Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Question for hunters about sound amplifers

Have any of you hunting guys ever used "sound amplifiers"

I am not a hunter, but I like walking back in my woods
and just listening to nature...last Thurs I was back
there and was surprised to find a large hog was actually
wandering around so close to me as I was sitting on a log.

Any of you that have used sound amplifiers
do you have any suggestions on a good one?
Do these things work?

Hunting Sound Amplifiers @ Bass Pro Shops

I had a pair of Walkers Game Ears about 15 years ago. When you put them on and walk around in the woods you will understand just why you generally can't sneak up on wildlife. You hear everything.

The downside is that a truck going down the highway will make you promptly remove them.

Our hearing ability is a complex process. Many years ago I bought a pair of sound dampening ear plugs for use while duck hunting. The shooting was ruining my hearing, but I wanted to hear what was going on around me while hunting. The volume of the plugs could be adjusted like a hearing aid, but they electronically clipped off loud noises within milli-seconds. They were also custom molded to my own ears. I balked at the high price until my half-deaf hunting buddy said, "Yeah, you better save that $750 'cause you're going to need it for these $4,000 hearing aids." I bought them that week and still use them duck hunting to this day. I believe they were made by a company called Electronic Shooting Products or ESP.

I also bow hunt for deer, so I tried them for the amplification feature. It seemed harder to pinpoint the location of a sound. It also amplified every sound you normally tune out, and the world is a very noisy place. Noises that are loud, but under the threshold of the dampening, can be quite annoying. Think of cicada's buzzing, dried leaves constantly rustling in the breeze, a crow calling. I could do a much better job of hearing what I wanted to hear without the amplification (even high quality amplification). I don't know if they're still around, but I would highly recommend them for hearing protection while hunting. Not so much for amplification.