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Hearing enhancers

Started by beardhunter, May 22, 2015, 06:08:23 PM

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beardhunter

Hey All new to this forum and was wondering have any of you  guy used any sort of hearing boosters and if so your thoughts pro and cons and brand type all help is greatly appreciated,missing  alot more than i used to and looking for some guidance, thanks in advance.

sixbird

I use the Walkers Game ear...I have one old one that's just a standard and I have a digital one. To be honest, I don't hear much difference in them.
That said, they do make a HUGE difference in my enjoyment of turkey hunting. I can actually hear almost as well as a hearing abled person. I have pretty severe loss in one ear. The other is not great but I make do...
Have had these for probably 10 years or so. They've been reliable. Never needed repairs or service.
The only drawback that I've experienced is wind noise. If you're out in the open and the wind is whipping, there will be wind noise in certain positions. It's not a deal breaker. More a minor annoyance...
I'd highly recommend them. I have the behind the ear...They shut off loud sounds so no worries about damage from too much volume...

silvestris

I didn't realize what I was missing until I got my hearing aids.  Silly me, I thought turkeys had just stopped making those noises I remembered.
"[T]he changing environment will someday be totally and irrevocably unsuitable for the wild turkey.  Unless mankind precedes the birds in extinction, we probably will not be hunting turkeys for too much longer."  Ken Morgan, "Turkey Hunting, A One Man Game

mgm1955

Going to talk with an audiologist next week and find out what options are available for hearing enhancement/protection. Have used Walker's in the past with good results but just want to see what options there are. Will post what I learn.

beardhunter

thanks for the in put was just wondering my biggest fear is directional capabilities , been  looking at a product called wild ear.com and in talking with the rep he said they were built to help with
directional help they are a bit pricey but they are custom fit in the ear which should help with wind, direction i would think and they would also help protect what i have left thanks for the help and let me know what the audiologist says best of luck.

redmag

     I use the Howard Leight enhancers.  They are headset with a mic on each ear.  They work for me and they are not expensive.

WAGinVA

Check the ESP plugs.  They are expensive but they do work

Greg Massey

Don't care for the hearing enhance ...what's more important to me is a good pair of compact binoculars ...spend your money on these and forget the hearing aids...lol

Brian811

This year for turkey season I used my Walker Game Ear Power Muffs and they helped dramatically. I would like to get those Wild Ear but like you said, they are pricey.

Turkeyman

My wife has been hounding me for some time to have my hearing tested for hearing aids. I did last week. I'll be getting the ITC model next week. My insurance pays a substantial amount so it won't be too bad. I've always thought my hearing wasn't too bad but I'll see what it's like with the aids. Nice thing is the full money-back return within 70 days.

It's strange how hearing loss can creep up on you. When camping last summer I discovered I could hear spring peepers with one ear only! Several years ago I tried Walker game ears. Sure I could hear sounds a ways off but due to them amplifying everything I found them too annoying...wind noise was terrible. Perhaps they've improved newer ones.

natman

I've used Peltor 6 electronic muffs for years. They are great for hearing protection and I heartily recommend them for that purpose.

I experimented with turning the amplification up on them, but found that sound levels higher than ambient made it very difficult to judge direction and distance of sound. I now adjust them so the level is the same with them on my ears or off.

silvestris

I have the Starkey Halo hearing aids.  I don't find coursing to be a problem.  You have the ability to fine tune them to a degree with the iPhone App and you can turn them up or down to suit your needs.  Last year, a Tufted Titmouse was about to drive me crazy.  I hit the mute button and could not even hear him anymore.  That confirmed the degree of my hearing loss.
"[T]he changing environment will someday be totally and irrevocably unsuitable for the wild turkey.  Unless mankind precedes the birds in extinction, we probably will not be hunting turkeys for too much longer."  Ken Morgan, "Turkey Hunting, A One Man Game

sixbird

Quote from: Greg Massey on May 24, 2015, 08:10:52 PM
Don't care for the hearing enhance ...what's more important to me is a good pair of compact binoculars ...spend your money on these and forget the hearing aids...lol

Well, apparently you can hear... ;^)
I hunt with a buddy and his hearing is like a bat. He'll tell me direction and, to be honest, sometimes I think the turkey is coming from a direction that he's not...Those Game Ears help TONS but direction can be somewhat problematic...

Turkeyman

I received my aids mentioned above. I'm still getting used to them but am very surprised hearing the higher frequencies which have been unheard for quite some time. Mine have three programs...normal volume, higher volume and one for telephone usage. One thing I find amazing is just how many different sounds are in bird songs now, and how loud they sound! Since they utilize your ear lobes there are no directional problems, that was a concern which would have rendered them virtually useless for turkey hunting.  I'm very anxious to hear turkey sounds with them.