Are these the best kept secret for bush stalking?...

Not long ago i went to the local NZDA meeting where a very successful bushstalker from marlbough was giving a talk on his success in the bush and tips etc.
One of the things that came out which he reckens was"" öne of the light bulb moments"""in his bush stalking success was the use of these things that he swears was getting him alot more deer.
Electronic Hunting Earmuffs


He reckens you can hear so much better with them on, hear more animals moving around that you wouldnt normally hear and at the same time you have hearing protection at the same time.
The amount of deer he shoots you couldnt argue that it was bullocks so i was keen to find out if this is the best kept secret out there or not.


He said the cheap ones are rubbish, and if you want one that works for hunting in the bush buy a good pair and you wont regret it.

So, i got hold of a pair and decided i go for a look for a deer in a good spot at this time of year where i normally get one.

Was time to take the trusty 243 out, as my 308 has accounted for the last couple of stags so armed with 100gr Fed powershoks, the stoneycreek bushline pack, a pair of good electronic earmuffs i was off at 430am hunting for spot X.

Arrived on time and headed of to a valley where at this time of year i always see a deer in the DOC land. Earmuffs turned on and it soon became clear that the quiet bush wasnt that quiet Smiley


You could hear birds from afar and other sounds that without them on you have no chance to hear so it was a interesting walk in trying to listen out for a sound of a animal while looking for sign.
Sure enough, saw some fresh marks and the deer have been moving around recently so had high hopes.

About a hour had gone by and came to the only wallow i know down this route and it had been used quite recent.

Followed some mud trails from it for 10 minutes then suddenly heard a sound, a thump though the Muffs.
Sure sounded strange,and first thought was it was prob a deer so i went on high alert as it didnt sound like a branch etc hitting the deck.

I took 15 mintues to travel a very short distance, i was sure there was something up ahead then suddenly out to my left a young spiker breaks cover and runs into the undergrowth.
Bugger, too slow in seeing it but all is not lost. its thick bush, and often a young animal will only run so far if didnt smell you and stop so i creep in looking ahead for any sign of the spiker.

Couple of minutes(seems like 30 lol) i get lucky and spot him on the opposite face heading up and out of there but he stops and looks back.

Hes broadside on, the crosshairs are on him but im exposed and theres no rest for any shot. Hes at that distance thats marginal for a freestanding shot but i sense my trusty sidekick, the mighty 243 urging me on, take the shot, i ll got this covered .
Boom goes the 243(well think it did, the Earmuffs killed the sound } and down goes the spiker.



http://images.fishnhunt.co.nz/images...1/dscf0857.jpg






Was pretty happy with the shot, straight into one shoulder and blew a hole out the other. The 243 just reminded me the power of these 100gr Fed powershoks, esp on smaller deer.
They do some damage, and on big stags they do the business. i dont mind, in the bush i want them on the ground fast, and these fellows are awesome, check out this exit hole





http://images.fishnhunt.co.nz/images...1/dscf0860.jpg







http://images.fishnhunt.co.nz/images...56_500x375.jpg






By 8am had the prime venison, the question is thou are these Muffs the answer for more success?

One thing was clear, you can clearly hear better, were darn comfty to wear and i certainly heard this spiker before i saw him and even thou he still busted me first being on high alert because of the sound prob helped me get him in the end.
Still, the verdict is still out but i think they could well be a keytool in finding more animals in the bush.

i heard a weka moving though the bush and sounded more like a decent animal and was quite surprised how noisy it was so yes, i think these maybe quite good but i try them out on a few more hunts and see what the verdict is on these at a later date

Good writeup , geez they sound bloody interesting my hearing is pretty bad from all the gun fire / noise at work , whats a decent set worth ?

@deer243

Thanks for a great read!

I did come across an old popular mechanics or similar from 1950s, where two guys were standing within shouting distance of each other, using new transistorised shirt pocket hearing aids (you know, the ones with a twisted white wire up to a crystal in-ear earphone) in order to hear and triangulate the position of their hunting dogs. With that background, it is not difficult to believe that you hear better with the electronic ear muffs.

Here is a tongue in cheek but interesting web page on acoustic detection technology:

Acoustic Radar.

What ear protectors are you using btw?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boaraxa

Good writeup , geez they sound bloody interesting my hearing is pretty bad from all the gun fire / noise at work , whats a decent set worth ?

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HnF sell the pair i got, 299 but get them for 250 from safety shop on trademe.(same pair marl guy uses) Obes under 150 are ok for range but need to go to better for hunting purposes

Im going to get some , had no idea they where that good especially when using muzzle breaks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boaraxa

Im going to get some , had no idea they where that good especially when using muzzle breaks.

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Its like wearing hearing aids, can turn Volume up , down etc. theres better ones out there for cutting out noise but these ones work well but are better picking up sounds and no distortion or feedback when vol is up. better for hunting purpose, fold up to nothing but still cut out the 243 going of well. Comes in green but comes with a extra orange casing thats better to change to as hard to see if left on ground when in green lol. Two batteries last 600 hours , shower proof

Im not surprised they work well I do a fare amount of gold prospecting had a detector for a while & on breezy / windy days unless you had headphones/plugs on you simply can not hear signals .

Testimonial.....I use them,they work.........

I found the same thing when I went bush hunting for the first time with my new hearing aids :) As you mention, the pick up on the electronic muffs is doing the same job as my hearing aids but offer the protection as well. It's amazing how we don't notice the loss of small sounds in the bush as the years go by, until we hear them again.

For those who do get a pair....google the USA websites,buy the ones you want,have them shipped to me,I’ll mail them from the USA....MUCH MUCH CHEAPER!,......PM me

Interesting - you heard the thump of him walking
Some models are probably better than others for the sound range

I use a pair on flights - cuts out so much background noise (Boise)
Different as it’s more to hear nothing - you certainly hear when the battery goes flat

I think I know the guy who was the speaker. If it was him, he was telling me that when he first got them, he was wearing them in side and he had them turned up. He could hear running water gurgling and was puzzled. There was no water running in the house. No sinks had water in them and no taps were on. He was about to get up out of his chair and go find it when his son came running in to the room and asked a question. He told his son "inside voice please" then realised it was the volume turned way up rather than any shouting. The gurgling noise......was the fridge two rooms away!!!! He was very impressed.

I use my peltor for duck shooting only. The definitely amplify some frequencies more than others, but I do find that you tend to lose a little in directionality of the sound (ie where is the sound coming from). Slipping one ear cup off slightly giving you a combination of the amplification plus normal hearing which improves direction has been a solution for me.

I use those howard leight ones. Personally, while I agree they do amplify the noises for you I find it all a bit psychedelic...

It seems that there is quite a difference between different models. like the speaker said, he tried a number of them. They did what was intended, ie you can hear but will cut the loud noise out but only the top ones will work for hunting purposes. Turning up the volume they dont give feed back, sound is much better clarity , and you just cant compare the better ones to the cheaper ones. A number of reviews online. Peltor do a number of them, they good but theres a difference between the 200 dollar pair and the 300 dollar pair. Sounds like if you want the best out of them you got to go the 300 ones for full effect

Hunters in Europe use them all the times
They say you can hear a Boar coming (in one of the stand hunts from beaters) 1000m (think I got that right ??
I offered Peltor on here months ago - but no interest so did not bother getting any in.
My supplier uses them too - swears by them.

Peltor Sporttac and Peltor Tactical XP

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sarvo

Hunters in Europe use them all the times
They say you can hear a Boar coming (in one of the stand hunts from beaters) 1000m (think I got that right ??
I offered Peltor on here months ago - but no interest so did not bother getting any in.
My supplier uses them too - swears by them.

Peltor Sporttac and Peltor Tactical XP

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What would be your price for a good pair

At a 1000 m, that would be a very grunty pig! Maybe 100 m would be more realistic?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Friwi

At a 1000 m, that would be a very grunty pig! Maybe 100 m would be more realistic?

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No - I will ask him again - but I think he said 1000m - definably not 100m.
He said these units are amazing
But - remember - these hunters are - elevated - standing very still and more than likely on a crisp clear winter/autumn morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRVAH0P_mKk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V66M1Kecbgs

I have been doing this ever since I got my first good set of eletroic ear pro, has really upped my sucsess rate. really good when walking around after wallibies

Interesting post.

Can someone list some makers and model numbers please......

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Originally Posted by Beaker

Can someone list some makers and model numbers please......

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Well that was a lot of posts in a short time... thanks sarvo will do some research.
Have Howard lights, and OK on range - but have always rated peltor, should just buy them......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beaker

Can someone list some makers and model numbers please......

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peltour xp tactical

These are the ones for value Peltor SportTac

The Peltor SportTac is an intelligent active hearing protector. The smooth adjustment of the hearing protector's level dependant function gives the user particularly pleasant sound reproduction and less interference. The unique digital audio circuit eliminates the abrupt sound cut-off that characterises many level dependant hearing protectors on the market. The Peltor SportTac system reacts so gently that in most cases, you'll never hear the cut-off when the protector is activated. It will sound, quite simply, as though nothing has happened.

The Peltor SportTac is comfortable to wear, even on long shifts. The hunting model is supplied as two separate versions with two choices of coloured headset cups (green an orange)

Developed specifically for hunters and marksmen
Smooth active-volume function, which eliminates abrupt sound cut-off
Interchangeable shells in green and orange
Connects to hunting radio
Auto shut-off function
Collapsible for easy storage

http://https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.nz/f22/msa-sordin-supreme-pro-x-gel-cups-36891/
Aren't these supposed to be the ducks nuts

Has anyone tried compared the Peltors with the Howard Leight ones.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by erniec

Has anyone tried compared the Peltors with the Howard Leight ones.

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Peltor make a number of different sets- all with diferent levels of eletronics/mikes and sound ratings- ignoring the eletronics the only howard leights I have played with were only grade 3(seems to be standard for eletronic muffs) but peltor make grade 5 rated eletronic muffs. maybe not an issue for low round count hunting but a big deal if you also want to use them on the range. A lot of cheeper units by all brand only have one microphone-hardly ideal for hunting as you want to know what directon the sound came from but arguably ok for range use

very interesting, I've used them before but never for hunting, I might just have to give this a hoon.

Learn How the Human Ear Works — And Protect Your Hearing « Daily Bulletin

Any long term update @deer243 I was at the same meeting and got some too but only had range use so far

Interesting.Some one mentioned previous that some direction of noise is lost,that would be my main concern @deer243 could you pin point the direction of the thud you heard?and was that the reason you didn’t get a shot away on the first bolt?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sarvo

No - I will ask him again - but I think he said 1000m - definably not 100m.
He said these units are amazing
But - remember - these hunters are - elevated - standing very still and more than likely on a crisp clear winter/autumn morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRVAH0P_mKk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V66M1Kecbgs

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I'd believe it in that sort of country in the conditions they hunt in. I used to think they were just for people with hearing issues etc...

However bumped into a young guy in the bush wearing them, listening to music as he was walking to his spot x and had a good chat to him. He said they were awesome and he could hear deer from miles away in the bush. He gave me a go of them and what i heard convinced me immediately. I ordered a set as soon as i got home.

Word of caution, theres heaps of chinese fakes of all the top brands so you have to do some home work on how to spot them. Buy from a reputible buyer, ideally from the company themselves. Doing this they're way cheaper than buying in NZ. For deer hunting, there awesome. The only thing i've found throws them a bit is the wind blowing through the trees.

I would love to read a hunting update from deer243.

I read this thread.
Then I went internet browsing for electronic earmuffs.
Now I'm $700 poorer lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Yesmate

Interesting.Some one mentioned previous that some direction of noise is lost,that would be my main concern @deer243 could you pin point the direction of the thud you heard?and was that the reason you didn’t get a shot away on the first bolt?

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the mono versions dont have direction...what Ive got... if you get sterio ones that are adjustable between each ear ...then even fellas like me with one bad ear COULD get back really good directional hearing.

I found them quite good but wouldnt say they the bees knees to success. Water and bird noise are quite loud with them on but you can certainly pick up things you never hear without them.
Stopped using them for awhile now as a mate is using them so how good i think they are the jury is still out on that one.. esp as didnt see much deer when using them.
Still, great when shooting as blocks the noise but you have super hearing when they on too so certainly worth having a pair . I need to get them back and use them more to get a true feel for what they are capable of, just been slack in that department

Quote:

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Originally Posted by deer243

Not long ago i went to the local NZDA meeting where a very successful bushstalker from marlbough was giving a talk on his success in the bush and tips etc.
One of the things that came out which he reckens was"" öne of the light bulb moments"""in his bush stalking success was the use of these things that he swears was getting him alot more deer.
Electronic Hunting Earmuffs


He reckens you can hear so much better with them on, hear more animals moving around that you wouldnt normally hear and at the same time you have hearing protection at the same time.
The amount of deer he shoots you couldnt argue that it was bullocks so i was keen to find out if this is the best kept secret out there or not.


He said the cheap ones are rubbish, and if you want one that works for hunting in the bush buy a good pair and you wont regret it.

So, i got hold of a pair and decided i go for a look for a deer in a good spot at this time of year where i normally get one.

Was time to take the trusty 243 out, as my 308 has accounted for the last couple of stags so armed with 100gr Fed powershoks, the stoneycreek bushline pack, a pair of good electronic earmuffs i was off at 430am hunting for spot X.

Arrived on time and headed of to a valley where at this time of year i always see a deer in the DOC land. Earmuffs turned on and it soon became clear that the quiet bush wasnt that quiet Smiley


You could hear birds from afar and other sounds that without them on you have no chance to hear so it was a interesting walk in trying to listen out for a sound of a animal while looking for sign.
Sure enough, saw some fresh marks and the deer have been moving around recently so had high hopes.

About a hour had gone by and came to the only wallow i know down this route and it had been used quite recent.

Followed some mud trails from it for 10 minutes then suddenly heard a sound, a thump though the Muffs.
Sure sounded strange,and first thought was it was prob a deer so i went on high alert as it didnt sound like a branch etc hitting the deck.

I took 15 mintues to travel a very short distance, i was sure there was something up ahead then suddenly out to my left a young spiker breaks cover and runs into the undergrowth.
Bugger, too slow in seeing it but all is not lost. its thick bush, and often a young animal will only run so far if didnt smell you and stop so i creep in looking ahead for any sign of the spiker.

Couple of minutes(seems like 30 lol) i get lucky and spot him on the opposite face heading up and out of there but he stops and looks back.

Hes broadside on, the crosshairs are on him but im exposed and theres no rest for any shot. Hes at that distance thats marginal for a freestanding shot but i sense my trusty sidekick, the mighty 243 urging me on, take the shot, i ll got this covered .
Boom goes the 243(well think it did, the Earmuffs killed the sound } and down goes the spiker.



http://images.fishnhunt.co.nz/images...1/dscf0857.jpg






Was pretty happy with the shot, straight into one shoulder and blew a hole out the other. The 243 just reminded me the power of these 100gr Fed powershoks, esp on smaller deer.
They do some damage, and on big stags they do the business. i dont mind, in the bush i want them on the ground fast, and these fellows are awesome, check out this exit hole





http://images.fishnhunt.co.nz/images...1/dscf0860.jpg







http://images.fishnhunt.co.nz/images...56_500x375.jpg






By 8am had the prime venison, the question is thou are these Muffs the answer for more success?

One thing was clear, you can clearly hear better, were darn comfty to wear and i certainly heard this spiker before i saw him and even thou he still busted me first being on high alert because of the sound prob helped me get him in the end.
Still, the verdict is still out but i think they could well be a keytool in finding more animals in the bush.

i heard a weka moving though the bush and sounded more like a decent animal and was quite surprised how noisy it was so yes, i think these maybe quite good but i try them out on a few more hunts and see what the verdict is on these at a later date

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I was thinklng about doing the same thing as old age and noise damage has taken its toll on my ears what sort/brand are you using