On my first trip to New Zealand, Rodney Smith handed me a Ruger 7mm Remington Magnum with a Leupold scope and a long can on the end of a threaded barrel. We stalked a red stag in the heather on a mountain and when I lay down to take the shot, I missed.

The rifle, for whatever reason, was not sighted in. Although I shot at the animal several times, I did not hit it. The stag kept feeding while the landowner, Richard Burdon, went to find a rifle that was sighted in.

The deer heard the shot — it was a bit louder than the sound of a hand clap. It heard the crack of the bullet, but didn’t spook. Burdon returned with a 308 and a handful of Nosler bullets. I only needed one.

It was my first experience with a suppressor on big game, and I reflected on attitudes. In New Zealand, a can on the end of the gun is the mark of a good neighbor, while in the United States that black unit threaded onto a pistol or rifle barrel inspires wild fears about assassins lurking in doorways.

Last week marked the 39th annual Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas. Sixty-five thousand industry types were in attendance from around the world, and there was an increased focus on hearing protection, thanks in large part to the Hearing Protection Act of 2017. The idea is focused on the premise that suppressors do not make guns silent or dangerous; they are a form of hearing protection — for target shooters, hunters, their dogs and their companions.

Rifle, shotgun and pistol reports can damage a person’s hearing. Suppressors, while legal, are so expensive because of taxation, licensing and bureaucracy, they are out of reach for most hunters and target shooters.

At the show, I had the opportunity to examine and try a number of guns that were equipped with suppressors and was able to try other forms of ear protection.

For several years, Ruger has offered a threaded option on the barrels of some of their rifles and pistols. One new product for 2017 is a redesigned .22 long rifle pistol called the Ruger Mark IV.

If the Hearing Protection Act passes, I’ll add one of these to my stable of handguns, complete with something like a Gemtech GM-22 or a Dead Air Mask.

There’s a new pistol from SilencerCo called the Maxim 9, with an integral suppressor that promises ear-safe shooting with a 147-grain 9mm round. With a full grip and a polymer frame, this one is an attention-getter.

The other way to protect a person’s hearing is with ear protection. Stick foam in your ears or put on ear muffs. That’s basic passive protection. But it is also dangerous because, on a hunt or at the range, when equipped with hearing protection, a person might not hear a warning. Going forward, I plan to wear muffs or in-ear plugs that have pass-through hearing but electronic noise-canceling. I like ear muffs when shooting a pistol, but when using a shotgun or rifle, muffs interfere with a good cheek weld. And the electronic ear has application for the hunter. If a person’s hearing has been damaged, enhancement can help them hear sounds they haven’t heard for years: elk bugles, a gobbler dragging wingtips, chukar calling from canyon walls.

I’m testing the new Silynx Pro, which uses in-ear microphones about the size of a pin and a AAA battery inside the user control module. It allows for integration of a phone or hand-held radio. At the medium setting, I can hear voices at normal volume, but the pistol report is canceled out. At super-normal, I hear my pup’s claws in the carpet.

Similar technology is employed in over-ear protection from Howard Leight and Walker’s Game Ear.

I knew there was a new rifle and cartridge from Bend-based Nosler Inc., the 33 Nosler they call The Patriarch. What I didn’t see coming was the all-new 22 Nosler, which promises 300 feet-per-second faster performance than the 223 Remington. To transform an AR rifle, simply swap the upper and change out the magazine. Or buy a new rifle. Colt Competition launched their all-new new 22 Nosler offering at the show.

There’s a new 22TCM rifle from Rock Island. Imagine a 9mm pistol round necked down to .22-caliber with a 40-grain jacketed hollow point. It’ll deliver 2100 fps at the muzzle. The new round is also available in a 1911 platform and a Glock conversion.

Speaking of Glock, I ran into Bend’s own Kyle Hopp at the Glock booth. He showed us the Glock MOS in a 10mm configuration. In Glock speak, MOS stands for modular optic system. This one had a reflex red dot. It would be a good choice for a handgun deer hunt.

For the turkey hunter, Winchester Ammo has a new Long Beard XR. I tested the 20-gauge No. 6 load on range day. The distance was something like 60 yards and I kept 13 pellets in the vital zone.

Oregon manufacturers like COAST, Warne Scope Mounts, Leupold, Danner, Benchmade, Gerber and Kershaw were in attendance, exhibiting new products.

The industry events are over and our attention turns to the consumer shows. In Oregon, mark calendars for the Pacific Northwest Sportsman’s Show Feb. 1-5 and the Central Oregon show which starts March 2.

— Gary Lewis is the host of Frontier Unlimited TV and author of Fishing Central Oregon, Fishing Mount Hood Country, Hunting Oregon and other titles. Contact Gary at www.GaryLewisOutdoors.com.