wicchunter

Have any of you tried game ears like Walkers? If so what did you try and what was your opinion? I had a buck almost walk by me last year because of hearing loss and I have to do something about that.

BGfisher

I'm in the same boat aftr many years of a noisy work environment. I've been wearing hearing aids since 1983. Let me tell you. Deer can still sneak in on me.

The pair in my head right now are a pair of Phonak digital that cost over $5000. When I go to the oods I use my remote and crank them up all the way. Still don't hear those rascally critters if they're just pokeying along. Just makes me wonder of how many deer have just walked by behind me over the years without a clue.

Also have a pair of Game Ear II's. Now with those I think I could hear a squirrel fart at 50 yards. A flock of turkey at 60-70 yards sound like a herd of buffalo. The difference between them and my hearing aids is that they are adjusted for the frequencies most encountered in the woods. The microphones will pick up and amplify wind so that's one downside, but consider the alternative of not hearing anything.

NOW, being as I need some sort of amplification all the time I'm considering getting a pair of the ITC ones. That means in the ear canal with custom ear molds. Being in the ear they use the outer ear to funnel more of the sounds into the aid. Also there will be less noise from any wind. And they are digital. I know they will cost upwards of $900, but part of the joy of hunting is hearing the sounds in the woods.

Considering that I have $1000 binocular, about $1500 of other stuff with me out there, what's another grand?

And make no mistake about this. If you decide to get them, whichever style, make sure you get two. Your brain is attuned to hearing in stereo. It's how you decipher direction. With only one your brain can't tell what it is hearing or the direction it is coming from. There's nothing like getting busted while twisting and turning trying to see what your brain thinks it is hearing.

If you're economy minded then the muffs might suffice. It depends on how much you intend to use them. Just be aware that they are hot when it's early season and bulkier to carry (daypack or whatever).

There are a couple other makes on the market right now. Check Cabela's catalog. I can't say which ones work or not. Depending on the type and amount of your loss some will be better than others.

Corvus

I bought the Digital Quad Muffs with Audio Input. Where I hunt, I can hear the highway droning, so I was very concerned that noise would be amplified even more with the muffs on. I was pretty excited, though, when I found that I could adjust the frequencies so that the road noise is actually diminished in my ears while everything else is still amplified.

As for hearing game, I'm still not certain about it's effectiveness. I've been mostly hunting in the rain so far, and there's just no deer noise to amplify when the ground is wet.

I had heard complaints about chin stubble rubbing against your collar being amplified and deafening you, but that is definitely not a problem with the quad muffs. The 4 microphones are so directional, that any noise that comes out from between your two ears is virtually undetectable. Regarding the directions, the 4 microphones really do let you tell where a sound is coming from, too.

So far, I'd give my muffs a tentative thumbs up. I'm anxious to see how it performs in the crunchy November woods!