Convenient hearing protection while hunting

A discussion about Turkey guns, rifles, black powder, handguns, chokes, cleaning, and accessories.
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SwampDrummin
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Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by SwampDrummin »

It seems every year I do more and more shooting in the turkey woods. I use ear muffs for duck/ dove hunting but they are such a pain in the butt turkey hunting I haven’t been using them for turkeys. Now I figure I need to do that. My left ear is missing some frequencies but my right ear is on point and I figure I need to keep it that way instead of bombarding it with regular damage from state to state and 2-3 months of season. Like I said, ear muffs were a pain in the ass to try to keep on every time a shot presented itself. I’ll go back to them if there’s nothing else but has anyone else tried something different? I’m think something that Attaches to my face mask. Hearing would be a plus. Dunno. Thoughts?
coconut
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by coconut »

Shotgun silencer
WAGinVA
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by WAGinVA »

ESP. Electronic in the ear hearing protectors that can be tuned to your hearing loss just like a hearing aid (they are actually hearing aids). Expensive but you only get one set of ears. I have worn Starkey Sound Scopes and now ESP since 1984. ESP has the best customer service I have ever experienced.
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howl
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by howl »

Long barrels with light payloads at standard velocity make a difference to me.

Several companies make a version of the Allen Sound Sensor. You can hear well enough to detect a deer walking in dry leaves at 40 yards. A buck chasing a doe at 100 yards is more of a general commotion than easily identifiable. I haven't tried them for turkey.
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GLS
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by GLS »

It's not encouraging to read studies about loud noises and ears even with sound suppression muffs, etc. The sound can still be transmitted through the skull bones, even with ear plugs and muffs doubling up. I knew a crime lab technician that did ballistics testing. He'd wear the best muffs available and by the end of his career he was almost deaf. There's only so much you can do. The only thing that saved my hearing was for a 25 year period I didn't wingshoot dove or shoot skeet. I only hunted turkeys. All the fellas my age that stayed in the dove clubs and shot skeet are as deaf as a post in at least one ear. I wear ear plugs dove hunting. Gil
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SwampDrummin
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by SwampDrummin »

coconut wrote: May 16th, 2018, 10:06 pm Shotgun silencer
Boom. That's it. I might need to start a new thread on this one. I did look into the SilencerCo Salvo 12 shotgun silencer once before. I was a poorer man at the time but things have changed.

Has anyone here actually used a silencer on their gun in the turkey woods? How about with TSS and did the chokes that you have to use work with turkey loads? I'd be interested to here anyone's experience.
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SwampDrummin
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by SwampDrummin »

Actually the Allen sensors look like they wouldn’t be too big of a pain and I could afford to lose them as I am prone to do with things in the turkeys woods. Looked up some info on theESP, what does it run to get started with those?$$
WAGinVA
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by WAGinVA »

Retail for digital instruments range from $1600 to $2400. The digital units can be tuned to your current hearing loss just like a hearing aid. If you are interested give Jack Homa with ESP a call (303-659-8844). He is very knowledgeable and helpful. ESP also makes an analog unit that is $900 but I would not recommend them as they can not be tuned to your ears.
Hayudog
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by Hayudog »

I shoot ducks 50 days a season. Have been using hearing protection for over 25 years while wingshooting. Still have hearing loss from my career on the fire service.
I use MSA Sorbin Pro ear muffs. They amplify so I can hear some, and shut down with shot or loud calling.
They are low profile. But you need to get used to them. Direction detection is ok. I leap out of my skin when I don’t have them on and someone shoots while I’m duck hunting.
As mentioned above, they won’t protect totally, but it does help. I believe in the bone transmission of sound.
jryser
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by jryser »

Regular Pro Ears Predator Gold. Every. Time. All of my music biz cronies have lost their hearing and I always wore hearing protection. Thankfully.

https://youtu.be/vu2a5fxqiMc


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jims
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by jims »

I would actually be more inclined wearing ear magnifiers so I can here gobbles and purrs from long distance rather than ear protection! If toms or hens are just out of sight over a ridge I often hear toms drumming or hens purring or making other noises before I ever see them. I don't know how many times I've heard turkeys before I see them. I would think you would be at a big disadvantage with hearing protection while hunting...possibly pop them in prior to a shot if you have to!
Longspurs
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by Longspurs »

I hunt woods gobblers no fields so it's rare that I see them before the shot. But there's usually enough time to put in ear plugs. After I get the gobbler answering and moving my way I can get by with the plugs in. I can still hear gobbles and clucks, drumming sometimes if close. I've not lost a shot at a gobbler yet from having the plugs in. For years I have done this. The first gobbler I shot this season was a 2 min turkey he gobbled at 60 yards I barley had time to kneel behind a pine when he was in sight at 40 yards strutting no time for ear plugs.... boom. Unbelievably loud after not shooting unprotected for 15 years or so, my ears rang for two days. I always use earplugs when doing anything loud around the house or work.Power tools,mowing the yard etc.
I am definitely buying some of the electronic earmuffs that both magnify sound and turn off at the shot. I figure with the amplification turned down there won't be the background noises most complain about. Either way I'll pass on a gobbler before I shoot another without protection. I know too many people that have to live with the constant ringing noise and not being able to hear normal conversation let alone being able to hear a distant gobble. Ears are like eyes in that you only get one set no way to replace them and not having the use of either would hinder hunting and life in general.
WAGinVA
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by WAGinVA »

ESP''s (and other in the ear electronic hearing protection devices) give you both, enhanced hearing AND ear hearing protection
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SwampDrummin
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by SwampDrummin »

BUMP

About to pull the trigger on something, just revisiting to see if anyone else wanted to chime in.
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Spuriosity
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by Spuriosity »

Been wearing ESP analog units for 25 years. Only time I don't wear ear protection is grouse and turkey hunting because...1) I don't shoot that much and 2) I create a lot of noise walking through heavy cover, making it hard to hear when a bird gets up. I do have significant hearing loss in my left ear, but my right ear is pretty good - way better than my similar age peers that never wear protection except at the range.

I wear double protection at the range, but ears still ring. Has to be through the bone transmission.

Unfortunately I dove hunted a lot as a kid/young man without protection when we didn't know any better.

I agree that ESP has great customer service, and if I ever need to replace these analog units, I will definitely spring for the digital ones. If you get to be old and deaf, the price would seem small by comparison.
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howl
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Re: Convenient hearing protection while hunting

Post by howl »

Mossberg Shockwave with a pistol brace and suppressor? Start process now to have suppressor before 2020.

I don't have access to a high quality sound level meter, but I would like to see the numbers on a 28" barrel and subsonic load.
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