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How to hear bugles?

As an aging elk veteran elk hunter I am unable to hear bugles like I did at an earlier age. I have quality hearing aids set at 100 per cent. But hunting with my 26 year old son it became obvious that he was hearing bugles I could not. Other than hunting with someone with good hearing does anybody know a way to hear more elk and still determine a direction?

I think my hearing is still pretty good (I'm 37), and I'll say that I have a hard time hearing bugles at times. There have been situations where I've been walking and have completely missed bugles people I'm hunting with have heard. There are those phantom bugles you aren't sure whether you heard or whether your mind was playing tricks on you. And then there are those bugles that you hear but you point one way and the person you're hunting with points another. I think to a degree that's the nature of elk bugles.

With all that said, I think a few things help. They are much easier to hear standing still then while you are moving. If you hear one faintly, slowly go in the direction your gut tells you to go. If he bugles again and it's louder you're right. If you don't hear him again he's either gone, in a different direction, or you're hearing things! It can be very tough if they aren't very vocal!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/291833321676?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

I know this is weird, but maybe something like this would work. Not this exact brand, but might be worth a shot.

Sounds stupid but I open my mouth just a little and pull my ear away from my head slightly with my finger tips. Kind cupping it at the same time. I also try not to stand right next to anyone when listening. I still can't hear half of them according to what I am told but it helps me when trying to get a direction or hear a second bugle from the bull my partner just heard.

I have hearing issues and use hearing aids. I used mine hunting elk this year and never heard a definite bugle. One evening, a buddy was hunting about 250 yards away and saw a bull that bugled within 150 yards of me at least 3 times. I never heard a thing. It was windy that evening, but still.... I would have thought that it would have been able to be heard.

Even with the hearing aids, I cannot tell directions of sounds due to the 90% loss in my left ear. I purchased digital hearing aids because they're more adjustable, but they don't help the left ear at all it seems.

I can kill turkeys fine, but only if they come to calls & want to die! :) When doing any run & gun style of hunting, I need someone else that has good ears....

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I wear hearing aids also.....it's just one of the handicaps you will always have compared to somebody who can really hear. Nothing makes up for it.

I can see significantly better than most people though...I just try and use my eyes. No sense crying about it...you just do what you can. I been deaf for hunting purposes most of my adult life.

Is that guy using a grunt tube in his ear???

I have tried the tube it echoes to much

Not elk hunting but moose hunting... I would hold my hands behind my ears making cups. It is really amazing how much that improves your hearing...

I'm, in the same boat as yourself glunker! My son hears them all & I about half depending on the bulls distance & terrain. If I can hear two or more bugles when uncertain it helps give me the needed direction. When hunting alone I just face the fact I will be walking by a few buglers! (grin) Good luck!

ElkNut1

The parabolic dish might be my answer depending on how directional it is. Bugles are short time wise and it might catch a bugle that I would not have heard but the other 300 degrees around me might be missed. Need to look into it. When I could hear normal what worked was when calling have a listener 20 feet from the caller. And when walking making sure we were 20 feet apart so the other persons walking noise was not so loud to cover up a distant bugle. Maybe an ear extension is what I need as cupping my ears increases the sound with out losing much in direction. I had my hearing aids turned up to 100% in July which I had resisted prior due to some sounds were too much. I remember the technician telling me they prefer not to go above 100% but they can, Maybe for two weeks I can try that.

I have a hearing impairment and wear Walkers Game ears for every hunt. I means I can whisper with my spouse and still hear what is said. The only drawback is you can not easily judge the direction from which the sounds come. Bugles are high pitched and get harder to hear as we get older, that being said my spouse works in a very noisy environment and does not hear as well as the past , but can still pick out bugles I don't hear with help.

Get closer

OK, Sorry. Same boat. I use it as a way to get the kid to stay with me and not run off chasing the elk because I can't keep up with him anyway.

I just went to Starkey "Muse" aids. I had been using Walker Game Ears the last 3 years. With the Game Ears I had difficulty determining the direction a bugle or any other noise was coming from. That's not a problem with the Starkey's. These aids helped me tremendously this year. However, they still don't restore the ability to hear distant, greater than about 600 yards, bugles that my younger hunting buddies can hear.

As we age we only hear the close ones which is part of the grand design. Let the youngins chase the ones you don't hear as you really don't need to hike that far:)

My eyes and legs are young so I will hunt with youth as long as I can.

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