Do you plug your ears when hunting?

[SOMDSHOOT]

Ear plugs just to shoot a deer ? seriously? I wear them when target shooting, but, I am trying to be motionless when a deer is in sight or close by, I'm not gonna fiddle with ear plugs, making more than needed motions or noise, just to pull the trigger once or twice at a deer.

 

[jimbobborg]

Deer, no, Dove, I put a plug in my left ear.

Jim

 

[BenL]

I use amplified muffs. For ducks, you could fire 20, 30, maybe 40 rounds in one day. If I didn't wear muffs, I wouldn't hear anything for a week. I've already got damaged hearing from hunting/shooting as a kid without protection.

 

[davelenard]

I'd love to, don't think I could get them in my ears without spooking the deer. The shot isn't painful, but the ringing in my ears while gutting is getting annoying.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

I use amplified muffs. For ducks, you could fire 20, 30, maybe 40 rounds in one day. If I didn't wear muffs, I wouldn't hear anything for a week. I've already got damaged hearing from hunting/shooting as a kid without protection.

LMAO. Seriously, my wife yells at me about the TV volume sometimes. I explain to her that it was from the past 25 years of playing hard rock and metal on the stages of the music venues between Washington D.C, Baltimore, and Southern Maryland for all those years and having guitar and bass amps in my face for 2-4 hours a night 2-3 nights a week.

I have also been know to blame my hearing issues on being married. I sometimes blame it on my "Selective Spousal Hearing".

However, the comment by jimbobborg about putting one in the left ear hole while bird hunting is an excellent idea, I assume you are a left handed shooter. I've never had an issue with ringing after bird hunting though, maybe the damage has already been done anyway years ago.

 

[leroygibbs]

I voted other....

Ears get plugs when I hunt with my son, good example and all, but when I'm by myself, nope.

 

[xd40c]

I mainly hunt with my bow, so ear plugs are not needed. But I do occasionally hunt with a Muzzleloader. With the ML I am hunting with my eyes, not ears. I don't know that I've taken a shot at an animal of less than 40-50 yards. At that distance, you'd be hard pressed to hear a deer.

So I would use my Ear Muffs while hunting with the ML.

FWIW.. Not due to shooting, but I have permanent tinitus. Trust me, take care of your hearing.

 

[Diesel Kinevel]

Many are saying that they don't want to spook deer by trying to put in plugs. I agree with this but there are times when you see the deer a ways off and could have time to do it without bringing attention to yourself. This is what I am focused on. I guess I can bring them with me and try it out during gun season.

Thanks for your input,

-Z

 

[eightshot627]

Other it Depends:

I ALWAYS use hearing protection when I handgun hunt. I used to have foam ear plugs pre-staged (that is not fully inserted in my ears) and then would push them in when I saw the deer. Lately I have been wearing muffs just not over my ears and then slipping them down after sighting deer. I’m looking into some form of electronic hearing protection.

Rifle and shotgun hunting I haven’t worn any yet with the exception on setting up on a groundhog field.

I find our box blinds have less muzzle blast than out in the open. Just make sure the muzzle is outside of the blind

I have lost too much of my hearing and want to protect what I have left. I’m looking at a set of Pro-Ears now. I may use them all the time if they workout.

Walt

 

[Redneck]

Next time your hunting and want hearing protection give this a try




Sorry I couldn't resist anymore

 

[Diesel Kinevel]

Next time your hunting and want hearing protection give this a try

View attachment 25385


Sorry I couldn't resist anymore

thanks lol. Ive been called a pus** for wearing plugs but my tinnitus has gotten to the point where I have a hard time sleeping at night. So I am looking for anything to keep it from getting worse.

-Z

 

[Redneck]

thanks lol. Ive been called a pus** for wearing plugs but my tinnitus has gotten to the point where I have a hard time sleeping at night. So I am looking for anything to keep it from getting worse.

-Z

Just busting balls, that was by no means directed at you.

Yea if I had tinnitus I think I would be considering wearing them too.

 

[foxtrapper]

As a side note, I don't use plugs when trapping. Most times I am wearing one of my fur hats which muffles it a bit- AND it's just a .22 anyway. However I once shot a raccoon that was under a small bridge and owww that hurt that time- the sound just bounces around the confined space making it louder.

Hearing in general- my eyes are failing slowly, but I have noticed a slightly more keen hearing. I want to keep that hearing! It will be my situational awareness if/when my eyes get so bad that focusing on visuals will be harder. LOL, now I have experienced hightened sense a smell due to female hormones, but it is a PMS thing mainly, and it still does not come close to the power of a K9 or deer nose.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Next time your hunting and want hearing protection give this a try

View attachment 25385


Sorry I couldn't resist anymore

I don't know about earplugs, but, they make great scent wicks for deer lure.

 

[Fishguy]

No, but I have as yet not had the opportunity to shoot at anything while hunting yet, so it is kind of amoot point for me.

The couple of times I went hunting (with my EX-brother in law), after about 2 hours of freezing our ##ses off, we decided it would be more productive to just shoot stuff. (Private property) So, then the muffs come out for some informal target practice. I tell you, those soda cans never saw it coming though.

 

[bigjohn]

the only gun that ever bother my ears when hunting was the 45-70 guide gun. i guess it was the ports on the short barrel

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

As a side note, I don't use plugs when trapping. Most times I am wearing one of my fur hats which muffles it a bit- AND it's just a .22 anyway. However I once shot a raccoon that was under a small bridge and owww that hurt that time- the sound just bounces around the confined space making it louder.

Hearing in general- my eyes are failing slowly, but I have noticed a slightly more keen hearing. I want to keep that hearing! It will be my situational awareness if/when my eyes get so bad that focusing on visuals will be harder. LOL, now I have experienced hightened sense a smell due to female hormones, but it is a PMS thing mainly, and it still does not come close to the power of a K9 or deer nose.

They say the blind have a heightened sense of hearing.

 

[dlharsh]

No. Most times I hear the deer before I see it where I hunt. Probably would be good for the ears but not very practical.

 

[WSM]

the Walker Game Ear is a very good product for those that want hearing protection. It will amplify sound and shut them off at a certain decibel level so a gunshot doesn't break your ear drums. http://www.walkersgameear.com/

 

[Mossyoak]

I dont wear them. Your ears play tricks on you enough as it is, a mature deer will not make much sound so you need to be able to hear every little noise.
I have been hunting deer with a rifle for 27 yrs now and the shot has never bothered me. I do wait for a broad side or quartering shot so only i am only pulling the trigger once.