HI everyone.
Im just curious as to peoples thoughts on this subject.
I live up in New Hampshire and this will be my first season trying duck hunting a couple friends have offered to take me and tech me the basics. So ive been picking up things for duck hunting to get started and one of them was a set of electric ear muffs that are supposed to help you hear and protect your ears when you shoot. I told the guys what I picked up this weekend for stuff when I mention the ear muffs all of them said they wear no ear protecting and think its not worth me using the muffs I bought. Is this common for duck hunting?? I was thinking shotguns are loud and unlike deer hunting where I only plan one 1 shot I'm assuming there will be multiple shots fired close to other people that are also firing shotguns. I thought it was a good idea to buy ear muffs but figured Id see what all of you thought because my friends are making me feel like a moron for wanting to protect my hearing while duck hunting..

You tell your friends that when their ears ring 24 hours a day they just may wish they had worn hearing protection. I started wearing it a bit too late and now I wish back when I was a young man I would have worn it because I have Tinnitus, mine is a constant hissing noise. I was wearing hearing protection before the problem started but noise damage to your ears is cumulative and the damage that is done is always there and one day out of the blue, bingo, tinnitus. Wear your hearing protection.

Thanks i'm glad to hear that i'm not the only that thinks its a good idea.
Honestly after working at some noisy machine shops even though I wore ear plugs there I found out at the new shop I work for after they had a shop wide hearing test I found out my left ear is already worse than a coworker that's almost twice my age.

Use ear protection, you wont regret it...people can poke fun all they want but when they can't hear or end up with a constant ring they wont be laughing then.

Electronic earmuffs are nice, but I find that you really have to figure out where to set the adjustment knob. Too low, and you won't hear well. Too high, and it gets very annoying after a while. You honestly might be just as well served by buying a standard pair and slipping them on when your buddies spot ducks and begin calling them in.

My dad rarely ever used hearing protection when he went hunting. It's definitely taken a toll on his hearing.

Ear protection is a must I must say. Unless you want to lose your hearing power, you should protect your ears. It won't effect instantly, but gradually.

Hearing protection is MOST important. I have a custom set of hearing aids made for
hunting and love them

Definitely use them. I'm in the same boat, my first year too and I'm planning on wearing mine this Friday for doves and any waterfowl hunting I do too. Especially since you may be closer to your hunting partners in dove and waterfowl hunting.

ear protection with the ability to hear are the best one's to get

not sure it's a good idea, but I've heard it's more important for your lead ear to have protection than the other ear.

Ie., right handed shooters left ear protected.