Walk into any sporting goods store and you’ll see walls of ammunition, scopes, and camouflage gear. But finding protection for your hearing? It’s often tucked away in a corner, almost as an afterthought. That’s the backwards thinking when you consider how loud firearms actually are.
At around 155 decibels, most hunters don’t even realize that each shotgun shell is assaulting their hearing at volumes louder than the standard jet at takeoff. Your typical deer rifle? It’s likely even louder, with most averaging between 160 and 175 decibels. Anything over 85 decibels typically begins to damage your hearing, which can only become worse the longer or more frequently you’re exposed to it.
Think about how many rounds you might fire in a season. Twenty shots practicing before deer season, maybe another thirty shells during duck season. Maybe some clay shooting with friends in between hunts. All of those shots can add up, and if you aren’t using the proper hearing protection, the damage done will have permanent consequences.
Why Hunters Lose Their Hearing
Noise-induced hearing loss doesn’t announce itself with fanfare. You might notice your ears ringing after a day at the range, but that goes away, right? Not really. Each time you experience this, you’re listening to the destruction of the tiny hair cells in your inner ear that help you hear. These will never grow back.
High-frequency sounds are usually the first to be affected — exactly the frequencies you need for hunting. Bird calls become harder to distinguish. You might suddenly realize that you can’t pinpoint which direction a twig might’ve snapped or find that you need to ask other hunters to repeat themselves to communicate at normal levels.
With the threat of facing such permanent consequences, hunters should consider how they protect their hearing before embarking on the next hunt.
What’s Available for Ear Protection
Basic Foam Earplugs
The cheapest option for most hunters would be the simple foam earplugs. These typically cost as little as fifty cents a pair and can work fine for blocking noise. Generally, they can reduce noise levels by 25-30 decibels when properly seated in the ear canal.
The problem with these is that they block out everything. With them in, you can easily miss your hunting partner whispering about movement in the brush or the sound of wings overhead because everything’s muffled. For range practice, foam plugs might be a good option, but for actual hunting they can create more problems that they solve.
Electronic Hearing Protection
Electronic hearing protection utilizes tiny microphones in the earcups to pick up ambient sounds, then amplify quiet noises while also reducing loud, sudden noises like gunshots. Normal conversation and environmental sounds are clearly audible, but loud noises and gunshots are blocked automatically.
Decent electronic earplugs can run between $100-200 and work well for most hunting situations. You can also typically adjust the volume levels depending on conditions. Battery life can vary wildly between brands making proper research and consultation with a hearing specialist a must. Cheaper protection provides users with up to 40 hours of continuous use whereas more expensive options might be able to deliver protection for 100+ hours on a single battery.
With advanced features like automatic shutdown and power saver modes, these devices can be a good option for hunters who value protection but maybe don’t like the bulk of over-the-ear options.
Over-Ear Electronic Muffs
Electronic earmuffs offer similar technology, but in a larger, more robust package. They’re often more comfortable for extended wear and typically have better battery life as there’s more room for larger batteries.
For some, however, the drawback to these devices is their size. Earmuffs can interfere with rifle stocks, especially if you shoot left-handed or have a shorter stock. They can also get sweaty and uncomfortable during warm weather and may prevent you from being able to also wear hats or caps in the field.
Custom Fitted Options
Likely the best choice for most hunters, custom ear protection can be molded specifically for your ears and are typically priced competitively with other generic options. Ranging from $150 to $300 a pair, custom fitted hearing protection offers a perfect fit for users and delivers the greatest amount of comfort and protection for hunters.
Custom plugs can also come in different styles, colors, and sizes. Depending on your needs, these plugs can block noises completely like foam plugs while others include filters that reduce harmful noise while letting normal sounds through. For hunters who spend lots of time in the field, custom ear protection often works out to be the most practical long-term solution.
Finding the Right Fit for Your Needs
Your hunting style should drive your protection choice. Duck hunters deal with multiple quick shots and need to hear calling and wing beats between volleys. Electronic protection makes practical sense here – you want to be able to hear what’s happening around you.
Deer hunters, by contrast, might find that they’re able to get away with foam plugs if they’re mainly waiting for one-shot opportunities. But even then, with foam plugs, you risk missing the sound of other hunters or animals approaching from directions you may not be watching.
Turkey hunters absolutely need directional hearing. Locating gobbles, hearing hen calls, and detecting movements in thick cover are all critical for success. Quality electronic protection becomes almost essential for this type of serious hunting.
Getting Your Money’s Worth
Here’s something most people don’t consider: hearing aids can be a major investment that reaches into the thousands of dollars and will never work as well as the hearing you’re born with. Quality ear protection can help prevent permanent damage and are much more economical in the long run.
Hearing protection isn’t the most glamorous hunting accessory, but in the face of permanent hearing loss, it might just be the most important equipment you can invest in. Don’t wait until you damage your hearing to start looking into protection – at Associated Hearing, our team of experts can work with you to determine your needs and help you to find the right device for you.
Call us today to schedule your consultation and protect your hearing from the start so you can continue to enjoy duck calls and deer movement for decades to come.