Make sure to have hearing protection when heading out to hunt this fall

For many people, autumn colors and cool mornings in September and October signal the beginning of the long-awaited hunting season.  Gun safety is important to most hunters, but some other lesser-known precautions are overlooked, including hearing protection. KAUS News spoke with Sara Blue, an Audiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester who stated that hunters can use several types of hearing protection, including active electronic hearing protection, which enables a hunter to hear the environment around them…

Thomas Lowry, M.D., an otolaryngologist at Mayo Clinic Health System reported that studies show people who use guns are more likely to develop permanent hearing loss than those who don’t.  Lowry went on to state that those who shoot without hearing protection practically guarantees that they will suffer at least some degree of hearing loss in their lifetime. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends that on-the-job noise exposure to a level of 115 decibels not exceed 15 minutes per day.  A .22 caliber rifle produces a noise level of 140 decibels, and a typical deer rifle can produce noise greater than 175 decibels.