Walkers Game Ear -Review

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

An excerpt from one of my weekly outdoor columns

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Just this week seniors in Canada outnumbered working force youth in Canada... plus many of us are next generation working our way to that "wise" stature.

My generation grew up with loud just about everything...rock N roll, the big gun revolution…heavy loud machinery and hearing protection wasn’t a safety or foreseeable concern...

As much of Canada ages we found that a huge hind sight…as millions of us have hearing loss due to that recreational and environmental noise...

Even Statistics Canada report that 25% of young people entering the workforce already had the early warning signs of hearing loss...

For the younger bowhunters...protect that hearing it is so vital to everything...
I even wear hearing protection now when on the riding lawnmower, etc...its scary how little loud noise can do unrepairable permanent damage to your hearing...

Sound reaching 80- 85 DB [ decibels] or stronger, can cause permanent damage to your hearing...its scary how little sound surpasses that level on normal daily activities...I downloaded a SOUND METER app to my phone...mostly for bows but use it now on everything...

http://www.healthyhearing.com/report...e-noise-levels

I will credit my hearing loss to Rock n Roll and guns...I know have Tinnitus...known as permanent or temporary ringing (or roaring, hissing, buzzing, or tinkling) in their ears…mine is constant permanent...hearing protection is too little too late!

While bow hunting with a younger bowhunting buddy, I noticed he was always stopping listening to distant elk bugles or calls...which was totally silent to me...

At first I thought he was just hearing things...later I realized the truth it was...I wasn’t!

So several year ago I purchased a Walkers Game Ear...of course lost that one but recently bought the latest version...

This year the first time I wore the Gam Ear hearing enhancer I quickly found that the world is a different place than with my normal hearing.

It is actually very noisy, besides hearing distant elk bugling…my main goal, birds are chirping, geese are honking, all kinds of waterfowl are splashing around in water.

Moo cows are mooing, belching and farting, leaves falling sound like trees falling and it seems like it is happening on your lap...at times you near want dive out of a stand when things are crashing in the woods...

Yesterday I listened to Elk chirping and moving all around me, I removed the Game Ear for comparison and it was so silent...what have I been missing all these years...

The game ear will magnify your hearing tenfold...and is adjustable...they are whisper quite with no hissing...it has an instant shut off to loud or sudden noises ..When I bugle it will shut down...

Best price and fast delivery I found was at Cabela’s Canada
http://www.cabelas.ca/product/28803/...elite-earpiece


Game Ear website - http://www.gsmoutdoors.com/shopping/...d-the-ear.aspx

Pro's-
-Mentioned above-plus
-lightweight and comfortable behind ear doesn’t interfere with shooting bow

Con's-
-Cost is couple hundred dollars...however hearing aids can be in the thousand plus dollar range as comparison.
-Things seem much closer and one has to adapt to that.
-Sound direction may be confusing at first until you adapt to that also.




One environmental adaptive listening mode
Includes Walker’s field carrying pouch
40dB of hearing enhancement

Standard Game Ear Elite Features (excludes Micro Elite)
• 4 digital sound processing channels
• 20 bit audio processor for crisp clear sound
• 8 band graphic equalizer
• Nano-Tech Water repellant coating
• Automatic feedback control
• 20% smaller than Game Ear Series 1
• Toggle volume control
• Sound activated compression (SAC)
• Low battery tone indicator
• Noise reducing rating, NRR 29db
• Power source #13 battery

All Walker’s Game Ear Elite products feature
Water repellent nano-coating


One last note to the younger bowhunters ...Its a Game Ear Hearing Enhancer NOT a "hearing AID"...lol

Neil

[Riverbc]

I started wearing heating aids 4 years. One thing I noticed was when walking through canola fields I wasn't near as stealthy as I thought I was. I now wear hearing protection cutting the lawn and operating my outboard motor. It sure is nice to hear the birds again.

[rookiemoosehunter]

Do you typically just use one of those or do you use a pair (one for each ear)?

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

Originally Posted by rookiemoosehunter

Do you typically just use one of those or do you use a pair (one for each ear)?

These are designed for Just one...

Neil

[antler1]

What has been written about hearing lost is correct. So listen up young fellas.
I lost a good deal of my hearing from being around noisy engines on drilling rigs. But I lost it over time, so I never noticed what I was missing. That is until about 8 or 9 years ago when I got a Walkers game ear for myself. I was astounded by the sounds in the bush around my treestands. You can literally hear a mouse fart at 50 yards. The biggest advantage I gained was in being able to hear deer coming long before they were visible. Being ready with bow in hand and facing the right direction paid off in spades. Now for the 2015 season I have a set of expensive hearing aids for both ears and we will see how that goes.

[Big Sky]

Originally Posted by L.O.S.T.Arrow

One last note to the younger bowhunters ...Its a Game Ear Hearing Enhancer NOT a "hearing AID"...lol

Have you tried wearing this Hearing Enhancer while watching TV?

Loud music, guns and loud engines have taken a toll on my hearing.

[Douglas N]

Neil- now you have an excuse for those voices in your head!!!

[PartTimeHunter]

I'm in the same boat as you guys - constant, never ending, 24/7 ringing and buzzing. Some days I sure wish I could answer that damned phone so the ringing would stop! I saw those at Cabela's while purchasing a set of electronic muffs for my son for shooting guns. Won't do much good for shooting if you only wear one though - no? I know I could use something like that. Last week I had a 4 point elk come by my stand and I didn't know he was there till I saw him. And even though I thought I was quiet and slow to move he bolted like he was shot. Apparently I wasn't as quiet or stealthy as I imagined...

Just looked on their web site in the FAQs and they do say that some people wear two of them and prefer it which then answers my question about shooting a firearm. I like the idea

[yukon254]

I love them

[pikeslayer22]

How much $?

[pseelk]

Originally Posted by pikeslayer22

How much $?

$219.00 at Cabelas canada.

[backyard]

how are they in wind... does it help or does it make it worse ...

[albertabighorn]

Originally Posted by pseelk

$219.00 at Cabelas canada.

Jeez don't even let the guy who wrote the review, drum up some business. Hopefully if this helped you send your business to Lost.

[pseelk]

Originally Posted by albertabighorn

Jeez don't even let the guy who wrote the review, drum up some business. Hopefully if this helped you send your business to Lost.

Did you even read the Op?It was Neil who provided the link to Cabels.Give your head a shake man.

[pikeslayer22]

Originally Posted by pseelk

$219.00 at Cabelas canada.

Thanks PSelk ..i should have read the OP's post through

[SCHOOCH]

Ya im curious as well as how they perform in the wind, these sound like a amazing idea !!

[270WINCHESTER]

How do hearing enhancers such as these preform for people who still have good hearing? Are they more intended for people who are loosing their hearing, or do people with perfectly good hearing find using them an advantage.

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

Originally Posted by 270WINCHESTER

How do hearing enhancers such as these preform for people who still have good hearing? Are they more intended for people who are loosing their hearing, or do people with perfectly good hearing find using them an advantage.

They work for both, above normal hearing for those with bad hearing...and super hearing with those for already normal hearing...remember the Game Ear is totally sound level adjustable so one with normal hearing can turn it up or down to a level that lets them hear a elk bugle out of normal hearing range for example.

Neil

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

Originally Posted by SCHOOCH

Ya im curious as well as how they perform in the wind, these sound like a amazing idea !!

This past sunday we experianced hurricane winds...there isnt a hearing black out like on some videos but wind noise is louder...

worst is I was in a blind and a 40 foot high, 20 " thick tree fell within 20 yards of blind...near soiled my fancys there with the enhanced sound of that crash...sent me home...lol

Neil

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

Originally Posted by Douglas N

Neil- now you have an excuse for those voices in your head!!!

Who said that!!!


lol

[laker]

Lately I have been hunting with my daughter in hopes of connecting with a bruiser were after. I have two hang ons in the same tree, one over the other.I'm half deaf.....ringing in ears, brought on by the same old things as everyone else.So I get her to tap me when she hears something coming. I'll call it.......the daughters game ear.

The other evening a doe came by. I happenened to be looking another direction. It had come and gone, So my daughter taps me and says dad did you see that doe. I leaned over and whispered to her. What?

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

Originally Posted by laker

Lately I have been hunting with my daughter in hopes of connecting with a bruiser were after. I have two hang ons in the same tree, one over the other.I'm half deaf.....ringing in ears, brought on by the same old things as everyone else.So I get her to tap me when she hears something coming. I'll call it.......the daughters game ear.

The other evening a doe came by. I happenened to be looking another direction. It had come and gone, So my daughter taps me and says dad did you see that doe. I leaned over and whispered to her. What?

lol yup....thats why we have younger protege's...

Neil

[L.O.S.T.Arrow]

One small con I found is that if you have the Gam Ear tuned up max...when an Elk bugle's up close in your face it will squeel...lol

Neil