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Hunters need to protect hearing from shotgun blasts

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The Outdoors
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By
Scott Rall, outdoors columnist

Most hunters pay little attention to protecting their hearing from the loud blast of a shotgun.
Rifle hunters, on the other hand, almost always wear substantial hearing protection. Some will even spend north of $1,200 to adapt their rifle to a suppressor, which is quiet enough not to require hearing protection.
It the past I never wore hearing protection while hunting. I did not shoot enough times in a day that I thought it relevant enough that it might endanger my hearing.
That has changed.
The No. 1 reason hunters haven’t worn hearing protection is that past methods of protection interfered with mounting the gun.
The head phone style hearing protection (called shooting muffs) would hit the stock of the gun when you mounted it to your shoulder.
This was unacceptable to almost every shooter.
The second option was foam ear plugs. These came in many styles, but almost all of them fit badly and were not comfortable to wear for long periods.
The major issue I have with the two mentioned earlier is that wearing either of them reduces my reaction time when a bird flushes.
I most often see the instant that a bird takes wing. I identify the target and shoot it if it’s legal and safe.
But what about the bird that flushed from 90 degrees to my right? He is at the outer edge of my peripheral vision. In situations like these I might not get a read on that bird in time to take a shot.
This is because with muffs or ear plugs, I cannot hear the wings. If a bird launches from behind me, even if he is really close, chances are he will make a successful getaway because I cannot see or hear him.
Foam ear plugs are better today than in the past, but they do not solve the issue of listening to wings. You can get plugs molded to the exact shape for your ears. These are a great step up from the 99-centers you buy from a big jug on the counter.
I decided that I shoot enough and hope to do it long enough that gun shots could very well affect my hearing in the long term.  I am 60 already and don’t want to spend the last 25 years of my life asking “What?”
I finally broke down and purchased my first set of electronic hearing protection from Sound Gear. These allow you to hear all normal conversations, including wing beats, but they block sound that exceeds unsafe levels for humans. These are pricey at about $1,000, but they’re cheap compared to hearing aids that can run $5,000 or more for damaged hearing.
They can and do act like something called a game ear, which can amplify all of the sounds around you. You might hear a white tail deer buck stepping on crispy leaves before you can actually see him. They also block the loud sounds. But they primarily come in the muff style, which is a big drawback.
I have used the electronic set I have for the past two years but I still did not wear them as often as I should have because I had trouble adjusting the volume with the end of my big fat fingers.
It was either too loud or too soft but rarely ever just right. Very frustrating. Others did not seem to have the same issue, but I struggled with it.
I reached out to Sound Gear and updated to a unit called Phantom, which is supposed to have even better sound quality that’s adjusted with an app on your phone.
I am not a phone guru, but I can follow directions and Blue Tooth connection is something I can handle. The cost is still much cheaper than being deaf when you are old.
Add some quality hearing protection to someone on your Christmas list. It will make playing cards with them way easier on the holidays. … What did you say again?
 
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com. or on Twitter @habitat champion.
 

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