You can always tell an old hunter -you just can’t tell them much! This old joke has been used to rib hundreds of professions and pastimes over the years and still draws a chuckle. In this particular case, however, the scenario is often true and the reason is no laughing matter. A surprisingly high percentage of longtime shooters and hunters suffer some degree of hearing loss due to years of exposure to gun fire. The damage is cumulative, generally irreversible and, unless the affected sportsman wears some sort of hearing aid, you truly will have a difficult time telling them much.

Over the last couple of decades, in-ear and over-ear hearing protection devices have increased in selection and styles and, more importantly, in effectiveness. Unfortunately, a lot of gunners still overlook these vital shooting accessories, and of the percentage that wear protection at the target range or trap, skeet, and sporting clay fields, many overlook their use while actually hunting. Insidious in nature, hearing loss from loud, sharp gun reports affects young and old shooters alike and often damage has occurred before symptoms alert an individual.

Hearing harm

Sound is actually perceived by the human ear as pressure, and these sound waves are measured in decibels. At certain levels, the sound pressures overpower the delicate organs inside the ear and repeated long-term exposure leads to damage. If a person were to operate a large chainsaw full power for 40 hours and then condense all that sound into a nanosecond, it would approximate the sound energy of a single large-caliber gunshot. Now multiply that by hundreds, and in many cases thousands, of rounds fired over the years at the range or afield and it’s little wonder some shooters are hard of hearing.

To compound matters, gunners at the target range, on the skeet field or even sharing a goose blind, have their ears not only assaulted by their own shots but damage is accumulated from gun reports of those shooting nearby. There’s also something known as the “head shadow effect.” This is when a long-gun shooter slightly turns his or her head naturally into the gun stock when aiming, and the concussion increases damage to the offside ear. Normal conversation registers in the 50- or 60-decibel range, while at 120 decibels noises become painful to most folks and initiate minimal harm. A 12-gauge shotgun blast averages 155 decibels and a .44 magnum pistol shot explodes in a 170-decibel thunderclap. It’s evident why ear protection for sportsmen is vital.

Our amazing ability to hear, understand, and differentiate sounds occurs thanks to some pretty intricate and tiny organs. The cochlea is a snail- shaped, fluid-filled organ that helps transmit sounds from the thin, reverberant tissue known as the ear drum. Three tiny interconnected bones, the hammer, stirrup and anvil, sort out and pass along the vibrations to a myriad of fragile cilia, and it’s all turned into words and noises to be translated by the brain. It’s actually a far more complicated process than that, but in general terms that’s how hearing works.

Continuous exposure to loud sounds has been proven to damage the cilia, and constant gun reports will also injure the other organs of the ear. Initial damage can occur during only two days of steady shooting, and complete hearing recovery after loss due to such prolonged damage is unlikely. One of the first and foremost signs of hearing damage is intermittent tinnitus, a constant, irritating ringing or buzzing in the ear that can be occasional or constant. The longer shooters leave their ears unprotected the more likely tinnitus will go from recurrent to permanent.

A second symptom is called recruitment. This is a condition where the brain attempts to compensate for increased hearing loss by amplifying external sounds. For example, an ambulance siren is loud for a person with normal hearing, while for an individual with recruitment the sound is excruciating. Finally, as the damaging sound of shooting continues without proper ear protection, varying stages of deafness occur. While often not considered a handicap in the same manner as being confined to a wheelchair, people who suffer severe hearing impairment will confirm it is a real and life-changing defect.

Sound advice

While there are experimental treatments for hearing loss there is currently no cure, so the key is prevention. As soon as a youth begins learning to shoot, regardless if the firearm is only a .22 rifle or .410 shotgun, ear protection should be worn. Also even if an outdoorsman has years of gunning experiences behind him and already suffers from some degree of hearing impairment, proper ear protection can prevent further damage. It’s never too early and seldom too late, for gunners to utilize some style of sound muffler when at the range or afield.

There are dozens of types of ear protectors, but most fall into two basic classes: passive and active. Passive products block noise by simply filling the aural canals with a soft but dense formable substance, or by covering each ear entirely with some style of sound-proofing earmuff. Active style ear protectors can be in-ear, behind-the-ear, or over-the-ear muffs that use batteries and sound-selecting circuits to eliminate sharp, high decibel sounds. Some models even contain miniature amplifiers and microphones so wearers can hear low-level sounds such as voices or approaching game animals.

Prices for a set of passive “throw away” foam earplugs can be as low as $1, while a set of custom-fitted, high-tech electronic or digital ear plugs can run $2,000. While that may sound fairly pricey, if you lost your hearing what price would you pay to get it back? Depending on how often and how much a sportsman shoots, there’s a reasonably-priced pair of ear protectors available for everyone.

Any number of companies manufacture various colors, shapes and densities of foam sound suppressors. These can be compressed and formed with the fingers to slide gently into the ear canal where they slowly expand shape to fill the space and dampen, if not nearly obliterate, sound. Foam plugs are sold in pairs, multipacks, and some are connected with string so they can hang around the neck and are less likely to be lost, and a few even have their own container with a ring or chain to attach to the shooting vest.

Another style of passive ear protection comes in the form of a set of over-the-ear muffs with a hard outer shell and a padded headrest. Metal or plastic connectors telescope from the headrest to the ear muffs provide a comfortable fit regardless of head size. By covering the entire ear with an insulated muff, and also allowing dead air space around the ear under the muff, for $10 to $25 the shooter gets a dependable sound-proofing product.

In the way of pros and cons it’s obvious the foam plugs are easy to carry and store, but just as simple to misplace. Plugs also tend to get dirty or collect wax from the ear and may becomes less moldable over months, but it’s cheap to purchase another set. Due to their size, muff style ear protectors seldom get lost or forgotten, but are a bit cumbersome. Also, it’s more difficult to shoot a rifle or shotgun with muffs compared to in-ear plugs, and don’t overlook the fact that all types of passive ear plugs muffle not only gun sounds, but keep out voices and the noise of wildlife too! Experimentation will quickly determine personal preference.

High-tech hearing

“Peak clipping quality” is the ability of a device to recognize and instantly shut out high-decibel sound impulses, and this technology is how electronic ear protectors function. In-ear, over-ear, and even behind-the-ear models are available and some companies even custom mold and fit their devices on a personal basis. The extent of technology involved and individual personalization determines final cost. Certain digital models increase hearing up to six times the normal ears ability, aiding hunters in pinpointing game animals moving in the vicinity.

A set of Sonic in-ear “peak clipping” plugs are a deal at $9. For $65 a set of Ultra Ear ITC inner-canal plugs each run on a 1.4 volt battery (four included) for 180 hours. There are three different-sized interchangeable plug ends to fit most any ear size and not only do they make the faintest sounds audible, but they shut out any loud noise of more than 90 decibels.

Walker, a famous name in ear protection and sound amplification, boasts a wide range of choices of custom-fit, inner-ear, power ear muffs and behind-the-ear versions with at least a dozen models to select from with prices ranging from $150 for specific muff-type protectors to $1,600 for a set of custom, four-channel, digital Game Ear Protectors. A visit to the local gun shop or sporting goods store should allow any shooter or hunter to view and even try out a wide selection of hearing protection devices. Certainly one of several well-known mail-order outdoor catalogs will also display a pretty wide roundup of plugs and muffs for hunters. As a final resort, if there’s a particular name brand that interests you, go on-line to investigate and shop via computer.

Don’t be one of those people who thinks a few shots without ear protection won’t do any harm. Gunners are never too young or too old for hearing protection. Ignore your hearing and you may be one of this pair of old-time waterfowlers in the goose blind: “Windy today” says one. “It’s not Wednesday” says the other, “It’s Thursday.” “Yeah, I’m thirsty, too,” ventures the first, “and I haven’t heard a goose all afternoon! Let’s go have a beer.”

bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com