I wear hearing enhancement with shot suppressors when hunting. I have partial hearing loss in both ears from not wearing ear protection when younger. They have helped me tremendously since I started wearing them. The only place I don't wear them is on my stand close to the highway. The traffic noise will drive you crazy
I also had sinus surgery back when I was a teenager. I lost a lot of my sense of smell after that, so I personally have to rely on my eyes and hearing. You will be honestly amazed the sounds you are missing if you put on a pair of hearing enhancers
Also, sitting in a stand anywhere from 15'-40' like I do your sense of smell is no longer really a factor
I have a partial hearing loss for a specific frequency range, the ent doc told me most older men do from power tools, guns, loud music etc. if its loud enough to make your ears ring its giving you damage. some guns are alot louder than others esp the ported ones. one thing you can do is close your mouth and hum when you shoot it helps protect the ears
You can heighten your sense of smell by wetting your nose. If it isn't freezing cold, I'll wipe some dew off a leaf or two and wet the outside and just inside the nostrils. You could probably use spit, but I don't think using pee would be a good idea! 😯
