Hearing Protection

[308BAR]

Simple question, I know it's a matter preference thing but how many of you duckers out there wear hearing protection while you hunt? Gun shot on a range seem louder than once you get out in the field. If you do does it affect your target aquisition a little? eg. hearing the birds fly in.

[MichelD]

I have to, because of severe tinnitus in one ear and having to protect the other one.

I usually leave the left foamy in the ear and take out the one in the right to talk in the blind, but lose a lot of sudden shots when a dive bomber comes in unexpectedly and I just have to plug my ear with my finger and let my partner shoot.

Or if it looks like shooting is going to be steady, I leave both foamies in and strain to hear or just shut up (which I should more often anyway) - ask Ian.

[rudar]

I wear a pair of these:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...=1,42207,46907
(though they're also sold in gun shops branded by Remington...)

I don't know exactly how or why they work, but they seem to let quiet sounds through easily, while blocking loud noises. At least, I can carry on normal conversation and hear quacks and whistles and rustling leaves with no problem, but gunshots don't bother me at all...

[zaconb]

I use these and love them!

http://www.opticsplanet.net/peltor-t...rotectors.html

They were cheaper at cabelas and I got the ones that allow you to wear a hat.

[huntwriter]

I have to wear ear protection because I never did as a child and young man and now I am suffering the consequences, which is a permanent whistle in my ears that can’t be fixed.

In the field I wear simple earplugs and cotton has done the trick too. At the shooting range I wear a pair of quality earmuffs. I have never experienced that wearing earplugs would prevent me from hearing ducks or other game I hunt.