# Earplugs????



## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

Hey Guys,


Recently I've found my self having a discussion with a few people through my blog or our instagram about earplugs. My fiance wears them but she has missed opportunities bird hunting because of her earplugs. She's decided to wear only one ear plug from here on but this has sparked some discussion since I like to give her lots of crap for it, along with some of our hunting friends. 



So, I'm reaching out to hear about what you guys use, if you use any of those noise enhancer/ reducer earplugs and things like that. Any input will help as I research and write a post about that. We do mainly hunt birds once upland and waterfowl season kicks on but once that's over, we move on to coyotes and then I always wear ear plugs if I see something coming in. 



Thanks for the thoughts and help.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

If you can use them without obstructing your hunt by all means wear them. With waterfowl you can keep them off until the birds start their approach, but with say turkeys they might present a problem with movement and getting busted. My advise... wear them as much as possible...coming from an old guy that has lost more hearing in his left ear(I shoot right handed) and blames it on shooting.

Now, don't forget you pooch. Especially in the duck blind where you will be shooting right over him for years. Get him some protection, it is available for dogs too.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

When hunting I usually wear electronic muffs, I bought a half dozen types and wear the most comfortable ones.

I get so used to them I will get back to the 4 wheeler and fire it up and wonder why it is so loud.:-?


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I shot a nice little 3x4 on a very cold morning in 2003 or 2004. It took two shots. My ears have been ringing ever since (tinnitus), no joke. I always wear hearing protection now--before shooting at big game, upland hunting, coyote hunting, always. I'd rather miss some opportunities than damage my ears any further. 

I've considered getting some electronic ear muffs like Bowgy recommends, but for now I get by with traditional muffs or plugs.


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## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

Wear something.

I have used the noise enhancer/ reducer ear muffs. I now mostly wear the noise enhancer/ reducer ear plugs by walkers game ear. At other times, I also use non-electronic ear plugs, which are very comfortable. But I think that it is important that hunters wear something if they care at all. Better that you lose a few birds than your hearing.

The primary reason I use the sound enhancing plugs is for safety. Its important to know whats going on around you and for that reason I recommend the walkers game ear products.


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

Ducksanddogs said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> Recently I've found my self having a discussion with a few people through my blog or our instagram about earplugs. My fiance wears them but she has missed opportunities bird hunting because of her earplugs. She's decided to wear only one ear plug from here on but this has sparked some discussion since I like to give her lots of crap for it, along with some of our hunting friends.
> 
> ...


For duck hunting /turkey hunting electronic ear pro is the way to go. It filters out higher volumes while still allowing you to hear.

For upland bird hunting canal caps or corded ear plugs are the way to go. If you use the corded, have one in the opposite ear that you are shooting from. Canal caps have a plastic band that goes around your neck and you can put them on quickly when the dog is at point or getting birdy.

For big game hunting, get a suppressor or use the upland method of hearing protection. The advantage of a suppressor is it will lower the noise regardless of the fit of your hearing protection. Not all ear seals are equal and a suppressor helps reduce the noise exposure. You can also get a suppressor for a shotgun, but I have met exactly zero people with a shotgun suppressor and have no idea how they work or if they work.

If you damage your hearing, you will never get it back. Hearing aids only increase the volume and some hearing loss effects your interpretation of sounds. It makes it seem like the person is mumbling, because you cannot decipher the frequency of the sound due to the hearing loss from damaged hairs in the cochlea.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

I have some Howard Leight sport earmuffs that cost around $50. They filter loud sounds and amplify quiet sounds (volume is adjustable). Last weekend, I actually heard some ducks coming into the decoys before I saw them. Pretty cool. They work great unless I'm wearing a hood. Whenever I turn my head, the hood will rub up against the receptors and make a lot of noise.

I find that I shoot better when I'm wearing them. I don't flinch at the recoil of a gun, but I guess I flinch at the noise.

They're a good solution for the money, but in the longer term, I think I'd like some of the smaller, in-ear ones so I can avoid hood issues.


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## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

Sweet. Thanks for the info guys. It’s funny how this became a topic with my fiancé and all our Instagram people but I’ll use your input on that post. I’ll let you guys know when it comes out. I’m still on the research phase of this. 


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

AF CYN said:


> I shot a nice little 3x4 on a very cold morning in 2003 or 2004. It took two shots. My ears have been ringing ever since (tinnitus), no joke. I always wear hearing protection now--before shooting at big game, upland hunting, coyote hunting, always. I'd rather miss some opportunities than damage my ears any further.
> 
> I've considered getting some electronic ear muffs like Bowgy recommends, but for now I get by with traditional muffs or plugs.


I use the electronic ones due to some hearing loss.


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## RemingtonCountry (Feb 17, 2016)

Being 23 and already partially deaf in my left ear due to lack of hearing protection while shooting, Walker's Game Ear's are worth their weight in gold. I never really thought about hearing protection until my ear, nose, and throat doctor yelled at me..


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

Dont shoot such big guns.
3.5 shotshells and magnum loads are not needed.
Just be patient and get closer.
Make it an experience, not just a 'shot'.


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

As a 14 year old young pup I was sitting on a log next to my grandfather on my first rifle deer hunt. We spotted a buck and I didn't have a shot, without any notice or warning he fired. The brake of his 338 Win Mag was close enough to me that I could have reached out and wrapped my hand around the brake. I ended up on my back and to this day I experience chronic ringing in my ears despite the reassurance from my grandfather that it would stop... that was 15 years ago.

Based upon that experience I really should be better at wearing hearing protection but I rarely wear it while hunting big game. I do always wear it while plinking or at the range.





Although I'm probably doing just as much damage with my earbuds in at work trying to drown out coworkers with Pandora...


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I will say that anyone who shoots a rifle with a muzzle brake on it should pay real close attention to the hunters that are around them. 

I have a rifle with a brake on it and I would never even think of shooting it without ear protection on both me, my friends, and any animals that are in the close area. 

Even taking a rifle with a brake on it to a public shooting area should be a area of caution for those around the shooter. I will say that I love the brake on my rifle but I will also say that I only use it for load development and never have or even consider taking that rifle with the brake on it hunting. It is nice that it just screws on and off and is replaced by a threaded sleeve that protects the threads on the rifle.


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

AF CYN said:


> I shot a nice little 3x4 on a very cold morning in 2003 or 2004. It took two shots. My ears have been ringing ever since (tinnitus), no joke. I always wear hearing protection now--before shooting at big game, upland hunting, coyote hunting, always. I'd rather miss some opportunities than damage my ears any further.
> 
> I've considered getting some electronic ear muffs like Bowgy recommends, but for now I get by with traditional muffs or plugs.


I have it too, and it took a LONG time to get used to, but I have to ask were you around steady noise prior to those shots? Anything work related, or even driving home with the window down all the time?

I'm skeptical that a couple of rifle shots would bring down the agony that is tinnitus. I think it's constant abuse to your ears that really does it. I did a lot of stupid things when I was younger, and now my left ear constantly rings. (Heavy equipment, always driving with the window down, etc, etc) Some days it's louder then others.

That said, I don't use hearing protection while hunting, and I probably should. I find that so long as it's just ONE shot, I'm so amped up when i drop the hammer that I hardly notice the report, or the recoil.


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## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

It’s interesting seeing everyone’s experiences. I reached out to a few manufacturers and only one has responded with suggestions and info on Why and how they developed certain ear buds. I’ll be writing about it here soon. These last few weeks have been a bit busy for us. 


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## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

hey guys
I finally wrote the blog post on our earplug discussion. It took me a bit since I was trying to reach out to different companies and never heard back from them except for one. It was kind of sad to see where they customer service fell. Anyways, I put a link to this forum on it so people can come see our discussion and formulate their own opinions. Here's the link if you're interested in seeing who responded and what I found.

THanks for the help

http://birdsndogs.com/2019/02/10/hunting-ear-plugs-to-wear-or-not-to-wear/


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## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

shaner said:


> Dont shoot such big guns.
> 3.5 shotshells and magnum loads are not needed.
> Just be patient and get closer.
> Make it an experience, not just a 'shot'.


Unless you are shooting subsonics, then it is too loud.

There is very little difference between a 3.5, 3, or 2 3/4 inch shotgun shell in regards to noise. Wear hearing protection on all 3.

An AR 5.56 with an 18 inch barrel will be louder to the shooter than a .338 win mag with a 28 inch barrel. Both should require hearing protection.


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## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

MuscleWhitefish said:


> Unless you are shooting subsonics, then it is too loud.
> 
> There is very little difference between a 3.5, 3, or 2 3/4 inch shotgun shell in regards to noise. Wear hearing protection on all 3.
> 
> An AR 5.56 with an 18 inch barrel will be louder to the shooter than a .338 win mag with a 28 inch barrel. Both should require hearing protection.


I think there's enough technology out there now that you can get hearing protection for all of your hunting situations. It's just a good idea. I've definitely been convinced now.

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## 300 Wby (Aug 14, 2008)

Great topic! I suffer from "Army ears" , too many times I failed to wear the plugs I was issued, given and ordered to wear. As I have gotten older (hopefully wiser) I wear them whenever I get ready for a shot; whether that be in Africa or on the North Slope. Yes there are times when I don't have them in when a quick shot reveals itself but most times I have the time to insert them prior to shooting.


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## Ducksanddogs (Oct 9, 2016)

300 Wby said:


> Great topic! I suffer from "Army ears" , too many times I failed to wear the plugs I was issued, given and ordered to wear. As I have gotten older (hopefully wiser) I wear them whenever I get ready for a shot; whether that be in Africa or on the North Slope. Yes there are times when I don't have them in when a quick shot reveals itself but most times I have the time to insert them prior to shooting.


I'm just glad we talked about this and I got to do my homework on it. We're getting some for sure. I'm planning on hunting this week and wish I already had my "fancy" earplugs so I'm not taking a quick shot without my plugs in.

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## kodoz (Nov 4, 2016)

Critter said:


> Even taking a rifle with a brake on it to a public shooting area should be a area of caution for those around the shooter.


Yes!!! It's not just me. Seems like no matter where I sit down, I end up next to the wanna be sniper with a brake that'll knock my hat off.


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