September Means Showtime Big-game season is 30 days out. Dove, archery, and hog get you started. [Gear Up the SHHH]

Dove, early archery, and hog season all open this month. Whatever you're chasing, staying quiet in the field makes a huge difference.

Dove hunters know this better than most, a loud shot sends the whole flock scattering before you get a second chance.

THE BENEFITS OF A SUPPRESSED SHOTGUN

Shooter aiming a suppressed shotgun with a red-dot sight at a paper target on an outdoor range

A University of Wisconsin study found 95% of hunters skip hearing protection in the field. A suppressed shotgun handles that without anything bulky on your ears.

It changes how birds react too, wing-shooter Lex Elliot found she got better shots on more ducks once she went suppressed, since the birds didn't scatter the way they do with a loud shot.