The sounds around me were muffled while a nagging “diiinggg” ran through my ears. I shook my head, as if that would help, and my hearing slowly came back. The shotgun of the hunter standing next to me had rang me good—but I was the fool who was not wearing hearing protection.
Why was I not? Because I was part of the 86 percent of hunters who choose not to protect their hearing while hunting. That loss of hearing for a few seconds woke me to the reality that my favorite pastime could ultimately lead to me losing one of my five senses down the road.
Hear the Hunt Let’s be honest: The use of hearing protection comes with a stigma in the hunting realm. Some may feel it looks “silly,” while others feel it’s only necessary at the gun range rather than in the field where you fire your shotgun or rifle sporadically. Others say it limits their hearing of game while in the field, and others just straight don’t want to deal with it.
But what hunters don’t realize is that even sporadic shooting causes damaging decibel levels that can harm our hearing over time. Just ask your grandpa who loves to hunt as much as you…just speak loudly so he can hear you!
Shotguns register north of 110dB…the safe hearing threshold? 85 dB. As you fire your gun many times over a season and then years, those damaging decibels pick away at your hearing, leaving you asking, “what did you say?” more times than you would like to admit.
A couple of avid sportsmen who double as audiologists, made it their mission to solve this hearing loss dilemma in the hunting world. The duo has seen what a lifetime of noise exposure from hunting does to hearing, dealing day to day with patients who love the pursuit as much as them.
They set out to create hearing protection that uses an electronic program that allows hunters to “hear the hunt” and gives them a natural hearing experience while afield. In this pursuit TETRA Hearing was created.
Electronic hearing protection allows you to hear the natural noises around you, while still shutting down noises that reach dangerous decibels. (Photo courtesy of Kali Parmley) The Advantage of Electronic Hearing Protection Unlike foam hearing protection that muffles out all sounds around you, TETRA wanted to ensure that not only could you hear game, but that you could hear it well. The solution, optimizing the sounds around you through electronic hearing protection.
TETRA’s patented “pursuit-based hunting programs” feature Specialized Target Optimization (STO). This technology helps to isolate damaging noises while enhancing the frequencies you need to hear. Example, you need to hear a covey flush or the beep of your dog’s collar, but not the damaging noise of a shotgun blast. Sudden loud bursts are shut down immediately, thanks to Tetra’s AlphaShield Compression.
The loud crack of a shotgun, even periodically, will begin to damage hearing. (Photo courtesy of Kali Parmley) Saving Hunter’s Hearing The excuses for why you don’t wear hearing protection are out the door with TETRA’s options for electronic hearing protection. Now you can hear better in the field and protect your hearing in the future, and not only do the devices enhance your hunting experience, but they are also completely customizable for a perfect fit and come in a range of different options depending on your needs.
The price tag may have you reeling, but in the end…what’s the cost of saving your hearing?
