. Usually wear 2 or sometimes one and a plug in the other ear. Unless enhanced hearing/protection devices are not legal there's no reason these days to sacrifice your hearing to hunt.

I wear muffs that muff the shotgun blast but allow other sounds to be normal or amplified.
Works fine for me and I wear 100% of the time to save what little hearing I have left.
If you go this route, get the better systems that have two separate amplification and suppression devices, one for each ear. That allows you to determine direction when a flush occurs and its not readily visible.

I wear protection anytime I shoot