Is there anyone here that is hard of hearing? I have 75% hearing loss and I wear hearing aids. It is very challenging to not being able to hear deer approaching and having to rely on just sight. The areas that I hunt don't have open vistas to be able to see deer coming from aways off. If a deer approaches from behind me by the time I see it it's like HOLY COW! Then I have to hope the wind won't get me busted as they get past me. This problem also translates to other hunting situations. I can't hear turkeys gobble in the distance, squirrels jumping around in trees, etc. If you are HoH/Deaf what tactics do you use to increase your odds? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
As I'm still relatively young my hearing seems to be pretty decent at this stage of my life. My best advice would be to try hunting more open areas like on the edges of fields if you have access to areas like that to hunt.
The only places that have anything like open fields near me would be WMA's. I don't like to hunt them because they get over run by other hunters. Then deer are rarely seen and go nocturnal. I have about 4 urban private properties that I usually hunt. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
That's understandable, we're out there to hunt deer not florescent orange . Another suggestion would be sit on the shelf of a hill, get yourself high up in a tree so you give the deer the least chance possible of smelling you before you see them. I do understand the difficulty of hunting if you have limited hearing, one of the most important things in archery hunting is being able to know a deer is coming ASAP so you can anticipate the shot because more times than not the window in which you have to make a good shot is very small.
I wear hearing aids in both ears, while its an improvement it's still not what most would consider normal or baseline. I struggle most with direction, I would hear a noise and not be able to pin point it. I been dealing with it all my life and didn't start wearing hearing aid till about 5 years ago... Like anything else you adapt, and deal with it. The biggest way I adapted through my life if buy working harder and being more persistent then most people this carried over into most of the things I do in life.. But we are talking deer hunting.. While on the stand I am constantly looking, scanning for deer, my head rarely stops moving ...I also stand 75% of the time to give me a wider field of view. It's rare that if I am hunting with someone they spot a deer before me. Growing up hunting and tacking deer in big woods of northeast seeing deer before they knew I was there was a must ....if I had a dollar for everytime someone said " I don't know how the hell you seen that deer"....it's a good thing i can see them because I sure as hell can't hear them.
Yes you're correct. I've been bowhunting for 40-+ years and for the past 10 or so years it keeps getting harder. Age don't help either. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Yup, the directional thing will drive you NUTS! You pretty much describe the way I hunt. The head is always moving, the eyes constantly scanning, even the nose sniffing. God forbid you start to head roll it and fall asleep. How many deer have been missed from snoozing I'll never know...lol Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
At 52 My hearing in my right ear is ok not what it once was not sure of the percentage of lose though, my left ear has tinnitus so bad it just about drives me nuts.. I used to ignore it but it has gotten so loud now it's impossible to ignore... Both issues really mess with my directional hearing.. It is really hard to explain my tinnitus to someone who does not have it.. It is not the ring or buzz folks often talk about, it is more like the sound of 100 cicadas all at once.. It surprises me sometimes no one else can hear it.. I sleep with a box fan in my room to help with some white noise, it used to help but now I can hear it over the fan.. And what really sucks is there is nothing you can do about it.. as far as advice I just keep my head on a swivel..
My hearing loss is genetic. My whole family on my side wears hearing aids. It ain't look'n good for my daughters. I have tinnitus in both ears, I understand completely. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Lost an ear drum in the service (1965) and have severe hearing loss now in both ears (along with tinnitus screaming constantly in both of 'em). I too TRY to sleep with a VA-supplied sound-masking machine, but I can still hear the screaming over it most of the time. When I'm in the woods the screaming stifles most sounds animals make... so I very rarely hear them coming (even though I wear hearing aids in both ears). I told a friend once I HAVE to see a deer before I can shoot it... then said to him that's the dumbest thing I ever said. What I meant was I just can't hear them and have to constantly 'hunt' them with my eyes. I've been blessed though... it seems I can see an eye or nose of a deer before I see an entire animal faster than anyone else in our family or anyone I'm hunting with. It got so mundane for me when shotgun/rifle hunting that I gave it up because it came so easy for me to see/shoot one at long distances in the woods. I constantly filled my tags annually. So, I took up bow hunting and now very rarely score... but I enjoy it so much more. I constantly scan the woods with my eyes and see a lot of deer... but very rarely get the opportunity for a shot. I have talked to the doctor at the VA hospital about hearing/tinnitus/hunting and if there was anything we could do to help me hear the animals approaching. She says it's going to be pretty near impossible for me to hear animals approaching unless it's a crystal-clear, wind-free day with fallen leaves on the forest floor as crisp as potato chips. So much for technology huh? If the tinnitus was not there it would be easier she states...
Guys, I'm deaf from a tumor removal in 2002. Loosing hearing in the other ear from another tumor. Only a matter of time till its all gone. Those of you who have tinnitus, don't complain too much. Can you imagine having absolutely nothing to hear. I mean TOTAL ABSOLUTE SILENCE. That is scary for me. I am thankful for the tinnitus cause without it I'd be bonkers in a few years when I can't hear a thing. At least I'll be able to listen to that noisy lawnmower constantly going back and forth in the neighbors yard. I wonder how he mows with two feet of snow on the ground. As far as hunting goes, I agree with you all. The direction thing is a pain when and if I can hear something coming. I have also lost my balance so don't dare leave the ground to hunt in a tree stand any more. Ground blinds are my only stands these days. Although it is limiting, they also hide a lot of movement so I can keep looking around without being too obvious. Deer still surprise the crap out of me though when they appear at 5 yards out of nowhere. Blinds may be an option for some of you. Martinhunter, if you can't explain Tinnitus to someone, check out this site Sounds of Tinnitus | American Tinnitus Association It may help someone understand what you hear.
Old Man, if your hearing has declined and is about to disappear have you looked into American Sign Language? I start my first class in March and have already started learning some sign. Www.Lifeprint.com Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My wife and I are using that a bit. We've gone through a couple lessons and I think the program will work better than anything else I have found. Are you going to learn it on your own or is your spouse going to learn with you? I think you have to have someone to work with in order to become proficient. What is you plan? I am curious. I am having a bit of a problem figuring out the grammar differences between speech and ASL. I am talking of the word sequence used in ASL as opposed to speech. That may become more clear as I get deeper in the sessions. Time will tell. I did a subscription on Lifeprint for a month but found it didn't work so well on an iPad. It seems to be OK just using the site though. We have a State School for the Deaf in my town but the public class offerings are pretty basic. Not something I could learn functional ASL with. Seems I am getting off topic here but PM if you would like to continue the conversation.
I have signed up to take classes locally. Lifeprint was just to get my feet wet before actual classes. I'm hoping my wife will get more interested in it as I need it more. Right now she's like "oh that's nice you're doing that, honey". I think my 25 year old daughter will be more helpful with it. We can Face Time a lesson and conversation if I ask her to learn too. (She's hearing). The phrasing is difficult but think of it as sort of like Tarzan speak or someone from a foreign country speaking broken English. Also as Bill Vicars has mentioned not all ASL Signers are great just like not all English speaking persons make good public speakers Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reading this thread has made me realize how lucky I really am having good hearing. I do rely on it big time where I hunt. I had never heard of tinnitus, it sound's unreal. Good luck to you guys.
I consider my very lucky for just losing my hearing. If I were to go blind I don't know if I could cope well with that. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My Tinnitus sucks....but you know what? Big deal...it is what it is. Even with it am my hearing deficiency I am still lucky. I have no complaints.
Tinnitus is a bear to live with... yes it is what is is (however some men/women have taken their life because it became overwhelming for them to bear). My tinnitus sounds like the 7500 Hz Tone - CONSTANTLY! on this link: Sounds of Tinnitus | American Tinnitus Association It diminishes if I'm in a noisy area, sometimes to the point of not even hearing it... but when it's quiet (like in the woods... it's LOUD!) it drowns out multiple sounds.
My hearing loss is genetic too, dad was 100% deaf in one ear & around 50% in the other. Right now I have no high tone hearing & my mid range is going. While hunting I try to hunt within sight of other hunters & keep a close eye on them. I have found that the normal hunter will jump, spin around then look in the direction of where they think the sound is coming from. I also have found that since my hearing is going away my vision has really kicked in, as I see most deer walking through the woods long before the other hunters. I try to not shoot the deer from under the other hunters stands but if the deer is behind them or they can't get a clean shot I'll take a shot as long as it is safe to do so. (hunting public property) For archery hunting I hunt alone from the ground, no blind just total camo & a chair, I hunt an area with large trees & have found that when a deer passes my way I can quietly stand & go to full draw while the deer is behind one of the large trees. All but one of my archery harvests have been done this way.
http://www.ata.org/sites/ata.org/files/media/ATA_Tinnitus_Screeching_Tone.mp3 This is what I hear 24/7. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
