Why do you hate your ears and your friends? Hunting with Silencers.

According to the American Suppressor Association (ASA) hunting with a suppressor is legal in 40 of the 42 states that allow civilian ownership of silencers. Given that, why aren’t more hunters adopting them? Let’s look at 2 obvious benefits of hunting with silencers. Hearing safety and follow up (or second) shots.
According to the American Suppressor Association (ASA) hunting with a suppressor is legal in 40 of the 42 states that allow civilian ownership of silencers. Given that, why aren’t more hunters adopting them? Let’s look at 2 obvious benefits of hunting with silencers. Hearing safety and follow up (or second) shots.

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The ASA refers to suppressors as the “hearing protection of the 21st century sportsman”. While silencers do not entirely remove the sound of the gun shot, they do lower the decibels sufficiently to prevent hearing damage. The ASA goes on to say that “most hunters do not wear hearing protection in the field” and that “exposure to even a single unsuppressed gunshot can, and often does, lead to permanent hearing damage”. Are your ears worth $500-1000?

In an article from GunDigest, entitled The Sweet Silent Woods, the writer tells this story to illustrate the actual hunting benefits of suppressors - the ability for you or your friends to make follow up shots without disturbing the game.

There were about 15 bulls and cows milling around and feeding. Using boulders for cover, Metzger and his guide got to within 220 yards of the elk. Metzger had a cow tag. Selecting a yearling cow, he lined up the crosshairs on his custom .308 bolt-action rifle and squeezed off a shot.

The young elk reared up on her back legs for a moment and then fell over backwards, sliding down the snow-covered slope. The other elk were momentarily startled, jumped a bit, looked around but within a minute went back to feeding. “If there’d been another hunter with me, he could’ve filled his tag, too,” says Metzger. “My guide said he’d never seen anything like that.” 

How many of us have spooked our prey with a poorly timed shot and wished we had the opportunity to try again? Is that worth a minor inconvenience and a short wait to acquire?

Okay, so we baited the reader a bit with a punchy headline - but, the question is worth asking. With the exception of cost and minor inconvenience in acquisition there is little or no case to be made for hunting unsuppressed. Take care of your ears and give your friend (or yourself) a second shot.