Georgia’s deer season is already underway. Archery opened September 12. Across most of the state, including Gwinnett County, rifle and shotgun hunters get an antlerless-only weekend on October 3 and 4, the primitive weapons week starts October 10, and the regular firearms season opens October 17 and runs to January 10 for most hunters. Duck season opens November 21. Gwinnett County also has an extended archery season that runs all the way to January 31.
Most hunters spend weeks getting ready: checking stands, sighting in rifles, patterning shotguns, stocking up on gear. The one piece of equipment that most often stays home is hearing protection. In a large study of adults in Wisconsin, 95% of hunters said they never wore hearing protection while shooting in the past year. The damage from that choice doesn’t show up the day you pull the trigger. It shows up years later, when conversations start sounding mumbled and restaurants become exhausting.
Here is what every Georgia hunter should know about gunshots and hearing, and the protection that lets you hear the woods without paying for it with your ears.
How loud is a gunshot?
Sound is measured in decibels (dB), and every 10 dB step represents a large jump in sound energy. Workplace safety rules treat 140 dB peak as the limit for impulse noise, the sudden bang of a gunshot or explosion. Nearly every firearm goes past that line.
| Firearm | Typical peak level at the shooter’s ear |
|---|---|
| Small-caliber rifles, air rifles, shotguns and pistols | Up to about 140 dB |
| Big-bore rifles and shotguns | About 160 to 170 dB |
| Big-bore pistols | Above 170 dB |
| Higher-caliber rifles | Above 175 dB |
Sources: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA). The 140 dB figure is the impulse noise limit set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The decibel scale is logarithmic: every 10 dB increase means ten times more sound energy. A 170 dB rifle shot doesn’t just edge past the 140 dB limit. It delivers about 1,000 times more sound energy than that limit, all in a fraction of a second.
Why one shot can be enough
Most noise damage builds slowly over years of exposure. Gunfire is different. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) notes that noise-induced hearing loss can be caused by a one-time exposure to an intense impulse sound. ASHA warns that shooters without protection can suffer hearing loss or ringing in the ears with as little as one shot.
The damage happens deep in the inner ear, where thousands of tiny sensory hair cells turn sound vibrations into signals for the brain. A blast can break or destroy those cells. In NIDCD’s words, human hair cells don’t grow back. Once they are gone, they are gone for good. There is no medication, surgery or hearing aid that restores them. Hearing aids can help you hear better with the hearing you have left, but prevention is the only way to keep what you were born with.
Ringing, buzzing or a muffled feeling after shooting is your ears telling you damage has occurred. Even when it fades by the next morning, it is a warning that deserves attention, not a badge of honor.
The hunter’s ear: what the damage looks like
Hunting-related hearing loss has a recognizable pattern.
- One ear is often worse. The ear closer to the muzzle takes the brunt of each shot. For a right-handed shooter, that is usually the left ear, because it sits slightly closer to the muzzle.
- High pitches go first. Noise damage typically shows up in the higher frequencies, where many consonant sounds live. Words start to sound mumbled even though voices seem loud enough, and background noise becomes much harder to handle.
- It adds up. In the Beaver Dam study of more than 3,700 adults, the risk of marked high-frequency hearing loss increased 7% for every 5 years the men had hunted.
If you have had a hearing test, your audiogram may already show this pattern. Our guide to reading an audiogram explains what to look for, and our page on noise-induced hearing loss covers how it develops.
“I only shoot a few times a season”
That is the most common reason hunters give for skipping protection, and it misses how gunfire damages hearing. A single deer season might mean just a handful of shots in the woods, but it usually also means sighting in at the range, helping a friend check a scope, and dove, duck or turkey hunts in between. Each unprotected shot is a separate impulse, and the effects accumulate over a lifetime of seasons.
What about suppressors? They help, but they do not make a firearm safe for unprotected ears. A study led by researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found suppressors reduced levels at the shooter’s ear by 17 to 24 dB, and concluded that firearm users should always wear hearing protection. The NHCA notes that several suppressed shots still measured above 140 dB.
Your hearing protection options
The good news is that protecting your hearing no longer means giving up the sounds that make you a better hunter. Here are the main options, from simplest to most advanced.
Foam earplugs and earmuffs
Disposable foam plugs are inexpensive and can protect well, but only when they are rolled and inserted correctly. NIOSH cautions that the noise reduction rating (NRR) printed on the package often overstates the protection people actually get. Earmuffs are easy to put on but can interfere with a rifle stock or a shotgun mount.
For the loudest firearms, ASHA recommends double protection: earmuffs over earplugs. The NHCA reports that this combination provided roughly 50 dB of peak reduction.
The drawback for hunters is obvious: passive plugs and muffs block everything, including the snap of a twig, the footfall of a deer, a turkey’s gobble or a hunting partner’s whisper. That is why so many hunters take them out, and why electronic protection has become so popular.
Electronic hearing protection
Electronic protectors let soft and normal sounds pass through, and can even make them louder, while instantly clamping down when a loud blast occurs. ASHA describes them as allowing soft or average sounds through while detecting when there is a loud noise. For a hunter, that means you can hear game moving and talk quietly with your partner, and still be protected the moment you fire.
Custom-molded protection
A custom earplug is made from an impression of your own ear canals, so it seals the same way every time and stays comfortable through a long sit in the stand. ASHA notes that if hearing protectors fit poorly, loud sounds will not be reduced. A proper fit is the difference between protection on paper and protection in your ear.
Hunting protection from Starkey and Phonak
Two of the leading hearing aid manufacturers also make protection designed specifically for hunters and shooters.
- Starkey SoundGear Phantom. Starkey calls it the world’s first custom, Bluetooth-compatible and rechargeable hearing aid and protection device. It automatically protects your ears from gun blasts while helping you hear conversation, game and environmental sounds. It is pre-programmed for the most common range of hearing (normal to moderate hearing loss), streams calls and music from your phone, and runs all day on one overnight charge.
- Starkey SoundGear Shield. An instant-fit electronic option introduced in 2025 that suppresses loud, damaging sounds while keeping you aware of your surroundings. Starkey lists it with a 26 dB NRR, and it is ready to use right out of the box.
- Starkey custom solid and filtered earplugs. Non-electronic custom plugs for strong protection, with filter choices for situations where hearing conversation matters.
- Phonak Serenity Choice Hunting and Shooting. Uses Phonak’s patented filter technology to provide minimal blocking when it is quiet, so voices and background sounds stay audible, while protecting against gunshot peaks. It is designed to preserve sound direction and spatial awareness, and comes in a universal fit or a custom-fit version.
These products are sold through hearing care professionals, and the right choice depends on how you hunt, what you shoot and whether you already have hearing loss. Ask us which options we can order for you, and see our custom hearing protection page for more on Starkey SoundGear.
No custom protection yet? Wear something anyway.
Don’t let waiting on custom plugs keep you from protecting your ears this season. Foam earplugs and earmuffs from any sporting goods, hardware or big-box store cost very little and are far better than nothing. Electronic earmuffs are sold over the counter too, if you want to hear game between shots. Roll foam plugs tightly and insert them fully so they seal, and for big-bore rifles and shotguns wear earmuffs over the plugs. Whatever you choose, put it on before the first shot, including at the range when you sight in.
Already wear hearing aids? They are not hearing protection
This is one of the most common misunderstandings we hear from hunters. Hearing aids are built to make sound audible, not to block a gunshot. Many hearing aids use open or vented fittings, and audiologists note that these leave a direct path for the blast to reach your ear. Their sound processing may not react fast enough to a gunshot, and the blast itself can damage a hearing aid’s microphone.
If you wear hearing aids, you have two practical choices in the field: remove them and wear dedicated hearing protection, or use a product designed to do both jobs. For many hunters with mild to moderate hearing loss, a device like SoundGear Phantom lets them hear the woods clearly and stay protected at the same time.
Signs your hearing may already be affected
Consider a hearing test if you notice any of these:
- Ringing, buzzing or a plugged feeling after shooting
- People seem to mumble, especially women and children, whose voices are higher-pitched
- You struggle to follow conversation in restaurants, at family gatherings or in the truck with the radio on
- You hear better on one side than the other
- Family members say the TV is too loud
A comprehensive hearing evaluation gives you a clear baseline. Even if your hearing is normal today, a baseline lets you see any change after future seasons. Not sure where you stand? Our free 2-minute hearing screener is a good place to start.
Getting fitted before opening day
Custom protection starts with a quick ear examination and a set of ear impressions taken in our Lawrenceville office. We help you choose the right style, filter or electronic option for how you hunt, and the impressions are sent to the manufacturer’s lab. Lab time varies by product, so the earlier you start, the sooner you’ll have your protection in hand for the rest of the season. When it arrives, we check the fit, comfort and insertion with you before you head back to the woods.
Gwen Cantrell, BC-HIS, is a nationally board-certified hearing instrument specialist who helps hunters, sport shooters, law enforcement officers and workers throughout Gwinnett County protect the hearing they have. Meet Gwen.
Frequently asked questions
Can one gunshot really cause permanent hearing loss?
Yes. NIDCD notes that noise-induced hearing loss can result from a single exposure to an intense impulse sound, and ASHA warns that unprotected shooters can suffer hearing loss or ringing with as little as one shot. The inner-ear hair cells that are damaged do not grow back.
Will earplugs keep me from hearing deer?
Standard foam plugs block most sound. Electronic hearing protection is designed for exactly this problem: it lets normal and soft sounds through, and can amplify them, while shutting down loud blasts.
Is a suppressor enough protection?
No. Suppressors lowered levels at the shooter’s ear by about 17 to 24 dB in a NIOSH-led study, but many firearms remain above safe levels even when suppressed. Researchers recommend wearing hearing protection with a suppressor.
Why is my left ear worse than my right?
For right-handed shooters, the left ear sits slightly closer to the muzzle and takes more of the blast. ASHA notes that hearing loss is often worse in the ear closer to the firearm.
Do my hearing aids protect me when I shoot?
No. Hearing aids are not designed as hearing protection, and vented fittings let the blast pass straight to your ear. Remove them and use hearing protection, or ask about a combined device such as Starkey SoundGear Phantom.
What if I can’t get custom protection before I hunt?
Use over-the-counter protection. Foam earplugs, earmuffs and electronic earmuffs from a sporting goods or hardware store all reduce the blast. Insert plugs fully so they seal, and for the loudest firearms wear earmuffs over earplugs. Any protection that fits well is far better than none.
How long does custom hearing protection take?
The impression appointment is quick. Lab time varies by product and manufacturer, and we give you the current estimate when you order.
Protect your hearing this season
Hearing Aid Factory Outlet is inside Sugarloaf Mills at 5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy #423, in Lawrenceville, open seven days a week and serving hunters and shooters throughout Gwinnett County and Metro Atlanta. Schedule a hearing protection fitting or call (404) 786-6416.
Season dates are from the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division’s 2026-2027 season dates. Dates, either-sex days and firearms rules vary by zone and county, so always check the official regulations for your zone before you hunt. Sources: Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, 2026-2027 season dates; ASHA, Recreational Firearm Noise Exposure; NHCA position statement on firearm noise; NIDCD, Noise-Induced Hearing Loss; Murphy et al., NIOSH-led suppressor study, 2018; NIOSH, Provide Hearing Protection; Nondahl et al., Archives of Family Medicine, 2000 (Beaver Dam hunting study); Starkey hearing protection; Starkey SoundGear Shield announcement; Phonak Serenity Choice Hunting and Shooting; AudiologyOnline, hearing aid compression and protection.
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