How do your ears feel after taking a shot in the open woods ?
with NO ear protection.

I've been debating this one for a while.....

my ears feel just fine

I always think my ears are going to ring like they would at the range. But I swear every deer I have shot I only hear the shot echoing through the woods. I don't evan feel the recoil. That could be from all the layers I'm wearing. But my ears always seem fine. But adrenaline does some amazing things. And I do wear ear protection at the range, I take it off just to hear what my gun is going to sound like.

You should take precautions - I wish I did more growing up-untli now while hunting I have hearing loss - mostly in my right ear - but probably more than 50%. The shot in the woods never ever bothered me. I used hear protection target shooting most often - but not while hunting and I do think its hurt my hearing.

What did you say?

I have wondered about this as well. If you shoot a deer rifle at the range with no ear protection you will regret it. You shoot at a deer and you don't even notice it. So is it doing damage and you just don't realize it?

I do know that a muzzlebrake will split your ears when shooting at deer. My Browning BAR came with the BOSS system which uses a muzzlebrake. The first time I shot a deer with it it rang my ears good. I replaced the muzzlebrake with a solid piece and generally don't have that problem now. I do notice the shot more when shooting from a blind. I guess the blind keeps some of the noise in.

Im only 22 and never wore hearing protection after about 15 years of shooting I have lost 45 percent hearing in my left ear and 35 percent in my right ear but in a open field it shoudn't be to bad but if your in a woody area its alot louder