Minnesota’s pheasant season opens Saturday, October 10. If you’re heading to the field, you’ve probably checked your license, your shells, and your blaze orange. There’s one more piece of gear worth packing: hearing protection.
A rooster flushing from the grass is one of the best sounds of fall. The shot that follows is loud enough to damage your hearing for good. The right earplugs let you enjoy the first and protect yourself from the second.
How Loud Is a Shotgun?
Sounds at 85 decibels (dB) and above can damage your hearing over time. A leaf blower is about 110 dB. Gunfire is in a different category. On the American Academy of Audiology’s noise chart, gunshots sit at the very top at 140 dB, louder than a jet plane at takeoff.
At that level, it doesn’t take years of exposure. A single gunshot can cause permanent hearing loss.
It isn’t only your own gun, either. Pheasant hunters usually walk a field together, so you also hear every shot fired by the people beside you.
Why Most Hunters Skip Hearing Protection
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 70% to 80% of hunters never wear hearing protection. The reason makes sense: they say it keeps them from hearing game.
In a pheasant field, you want to hear your dog working the cover, your partners calling “rooster,” and the bird getting up. Standard foam plugs and earmuffs can muffle all of it.
But the cost of going without adds up over the seasons:
- High-pitched sounds fade first. Firearm noise tends to cause high-frequency hearing loss, which makes speech sounds like “s,” “th,” and “f” harder to hear.
- One ear often takes more damage. The loss is usually worse in the ear closer to the muzzle. For a right-handed shooter, that’s the left ear.
- The ringing may not go away. Tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing in the ears, is common after gunfire and can become permanent.
How Custom Hunter’s Plugs Help
Custom hunter’s earplugs are designed for exactly this problem. They protect your hearing from the shot without shutting out the hunt.
- You hear what’s around you. Acoustic filters let you hear your surroundings, so you can still follow your dog and your hunting partners.
- They protect you when it counts. When a gun is fired, a valve closes automatically and limits the sound that reaches your ear.
- They’re made for your ears. We take impressions of your ears to create a custom fit. Many people find them more comfortable than one-size-fits-all protection, which matters on a long day of walking.
- They stay out of the way. There’s nothing over your ear to bump the stock when you shoulder your gun or to fight with your hat.
The best hearing protection is the kind you’ll wear on every hunt. A pair that fits well and lets you hear the field is much easier to keep in.
Getting Fitted at Midwest Hearing
Getting custom earplugs starts with a short visit. We take impressions of your ears, and your plugs are made from those impressions.
Custom plugs are made to order, so a pair ordered this week won’t be ready for Saturday. The season runs into early January, though, and the same plugs will protect you at the trap range and on every hunt after this one. Until yours arrive, wear foam plugs or earmuffs. Any protection is better than none.
When you come to Midwest Hearing, you’re cared for by a team of 13 Doctors of Audiology and five audiology technicians. As a division of Midwest Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists, we also work alongside ENT physicians. If years of hunting have already affected your hearing, we can help with that too.
Protect Your Hearing This Season
- Wear hearing protection every time. A single shot is enough to cause damage, so protection matters on every outing.
- Remember the people around you. Anyone near gunfire is exposed, including family and friends who aren’t shooting.
- Know the warning signs. Ringing in your ears or muffled hearing means your ears took in too much noise. If it doesn’t go away, or if conversation has become harder to follow, schedule a hearing test.
- Find out where your hearing stands. If you’ve spent years around gunfire, a hearing test gives you and your audiologist a clear starting point.
- Over 50? We recommend a baseline hearing screening for anyone 50 or older. Our online hearing screener is a good first step.
Good luck this weekend, and enjoy the opener.
To schedule a custom earplug fitting or a hearing test, call Midwest Hearing at (651) 770-1363 or request an appointment at any of our five locations: Eagan, Lakeville, Vadnais Heights, Woodbury, and Hudson, WI.