PROTECT your hearing!

[PalsPal]

I had a great hunt with my dad this morning, and am thankful that, at 73, he is still able to go with me. However, he misses the best part most of the time, which is, to me, the gobbling. One has to be in his lap for him to be able to hear it.

We ended up having two gobbling birds approaching from opposite directions, but he never heard the first gobble. There is no way he heard the spitting that I was able to hear when one tried to skirt to our off side and I was able to make the shot.

I know it frustrates him when I whisper that they both just answered, or one would gobble pretty close, and I'd ask if he heard it, and he would just shake his head, "No!"

The only thing he can attribute it to is years of shooting (dove field mostly) without hearing protection. He has been hard of hearing for as long as I can remember, and I have asked him about hearing aids, but he doesn't think he is bad enough to warrant the expense.

For years, I have tried to wear protection when shooting, on the tractor, or anything else where exposed to loud noises for a prolonged period of time. But even with that, my hearing is diminishing.

So, please take protective measures before too much damage is done. It would majorly SUCK to not be able to hear gobbling turkeys.

 

[Spurhunter]

Great tip there. I always wear it when shooting or cutting grass, but mine isn't as good as it used to be.

 

[Andy S.]

Agree 110%, protect it while you have the opportunity.

 

[SudberrySlayer13]

I agree!!....I just recently turned 26 and have shot guns since i could walk...without protection...long story short now i have the hearing of someone two my age according to the doctor....Accept the simple task of wearing hearing protection!

 

[Boll Weevil]

What? Say again!? WHAT?

Agree 100% and try to protect what little I have left.

 

[Gravey]

I wear it when shooting guns and did for a while when mowing but haven't in a while.

 

[ruger7mag]

The nurse at work tells me I have the hearing loss of a 60 year old man. I can believe it too! Yesterday I received a set of electronic ear muffs to use while hunting. While hunting today I wore them, and I think I'm going to like them a lot.

 

[AllOutdoors]

Great post papal! My hearing stinks! Years of shooting skeet and sporting clays when i was young and"TOUGH" and dumb has caught up with me.

Sent from this smart thingamajig using tapatalk.

 

[darn2ten]

Definitely great advice. Between lots of shooting and working on trains with rails squealing my hearing has suffered. Use to have to get hearing test at work and am legally deaf at a certain decibel level. Luckily I still hear drumming from a good distance and gobbling. I always wear ear protection when I shoot now.

 

[Andy S.]

...I received a set of electronic ear muffs to use while hunting. While hunting today I wore them, and I think I'm going to like them a lot.

Let us know what you think of them after several uses. The guys that I know that have used them say they can hear a turkey gobble in the next county, but have no idea what direction the sound is coming from.