Can You Protect Your Hearing and Still Hear the Woods on a Hunt?

Yes, you can protect your hearing on a hunt and still hear the woods, as long as you pick protection built for that job and actually keep it in. A single shot can be loud enough to harm your ears, so the goal is a plug that turns the blast down without leaving you deaf to footsteps, calls and your hunting partner. Custom-fit plugs make that easier, because they stay comfortable for a whole morning in the stand.

Quick answer

• The risk: ASHA says firearms can reach 140 dB peak, higher-caliber rifles more than 175 dB peak, and hearing damage can follow from as little as one shot.
• The habit gap: ASHA estimates 70% to 80% of hunters never wear hearing protection, often because they want to hear game.
• The fix: protection you can wear for hours that still lets quiet sounds through, such as our hunting plug or The One with a 25 or 30 dB filter.
• Extra margin: for impulse noise, NIOSH suggests earmuffs over earplugs.
• Ringing that won’t fade? See a doctor or audiologist.

How loud is a hunting rifle or shotgun?

Louder than almost anything else you’ll hear outdoors. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) says firearms can produce noise up to 140 decibels peak, and higher-caliber rifles can go past 175 dB peak. That’s in their guide to recreational firearm noise.

A 2017 review in Seminars in Hearing put numbers on the middle of that range. Its authors found that most recreational firearms, leaving out small-caliber .17 and .22 rifles and air rifles, produce peak levels between 150 and 165 dB (Meinke and colleagues, 2017).

The sound of a shot is an impulse: very loud, very short. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) explains that noise-induced hearing loss can come from a one-time exposure to an intense impulse sound, and that loud noise can also bring on tinnitus, the ringing or buzzing many hunters notice on the drive home (NIDCD).

Can one shot really hurt your hearing?

It can. ASHA notes that noise above 140 dB peak can permanently damage hearing, even from a single occurrence. Without protection, people may get hearing loss or tinnitus with “as little as one shot,” in ASHA’s words.

The damage also builds over a lifetime of seasons. In a study of 3,753 adults in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, men’s risk of marked high-frequency hearing loss rose about 7% for every five years they had hunted (Nondahl and colleagues, Archives of Family Medicine, 2000). In the same study, 95% of the hunters said they had never worn hearing protection while shooting in the past year.

ASHA adds two details hunters tend to recognize. Firearm users often lose high-frequency hearing first, which makes sounds like “s,” “th” and “f” harder to catch. And with rifles and shotguns, right-handed shooters usually lose more hearing in the left ear, while left-handed shooters lose more in the right.

Why do so many hunters skip ear protection?

Mostly because they want to hear. ASHA says many hunters report that protection keeps them from hearing approaching wildlife, and audiologists see more noise-induced hearing loss during hunting season.

That’s a fair worry. Solid plugs and earmuffs turn quiet sounds down along with loud ones, and a hunter who can’t hear a branch snap is likely to pull them out. NIOSH sees the same pattern in loud workplaces: workers take protectors off to hear properly, and the agency warns against overprotection because it makes people less aware of their surroundings (NIOSH, Provide Hearing Protection).

Comfort matters too. NIOSH puts it plainly: “Comfort is the key to consistent use of hearing protection.” Long sits in a cold stand, a hat pulled down, a cheek on the stock: protection has to stay out of the way through all of it, or it ends up in a pocket.

What kind of hearing protection works best for hunting?

The best choice is the one that stays in from the first light to the last shot. Here’s how the main options compare for a typical hunt.

ASHA’s own tips line up with this: always use hearing protection when you fire or stand near someone firing, double up with earmuffs over earplugs, and make sure protectors fit properly. The 2017 review also points to things you control in the field, such as the number of shots, the distance between shooters, the shooting environment and how well your protection fits.

How does Big Ear handle hunting?

We build two kinds of hunting protection by hand in the USA, both from impressions of your own ears.

Our Best Earplugs For Hunting ($166.95) is a specialty hunting plug. Its job is to filter out sound at very high decibel levels, such as a shot. Because it’s shaped to your own ear, it’s built to stay comfortable while you turn your head, lean into a rifle or pull a hood over your ears.

If you also shoot clays, go to the range or ride a motorcycle, The One may suit you better. It uses interchangeable flat filters of 9, 15, 20, 25 or 30 dB, and we recommend the 25 or 30 dB filter for firearms. With one filter installed, The One has an NRR of 25 dB. The kits are Standard ($224.95, one filter set), Select ($299.95, two sets) and Premium ($574.95, all five sets plus a hole plug, solid plugs, a tactical piece and a case). The Select is our best value if you want one pair for both the woods and quieter days.

Want the most quiet for sighting in? Our Full Stop Super-Soft ($168.95) is a solid plug with an NRR of 32 dB, made from soft platinum-cure silicone (Shore A 25). Wear earmuffs over any of these for heavy shooting days.

Every pair comes with our 30-Day Fit Warranty and a 1-year manufacturer defect warranty against manufacturing defects (loss isn’t covered). Custom products can’t be returned, which is why we put so much care into the fit. There’s more on range use in our post on hearing range commands with earplugs, and the full lineup is on our shooting and hunting page.

How do you get a good fit before the season opens?

Start early. Your order includes a free Home Impression Kit, which arrives in 3 to 5 business days. Making the impressions takes about 15 to 20 minutes at home with a helper and a guided video, and the return postage is paid. If an impression can’t be used, we send a second kit free.

From the day your impressions reach our lab, allow 40 business days to build and ship your plugs. Shipping on the order is $10. If opening day is coming up fast, give us a call and we’ll talk about timing.

Once your plugs arrive, wear them around the house and on a few practice outings. You’ll learn how they feel under your hat and how the woods sound with them in, so nothing surprises you in the stand.

Hunting earplug questions

Will I still hear deer moving with earplugs in?

Any hearing protection changes what you hear. Our hunting plug is made to filter out sound at very high levels, and filtered plugs like The One let more everyday sound through than solid plugs. Try them before the season so you know what to expect.

Do I need protection for just one or two shots a season?

Yes. ASHA says hearing loss or tinnitus can follow from as little as one shot without protection, and a single exposure above 140 dB peak can cause permanent damage.

Which ear needs more protection?

Both, every time. ASHA notes that right-handed rifle and shotgun shooters usually lose more hearing in the left ear, and left-handed shooters in the right.

Can kids who hunt get custom plugs?

Yes. The Full Stop Super-Soft is made for adults and children. Our post on protecting kids’ hearing has more on fit and comfort for younger ears.

My ears ring after a hunt. What should I do?

Ringing that is new, getting worse or doesn’t go away is a reason to see a doctor or audiologist. NIDCD notes that noise can cause temporary hearing changes as well as lasting ones, and a professional can check which you have.

Ready for a quieter season?

The easiest way to start is our free Home Impression Kit. Not sure which plug fits the way you hunt? Try Find my pair, or call us at (719) 271-4528. We’d love to help you hear the woods for many seasons to come.

Sources

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Recreational Firearm Noise Exposure.
• Meinke DK, Finan DS, Flamme GA, Murphy WJ, Stewart M, Lankford JE, Tasko S. Prevention of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss from Recreational Firearms. Seminars in Hearing. 2017;38(4):267–281.
• Nondahl DM, Cruickshanks KJ, Wiley TL, Klein R, Klein BE, Tweed TS. Recreational firearm use and hearing loss. Archives of Family Medicine. 2000;9(4):352–357.
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (updated 16 April 2025).
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Provide Hearing Protection (reviewed 31 January 2024).