Guns & Outdoors Forum

Do you hunt with hearing protection? Why or why not? If so, what hearing protection do you use (IE muffs, plugs, cigarette butts stuffed into your ears, or other)?

I always hunt with hearing protection. After experimenting with a few setups, I greatly prefer electronic ear muffs for the job. I keep them sitting on top of my head and then pull them over my ears when a game animal is spotted, or I'm on the stalk. They also have the added benefit of amplifying sound.

My personal preferred model of muffs is the MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X. Not cheap by any means, but very high quality and mostly weatherproof. If I were buying today, however, I may consider the comparable Peltors as the batteries are easier to change.

I use electronic ear muffs. As I have lost a poop of hearing over my life, and have the ever constant “eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee” going on- I jealously guard what I have left

I keep mine on the whole time. Usually it helps keep my ears warm if it’s cold. Added bonus

Sometimes I wear my bluetooth muffs, as much for being able to listen to my phone as anything else.
Most of my hunting guns wear "cans"

75% of my hunting is with suppressed firearms these days. Maybe more. If/when the firearm isn’t suppressed, I use electronic ear muffs. Though, we just got some new Axil Ear Buds at the shoe shop and I’ll be trying those.

Haven’t gotten out much in the last few years but the times I’ve been out I’ve had Walkers on. Before it was muffs, in anticipation of really stepping up my hunting I bought a set of the 2.0 BT rechargeable ear buds and those will ABSOLUTELY be with me on every hunting trip, as a matter of fact they live in my Jeep. Like bullsi between hearing loss and tinnitus I am a fierce guardian of what’s left of my hearing.

When I was going out to the Salton Sea for the dove opener where you're pretty much stationary and can fill your limit by 10:00am (and had better, because it's too damned hot afterwards), I've worn earplugs.

Otherwise, no. My rate of fire on big game has been a total of six shots at four deer over something like 13-14 seasons. I didn't do a lot of quail. but it was similarly a lot of walking and not a lot of shooting. Ear protection WAY too much of a PITA under those circumstances in which I WANT to hear what's going on around me, and electronic muffs just don't cut it - non-directional and too bulky for the wide brimmed hat that's there to keep me from getting a second bout of skin cancer.

In my younger much more stupider days, I used nothing, then I would put one of my Army issues plugs in my shooting side. Today it is electronic muffs. I would like to get some of the electronic insertables, but have not found any that are small enough for my ear canal. Maybe I will get some custom sized?

Diver433 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 1:17 pm In my younger much more stupider days, I used nothing, then I would put one of my Army issues plugs in my shooting side. Today it is electronic muffs. I would like to get some of the electronic insertables, but have not found any that are small enough for my ear canal. Maybe I will get some custom sized?

The Walker 2.0 come with an earpiece that is made out of the same heat sensitive material as those soft foam plugs. You roll them between you fingers as small as needed, insert into ear and it the expands for a perfect seal.

Bigslug wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 12:58 pm When I was going out to the Salton Sea for the dove opener where you're pretty much stationary and can fill your limit by 10:00am (and had better, because it's too damned hot afterwards), I've worn earplugs.

Otherwise, no. My rate of fire on big game has been a total of six shots at four deer over something like 13-14 seasons. I didn't do a lot of quail. but it was similarly a lot of walking and not a lot of shooting. Ear protection WAY too much of a PITA under those circumstances in which I WANT to hear what's going on around me, and electronic muffs just don't cut it - non-directional and too bulky for the wide brimmed hat that's there to keep me from getting a second bout of skin cancer.

Again, Walker in the ear pods. You’ll actually hear better than if you have no protection.

Didn’t use to, but I do now. Deer it may be some form of ear hole pluggers on a string, possibly E muffs. Coyotes hunting it’s e muffs. poop happens WAY to fast to **** with inserting plugs, and I don’t have to worry about the lack of directionality with the cheap walkers. And a blast of .223 in a 16” barrel sans ear pro ain’t something I’m going to choose to experience.

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 2:05 pm

Bigslug wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 12:58 pm When I was going out to the Salton Sea for the dove opener where you're pretty much stationary and can fill your limit by 10:00am (and had better, because it's too damned hot afterwards), I've worn earplugs.

Otherwise, no. My rate of fire on big game has been a total of six shots at four deer over something like 13-14 seasons. I didn't do a lot of quail. but it was similarly a lot of walking and not a lot of shooting. Ear protection WAY too much of a PITA under those circumstances in which I WANT to hear what's going on around me, and electronic muffs just don't cut it - non-directional and too bulky for the wide brimmed hat that's there to keep me from getting a second bout of skin cancer.

Again, Walker in the ear pods. You’ll actually hear better than if you have no protection.

So, you're paying $300 to tie your easily misplaced ear protection to your phone, along with the rest of your existence? Ummm. . .no.

Bigslug wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 4:10 pm

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 2:05 pm

Bigslug wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 12:58 pm When I was going out to the Salton Sea for the dove opener where you're pretty much stationary and can fill your limit by 10:00am (and had better, because it's too damned hot afterwards), I've worn earplugs.

Otherwise, no. My rate of fire on big game has been a total of six shots at four deer over something like 13-14 seasons. I didn't do a lot of quail. but it was similarly a lot of walking and not a lot of shooting. Ear protection WAY too much of a PITA under those circumstances in which I WANT to hear what's going on around me, and electronic muffs just don't cut it - non-directional and too bulky for the wide brimmed hat that's there to keep me from getting a second bout of skin cancer.

Again, Walker in the ear pods. You’ll actually hear better than if you have no protection.

So, you're paying $300 to tie your easily misplaced ear protection to your phone, along with the rest of your existence? Ummm. . .no.

Nope, $149 on sale. BTW they also give me enhanced directional hearing, I can hear a squirrel fart from 50 yards away. Nothing sneaks up on me anymore. Haven’t lost a pair yet, don’t intend to. And they are dirt cheap compared to hearing aids. But to each their own.

The OP question is, do you? I do for reasons I find compelling, I’m good if you don’t

Yup. There is much to be said for preserving what you've got, but on the other hand, I've become a big believer in ultimate entropy and that it all turns to crap eventually, anyway. I figure even with the muffs I'm using for my regular, recreational shooting, there's ultimately enough repetitive noise and occasional harder hits through bad seals that the one unprotected shot I get on average of every two years is not worth the hassle of protecting myself from.

Besides, much of what most people have to say, I'd rather not hear anyway.

I wear hearing protection before I shoot when hunting

Bigslug wrote: ↑Sat Jun 24, 2023 4:57 pm Yup. There is much to be said for preserving what you've got, but on the other hand, I've become a big believer in ultimate entropy and that it all turns to crap eventually, anyway. I figure even with the muffs I'm using for my regular, recreational shooting, there's ultimately enough repetitive noise and occasional harder hits through bad seals that the one unprotected shot I get on average of every two years is not worth the hassle of protecting myself from.

Besides, much of what most people have to say, I'd rather not hear anyway.

There is that