The Best Bowhunting Gloves, Warm and In-Touch

The German word for gloves is “handschuhe” literally means “hand shoes.” When you think about it, isn’t that exactly what they are? Your hands are involved in almost every aspect of the hunt, from climbing into your tree stand to taking a shot. You should equip them accordingly.

Like everything else, the market is full of not only different gloves, but different styles, materials and features. Figuring out your best option can be overwhelming, so we’ve put together a guide that goes over just about every aspect of glove design and use you can think of. On top of that, we’ve found four great gloves that have something to offer any bowhunter.

Why use gloves?

The obvious reason is to keep your hands warm. Depending on where you live, most of the bowhunting season takes place during cold weather. Plus, you probably head out to your stand at the coldest part of the day, early morning before the sun comes up. You don’t move much either, since you’re trying to stay as still as possible up in your stand.

But why keep your hands warm? It isn’t just a matter of comfort. Cold hands get stiff and numb. If that happens, you can’t control your bow like you need. You certainly can’t draw and release it correctly.

Gloves have other benefits too. As a bowhunter you have to make a lot of movements with your hands to get your shot off. If you have paler skin, that movement might be easy to see. Camo gloves could keep you from spooking your quarry at just the wrong moment.

What to look for

Gloves might seem like a simpler part of your gear, but think about it. Your hands are everything when it comes to bowhunting. Consider what features you need before you buy.

Fit

Your gloves have to fit right. If they’re too small, you lose mobility in your fingers. If they’re too big, you have loose fabric getting in the way.

Aside from sizing, gloves employ different methods to get the right fit. Elastic, stretch fabric and adjustable fastening are all options that can make a glove snug without hindering mobility.

Seamless

A good hunting glove doesn’t have seams on the sides or fronts of the fingers. This is because seams can pinch between your fingers when you draw the string and disrupt your shot.

Scent control

Hands produce a lot of chemicals. Not only can they sweat, but they produce oil as well. In fact, this is what you’re leaving behind when you leave a fingerprint. This scent can catch the wind, or you can accidentally leave it on trees, your stand ladder or other inanimate objects as you pass them. Any of these might ruin your chances of getting your trophy buck.

Many modern gloves employ innovative technology to control the scent produced by your hands. It’s a great feature to keep your eye out for.

Take a look at these articles if you want to read more on scent killers and cover scents.

Camo

Camouflaging your hands may be just as important if not more so than the rest of your body. You move your hands a lot when you’re bowhunting, so you at least want to cover them with an inconspicuous color.

Your gloves don’t need to match the rest of your camo, but they should match your area. You don’t want bright green gloves if you’re hunting in snow.

Material selection

You can find gloves made from a lot of different materials: polyester, fleece, leather and others. Different materials have different advantages and disadvantages. Fleece, for example, is really warm, but it’s thicker and less durable. Leather is extremely durable but not as warm. Polyester’s biggest benefit is how well it stretches. Think about what you’ll need most when choosing a fabric.

Warmth!

Like we talked about before, keeping your hands warm is for more than just your comfort. You want your fingers as nimble and quick as possible.

What that means for you personally depends on your situation. If you hunt in especially cold environments, you need a thick glove that insulates well. If you deal with rain and snow, moisture wicking is also important. Take into account other factors, too, like wind and humidity.

Types of Bowhunting Gloves

Fingerless and convertible

Fingerless gloves cover your palms but leave the tips of your fingers free. Of course, you get maximum dexterity this way, but it also means your fingers might get cold. The solution is convertible mittens.

Convertible mittens feature a flap that you can flip over your fingers to keep them warm as well. Then, when you need your fingertips for your bow, phone or whatever, just take it off. Make sure if you pick a convertible mitten, the flap fastens open so it doesn’t get in your way.

Full gloves

Full gloves completely cover your whole hand with individual slots for your fingers. A good glove even covers your wrist. If you get the right fabric, these kinds of gloves should give you full mobility.

Three finger

Three-fingered gloves are what traditional archers use with their recurve and longbows. They protect the three fingertips you need to draw the bowstring and give you a stable grip.

Normal three-finger gloves look like regular gloves but are open on the sides and only cover three fingers. Traditional three-finger gloves, on the other hand, are basically just three fingertip covers that fasten to your wrist with three thin strands of material.

If you’re a traditional archer, and warmth isn’t a major concern for you, three-finger gloves are stylish and to the point. As an added bonus, they take up less space, so they’re easier to pack.

Why not use a tab?

Tabs are a great method for protecting your fingers if you’re using traditional bows, but they lack some of the other qualities of hunting-specific gloves like warmth and camo. If you like using a tab and are used to shooting that way, don’t worry. Good hunting gloves should work with any tab. That way you get the best of both worlds.

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