We’re all prone to forget an important thing or two when headed out to hunt, particularly in the wee morning hours before the coffee has had time to kick in. I have learned the hard way that when it comes to tabs and shooting gloves, it pays to own more than one—and to stash them in places you can grab them quickly when you need them.

I have lost at least one shooting glove per hunting season since I started shooting traditional. I usually attach it to the riser of my bow or a loop on my backpack and Velcro it down. However, Velcro is prone to giving way fairly easily. Sticks, thick underbrush, and who knows what else has hooked my glove unbeknownst to me, and left it laying somewhere in the middle of the woods. A few times I’ve been able to backtrack and find the glove, however, that isn’t always the case. Just last week I lost a glove and didn’t even know it until I got to the area I was going to hunt. I still haven’t found it, so I had to use one of my extras.

No matter if you shoot a glove or tab, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Although I’m fairly certain that I could still shoot a deer without a shooting glove, I’d prefer not to find out. I carry an extra glove tucked safely into my pack. I also keep an extra in the glove box in the truck and a few more stashed at home “just in case.” The more the merrier!