If you hunt, or target shoot and happen to enjoy your sense of hearing - protecting it is a good idea. According to recent studies the more you shoot, the more important protecting your hearing becomes. And while it is a fact that repeated exposure is very harmful to hearing, don't be fooled into thinking damage only comes from a lifetime of abuse - sometimes it can be a single event that permanently impairs hearing.

The vast majority of target and recreational shooters wear some form of hearing protection while at the range, but far fewer do so in the field mainly because of the key role hearing plays in a successful hunt. If you can't hear a gobbler sound off, a deer approaching through fallen leaves or an elk bugle, you are not going to be as effective. In addition to being effective, these sounds, for many of us, are why we go outside in the first place. Wearing hearing protection that inadvertently muffles the audible grandeur of nature is akin to going to a fireworks show with welding goggles on.

However, protecting your hearing in the field is just as important as at the range - in some cases more so. Magnum calibers can produce severe muzzle blast and ported barrels often direct the sound waves back at the shooter, which is extremely harmful to the ear. All it takes is one or two shots from a ported, high-powered rifle to ring your bells - do it a couple times a season, and expect those bells to keep ringin' for a long time - maybe forever.

It used to be a trade off - protect your ears and miss out on a possible shot opportunity (as well as the majority of the outdoor experience) or go "commando" and lose a little bit of hearing each time the trigger is pulled. But this isn't the case anymore. In fact, with today's technology, you can protect your hearing and hear better doing it.

Recently I had the opportunity to use Walker's Game Ear Quad Muffs at the range and was amazed by their performance. I have used electronic sound amplification devices before, but have never experienced anything more comfortable to wear, better sound quality, and providing such "stereo-like" directional sound all with sufficient noise protection for any shooting situation.

Unlike the original Game Ear, which fits behind and into your ear much like a hearing aid, the Quad Muff essentially uses a high-quality hearing muff, in your choice of black or Realtree Hardwood HD Green, with four (two per side) directional microphones with sound activated compression (SAC) circuits and separate frequency control adjustments to tweak the individual sides to perfectly match each ear's hearing needs.

The advanced circuitry in the Quad Muffs also incorporates 50db of power to amplify low sounds to audible levels but automatically and instantaneously compress amplification of loud sounds, such as gunfire, to safe levels which helps protect your hearing. SAC is set at approximately 98dB with a maximum output of 110dB.

"I have been using mine for over a year and take them everywhere" says outdoor writer Mark Nelsen. "They are perfect for dove and waterfowl hunting, and work excellent for hearing those far off gobbles during turkey season. And I really like the individual frequency tuning ability. With it, sounds are more realistic, and direction is much easier to pin point than by any other means."

While many hunters use these muffs for everything from ducks to deer, range enthusiasts shouldn't overlook them either. From comfortable communication with your shooting partner, to an immediate "Cease Fire" from the Range Master, the ability to hear on the range is a great advantage, not to mention a vital safety feature. Another factor many shooters don't think about is that with traditional muffs, it is easy to get in the habit of lifting up one side to communicate with others - inevitably this "lift" often coincides with a high-powered rifle report. With Walker's Quad Muffs you are always protected and never need to take them off or lift them up to hear again.

After using these muffs for a day at the range, I made the plunge and got my own. Soon after acquiring them, I wore them on a coyote hunt and they worked great. I heard distant howls like never before and when it was time to take the shot, my ears were not ringing for hours afterwards. They will now accompany me anywhere I go afield. From the duck blind to the rifle range, you can count on one thing - me wearing Walker's Quad Muffs.

Click this link for more information or to purchase the Walker's Quad Muffs.