Hearing enhancement/protection?

[DeWayne Knight]

I'm not as young as I used to be; and years of power tools, gunfire, etcetera, has taken it's toll on my hearing.  Does anyone use hearing enhancement/protection such as the Walker's Game Ear while turkey hunting?  A good friend I hunt with either has a real active imagination, or my hearing really is poorer than I'd like to admit...

[Hognutz]

What did you say??? I should use hearing protection, but I don't. I have it, just don't use it..To cumbersome. I don't the sound when I'm calling, Either. Especially a mouth call..Mike

[Missed-Em]

I've had the Walker quads for several years and don't like the directional hearing problems.  Like you, my buddy pointed out how bad my hearing is and I got a Walkers Digital HD Pro.  Only had it a few days, but it seems to amplify OK, don't know any more than that.  Protection wise you would need two - double the cost!

[Beretta686]

I have two sets of Pro Ears muffs. They are digital volume controlled hearing protection. I teach shotgun sports to new shooters and like the electronics so we can both hear each other. I bought two pair, one for me and one for my student.

I have used them in the woods and they work awesome. I wear them when I deer hunt with my handgun.

[natman]

I have a set of Peltor 6s that I've used for hundreds of  hours of turkey hunting. With the volume adjusted to match normal levels you can easily detect sounds and their direction. I sometimes forget that I have them on. The best part is when they turn a shotgun's BOOM into a faraway boom.

Get some. Keep what hearing you have left.

http://www.amazon.com/Peltor-97044-Tactical-Hearing-Protector/dp/B00009363P

[pdqt]

What's the secret to using them??  I tried a pair of muffs before fall season, and the gun stock hit the muff every time I shouldered the gun.  Would love to find something that would work.  Also the ones I have tried are subject to wind noise. 

[turkey_slayer]

I have excellent hearing but borrowed my uncles Walkers Game Muffs just to see what they were like.  I was hearing birds that sounded like they were on my shoulder but couldnt tell what direction they were in.  Also, if the wind blew just a little it sounded like a freight train and I could hear the cars on the main road that were about 3 miles away.  These were when they first came out so I'm sure they have gotten better.

[allchokedup]

I have the Walker Power Muffs too and they do help you hear that bird gobble, I can't hunt without it. I also wear them when I'm shooting my guns. If the pair I have fails, I would by another one.

[Ol'Mossy]

I used to use the Walkers Game Ears, at first I used just one in my left ear, and I couldn't tell directions.  Then I bought another one for my right ear, little did I know it was going bad too, then I could tell directions. I know that when you have them turned up too far you can't tell directions either. I only used them for hunting. Then my ears started getting worse and ended up buying Miracle Ears. I wear these all the time now, both ears, my wife made me buy them, but it's the same thing. I hear good when i'm hunting but if I have them turned up too far they're hard to tell directions. So when I hear a gobbler I just turn them up loud enough so I know exactly where he's at. I got to say though since I got them my success rate went way up. The bad part about these is the background noise like say a stream that is high from all the rain we had. The digital ones you buy they can adjust them so you won't hear background noises. BUT they are around $5000.00 a pair.  It's bad enough paying $3000.00 for the set I have.

[BOFF]

I damaged my hearing earlier in life shooting pistols. Wanted to protect my hearing, and it bothers me greatly just shooting once without protection from any gun. I have the original Walker's Game ears. Started out with just one, bout in 2004. Wasn't able to distinguish direction with just one, so I bought another one.  That did the trick for 2 years, then I went to a hearing aid center and had individual ear molds made for each ear to attach to the game ear, even better. It was $100.00, but the foam ear plugs with the game ears were getting nasty, and not doing well.

Have to agree with turning the volume down at times, particularly when attempting to course a bird, or locate one. I'd like to try the adjustable walker game ears to adjust the frequencies heard, or not heard.

Anyway, I wouldn't be without them. I use them for dove hunting, plinking, sighting in guns, etc.


God Bless,
David B.