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Frequently
Asked Questions
We
are always asked the same questions over and over about our products.
Most of the time when people call they find we are out in the woods
doing research. This page was created so you wouldn't have to wait
on us to have your questions answered.
Q.
What is a Silencer?
A. The Silencer is a lightweight, compact device used
to silence the loud noise of a cough.
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Q.
What makes a Silencer work?
A. Much like a silencer on a gun or a muffler on a
car, the Silencer uses a series of internal baffles to reduce the
sound of a cough.
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Q.
Why do I need a Silencer?
A. Every year many hunts are needlessly wasted due to
a cough. We've all had it happen to us…..after sitting in your
stand or blind waiting on that trophy animal to appear, suddenly,
out of nowhere, that dreaded tickle attacks the back of your throat.
It's a familiar feeling…..Just like you've swallowed a feather.
The more you try to suppress it the bigger it gets. With teary eyes
and feeling as though you are going to choke, you fight it in vain.
Finally after holding back as long as you possibly can, you COUGH!!!!!
What an unnatural noise in the wild! - Sounds like a car door slamming.
Thinking to yourself -"Well, that did it….Now every living
creature within a mile knows exactly where I am…..I may as
well go to the house"….And, you're probably right.
The
Silencer can solve this problem. With the Silencer, you can cough
when you first feel the urge and get on with your hunt. The Silencer
allows you to cough as loud and as often as you have to and not
be heard.
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Q.
How can I be sure the Silencer works?
A. You have probably heard a car running with no muffler.
Extremely loud noise isn't it? So loud in fact you can hardly stand
being anywhere near it. If a small muffler with a baffle system
is installed on the car, you can almost put your ear to the tailpipe.
Ellington & Rush has been testing different designs of sound
reduction devices since the early 90's, and the Silencer is the
end result of all that field testing. The Silencer has been tried
on game all over the world from whitetails, turkey, elk, bear, and
mule deer in North America to leopard and cape buffalo in Africa.
Many animals were as close as twenty yards. The results are the
same. If the Silencer is used correctly, animals don't hear your
coughs.
We
wanted to go one step further with testing the Silencer by giving
it a real field test to be absolutely certain it would work in every
situation for our customers. We submitted the Silencer to North
American Hunting Club's group of field testers and it passed every
single test and more to earn its seal of approval.
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Q.
How far can an animal hear my cough?
A. Field test have shown that under the right conditions
a hunter can hear another hunter cough up to 300 yards away through
the woods and nearly twice that distance in open conditions. Animals
have a far superior sense of hearing than humans, so they can probably
hear a cough at many times that distance. Most of us have heard
other hunters coughing in the woods, and it's easy to pinpoint the
direction the cough came from. This is what animals do, and they
avoid traveling in that direction.
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Q.
I've coughed in the woods and still saw animals. Does a cough really
bother them?
A. This is true. Sometimes animals don't seem to notice
a cough and still come in. There have even been cases where animals
are even attracted by a cough, and their curiosity causes them to
investigate. This, however, is not the norm, and almost always the
animals that come in after a hunter coughs are young animals. Trophy
animals of any species don't get huge by being careless. Whether
it be a long beard gobbler or a wall hanger buck, most mature animals
are extremely cautious and avoid anything that sounds suspicious.
A cough is a very out of the ordinary sound in the wild and usually
causes mature animals to alter their behavior. In the case of dominate
whitetail deer, many times they will completely leave the area or
worse yet, become nocturnal.
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Q.
If I don't smoke, is the Silencer still for me?
A. Nearly half of the hunting population smokes, and
smokers are likely to cough and therefore, benefit greatly from
the Silencer. However, the Silencer wasn't originally designed for
smokers. There are many common causes for coughing while hunting.
Cold and flu season falls right in the middle of both the Fall and
Spring hunting seasons. All kinds of allergies, dust, pollen, Asthma,
Bronchitis, Cystic Fibrosis, and many other lung conditions can
be common causes of coughing. Coughing is a side effect of certain
blood pressure medication. Also, changes in climate, humidity, and
altitude can bring on a cough (many times this occurs when a hunter
is accustomed to a humid climate - like in the Southeast - and goes
to a drier climate especially when accompanied by higher altitudes
- like the Rockies. Exertion can also be a cause. Examples: Trying
to get set up on a hot gobbler sometimes requires a hurried walk
or run to cut him off before he gets there. Climbing a tree with
a climber or belly crawling to gain a closer shot on an antelope
can definitely stir something up in the lungs. There are also spontaneous
coughs that come from swallowing wrong or turning your neck at an
unusual position. Sometimes, just knowing that you have to set for
hours and be perfectly quiet can psychologically bring on a cough.
Whatever the reason, the Silencer can allow a hunter to hunt with
all the confidence that a cough will not ruin his hunt.
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Q.
The Silencer's mouthpiece seems too small. Why isn't it larger?
A. As mentioned earlier, many different models of cough
devices were tested over the years, and just about every type of
mouthpiece design was tested as well. All sizes and shapes were
extensively used and the best shape and size was the one incorporated
on the Silencer. Watch yourself cough in a mirror and see what shape
your mouth naturally forms. The lips typically constrict and makes
a small oh shape (o,o.o,o.) The Silencer design allows your mouth
to constrict, and with minimal practice, create a tight seal around
the mouthpiece not allowing any air or noise to slip by.
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Q.
I have too much equipment to tote into the woods already. Why do
I need something else to weight me down?
A. You can have all the best equipment money can
buy….(the best bow or rifle - fully decked out with all the
latest technology, the best & most comfortable tree stand, the
latest camo pattern, the best cover scent, and all the other gadgets
and be hunting on the perfect hunting land) and if you cough just
once at the wrong time….you had just as well left it all at
home. The Silencer is so lightweight and compact it can be carried
anywhere with ease. It fits into a coat pocket or fanny pack, and
it can also be worn around the neck on its lanyard and tucked inside
the shirt for easy access in case of a sudden urge to cough. It's
always better to have a Silencer and not need it than to need one
and not have it. The Silencer is one necessary piece of equipment
that can make all your other gear work.
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Q.
If I'm sick why would I go hunting anyway?
A. That is a good point but, there are those of us who
only get a few days to hunt out of the year and it's impossible
to predict when a cold or cough will hit. Many states have very
short hunting seasons. (Example: three day shotgun season in Illinois)
Some hunters plan hunts as much as two years in advance. Hiring
guides, booking lodges, purchasing airline tickets and all the other
expenses that come with planning a hunt of a lifetime can all be
wasted if they wake up the morning before their trip with a cough.
If they stay at home they've thrown it all away. If they go on their
hunt anyway, they are not likely to see anything. For around $20
a hunter can rest assured that even if he contracts a cough the
day of the big hunt, he can still be successful.
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Q.
Why do I see so many TV host using the Silencer?
A. Not only are TV host using the Silencer on hunting
shows but their camera men and guest are using them as well. TV
host are trying to make a show, and if they don't get an animal
in close, they are wasting their time. The more time you spend in
the woods and the more people - camera men, guest, shooters, etc.
- you have in the woods, the more chances one of them will cough.
They can't afford to spend all that time and have it all wasted
because of a cough. Some of the TV hosts using the Silencer are
Ted Nugent, O'Neill Williams, Fred Ramsey, Ray Boone and Ted Jaycox,
Matt Eastman, Jim and Ransom Jones, Frank Hutto and many others.
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Q.
I've seen other devices that muffle a cough on the market. Why should
I have a Silencer instead of the others?
A. The Silencer is "The Original." It says
it on the package. Ellington & Rush developed the Silencer after
many years of experience. Most of the desired features needed on
a cough device have been discovered through our years of development
and are included on the Silencer.
Compare
for yourself, and you'll see. The Silencer is by far the lightest,
slimmest and most compact cough device on the market.
The
Silencer is also much easier to take apart and clean when the need
arises. Simply unscrew the end cap, and the baffles slide out and
can be rinsed or washed in hot soapy water and towel dried. There
are no unusual or hard to find filters to wash or replace as other
devices have. The Silencer comes packed with two ordinary household
cotton balls used to absorb moisture. These can be tossed and replaced
as needed. The whole process can be done in less than a minute and
is simple and easy.
The
Silencer uses baffles to muffle the noise, not stuffing or filters
like other devices. Baffles allow air to pass through unrestricted
but dissipate the sound waves. This means no backpressure allowing
full relief from even the heaviest coughs with no noise. Filter
devices can be much more restrictive on heavier coughs causing more
back pressure All edges are rounded on the Silencer so it can be
slid in and out of pockets with ease. The Silencer comes with its
own lanyard for carrying around the neck in the ready position.
Other devices cost less, but you get less in return.
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Q.
I hunt in extremely cold climates. Will the Silencer freeze up?
A. This is one concern Ellington & Rush had while
developing the Silencer. Human breath contains moisture in the form
of vapor, and when this vapor makes contact with a cooler object
it condenses and forms a liquid. (This can be observed when you
breathe on your sunglass lenses to clean them.) The same thing happens
when a cough goes through a cough device. To avoid liquid buildup
two cotton balls were added to the Silencer's baffle system. Cotton
is extremely absorbent and tends to hold heat well thus helping
to prevent freeze up in frigid climates. Household cotton balls
are easy to find, very inexpensive, and easy to carry due to their
being lightweight and their compact ability. Many spare cotton balls
can be carried on a hunt and can be easily replaced in the Silencer
when the need arises. There are many other uses for cotton balls
on a hunt such as first aid, starting camp fires, etc. Cotton is
biodegradable so used cotton balls can be hidden in the woods without
hurting the environment.
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Q.
So where can I find a Silencer?
A. Your local sporting goods dealer should carry the Silencer.
Many of our dealers are listed
on our web site, or you can order a Silencer direct by sending a
check or money order for $19.95 plus $5.95 shipping and handling
to: Ellington & Rush, Dept. I, 496 Moccasin Gap Rd., Lula, GA
30554
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