Is anyone here deaf or mostly deaf in one ear? If so, how do you accommodate for the loss in directional hearing? Of course, if I can get a turkey to gobble enough I can eventually figure out his location. I have total loss of hearing in my right ear; and, I find that it can be a real pain in locating turkeys. Any help that you can give will be greatly appreciated.
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How to scout and hunt turkeys when your half deaf.
- Thread starter TroutLab
- Start date
whitetailfreak
Senior Member
Read Herb Mclure's book "Native Turkey's". He too is partially deaf and overcame that obstacle to consistently kill mountain public land gobblers for the last 60 years or so. He talks at length about the challenges of hunting turkeys while being hearing impaired.
Gut_Pile
Senior Member
simply cupping your hands behind your ears should help with direction. if you can hear him really good, he's the direction you're facing.
@Gut_Pile, I have done this with my good ear and it does help, especially if the turkey gobbles a lot. Thank you.
longbowdave1
Senior Member
I only have about 30% of hearing left The woods is a quiet place until i use a pair of walkers game ears. Helps, but stiil have directional difficulty as well. Without them i do not even hear songbids or gobbling.
Gaswamp
Senior Member
Take somebody with good hearing
@longbowdave1, I too use a pair of Walker's Game Ears. They not only help me hear better but also protect the hearing in my good ear. Hopefully we might learn a technique or two that will help us locate turkeys.
longbowdave1
Senior Member
What you lose in the hearing department, you must make up in the eye sight department. I set up in areas where turkeys always roost, feed, and travel, then wait them out by the time i hear them gobble, its game on.
@Gaswamp, It is my hope that I might learn a skill or two to help compensate for the lack of directional hearing. I think that there is only going to be two answers to this question; 1. As you have said,Hunt with someone that has good hearing. 2. Know the land and improve scouting skills. I hope that there might be a technique or two that can help with locating turkeys.
This is what my dad said last season , he’s 68 and his hearing isn’t bad but I’ve noticed it declining , my daughter usually goes with us and he told her last year that she had to start sitting with him , he also got him a walker’s game ear and said it helped but with it he said he hears to much stuff
@longbowdave1, Thank You. While I'm not necessarily new to turkey hunting, I'm trying to improve my skills in scouting for turkeys.
@antharper, Yes you can hear too much "noise" from the Walker's Game Ears, usually squirrels.
longbowdave1
Senior Member
Yes. After a few hours i have to take them off to give my ears a rest. Just a guess, but I probably hear 5x better with them on.
longbowdave1
Senior Member
There are some great turkeys on the forum here( myself excluded). They can help you.
@longbowdave1, Thank you. I have really enjoyed reading everyone's tips. I'm sure I will be picking yours and others brain on how to improve my skills.
longbowdave1
Senior Member
I just ordered Herbs book. I think it will be a good read.
sea trout
2021 Turkey Challenge Winner 2022 biggest turkey ?
TroutLab I don't deal with hearing loss in your way, I deal with an incredible rediculous case of tinnitus. The ringing in my ears is the loudest thing I hear. Unless a dog is barking or a baby is crying, some real sharp penatrating noises will be louder. I can hear gobblers. Not from as far away as the people who I take with me. Also I think I can tell direction of them but everytime I'm with turkey huntin company they all point the opposite way that I am.
When my wife, son and daughter are with me for spring break I'll make one shock gobble at dawn and I'll point one way.... I turn around and they're all pointin the other way. Ongoing joke with everyone who knows me is when I hunt by myself I must just keep walking until I run into the next gobbler.
I don't know what to say other than what I've learned to do when I hunt by myself and that is I let nature make him shock gobble or I try to make him shock gobble multiple times at dawn before I make a set up. Making him shock gobble the dusk before gives me an extreme advantage.... if he'll respond that is. If I go towards him at dawn and he gets louder and more clear then I'm goin in the right direction.
But there's nuthin like huntin with other people. It's hard for me to think the bird is one way, and everyone disagrees and I want to argue and get going my way quickly but I've learned with time to just go where the other people point and they're always right.
Good luck TroutLab!
When my wife, son and daughter are with me for spring break I'll make one shock gobble at dawn and I'll point one way.... I turn around and they're all pointin the other way. Ongoing joke with everyone who knows me is when I hunt by myself I must just keep walking until I run into the next gobbler.
I don't know what to say other than what I've learned to do when I hunt by myself and that is I let nature make him shock gobble or I try to make him shock gobble multiple times at dawn before I make a set up. Making him shock gobble the dusk before gives me an extreme advantage.... if he'll respond that is. If I go towards him at dawn and he gets louder and more clear then I'm goin in the right direction.
But there's nuthin like huntin with other people. It's hard for me to think the bird is one way, and everyone disagrees and I want to argue and get going my way quickly but I've learned with time to just go where the other people point and they're always right.
Good luck TroutLab!
