Cold, wet hands are the bane of hunters, regardless of the target and terrain. Hunt Monkey aims to solve that problem.

While many companies offer gloves as a side or companion line to other apparel, Hunt Monkey focuses exclusively on keeping hunters’ hands warm, dry and comfortable to matter what the conditions. 

Company founder Tim Mossberg’s entrepreneurial history dates back to 1991 when he started his first company, TLM Industries, which began in plastics and shifted to uniform manufacturing. In 2000, his passion for marlin fishing led him to relocate the company to Destin, Florida. Ten years later, he started a retail line of fishing apparel, Mojo Sportswear. In 2015 he started a new company, Fish Monkey, specializing in performance fishing gloves. Sister brand Hunt Monkey launched five years later in 2021 with a performance line of 14 hunting glove styles. 

Shooting Sports Retailer recently spoke with Mossberg about Hunt Monkey’s launch, growth and plans for the future.

SSR: Tell us about your history in the outdoor apparel industry and how Hunt Monkey was born.

Mossberg: In 2010 I started Mojo Sportswear. My focus was on creating a premium quality line of men’s fishing apparel that also embraced our customers’ fishing lifestyle. The brand had tremendous success but due to unforeseen issues with by business partner I was forced to sell my ownership to him.  

In 2015 I started Fish Monkey Glove, a performance line of fishing gloves. I first developed a few styles that were more focused on the saltwater market but ultimately wanted to create a brand that specialized in producing high-quality gloves that covered every fishing environment. By 2020 the line had grown to 23 different gloves styles that covered everything from lightweight sun protection to styles developed for the bass anglers that need comfort, enhanced grip and protection from line cuts and fish fins, and even extreme cold-weather ice fishing gloves. All the styles are centered around fit and function. Due to my passion for hunting and the vast number of anglers who also hunt, I knew it was time to develop a line of high-performance hunting gloves that addresses every hunting situation. In the fall of 2021 we launched Hunt Monkey, consisting of 14 different glove styles. All styles centered around the same principles that have made Fish Monkey so successful, fit and function.

 

SSR: How did the experience and success of Fish Monkey help with the launch of the Hunt Monkey line?

Mossberg: The experience of designing and continuing to develop a premier line of fishing gloves that had to offer superior performance for our customers, especially in the cold-temperature environments, has given us a huge advantage in developing the Hunt Monkey line. We were already producing gloves that were 100% waterproof, that offered great dexterity and were extremely warm. In developing our winter fishing glove line we developed better methods of construction that offered a more functional fit along with materials that reduced bulk but provided greater warmth, i.e. our Thermo Conductive linings. Bottom line, we were already making some of the best cold-weather fishing gloves, packed with performance and innovation so making hunting gloves was easy. The second part of the Hunt Monkey launch success was our existing dealer and customer base. Since a large number of anglers hunt, and hunters fish, we had a built-in knowledgeable customer base and many of our existing dealers also are in the hunting space.

SSR: Can you explain what goes into designing a good glove?

Mossberg: Hours and hours and tweaking the right materials and construction to provide a perfect fit and function and then hours and hours of field testing to confirm it works.

 

SSR: What are the biggest challenges in developing a complete line from scratch?

Mossberg: Knowledge of the right materials to use, the right construction methods and actual hands-on experience of how the glove should perform.

 

SSR: What impact did supply chain issues and high demand for outdoor gear have on your launch?

Mossberg: The largest impact was delivery of goods due to production delays and then shipping congestions, so we chose to air much of our Hunt Monkey product in so we could meet deliveries.

 

SSR: Does being based in Florida add challenges to developing capable cold-weather gear?

Mossberg: Not really. We have an extensive pro staff group in the northern markets that is always testing our prototypes in the extreme cold — minus 30 degrees — and I hunt in central Alabama where deer and duck hunting in the high teens is common.

 

SSR: What sort of product testing do you do?

Mossberg: We have an extensive pro staff that covers all hunting and fishing environments. Our prototypes are all field-tested by the appropriate teams and our production/retail products are always being tested to identify opportunities for improvements.

 

SSR: Why the focus on gloves? Is that a starting point, or are gloves your long-term focus?

Mossberg: We started focusing on fishing gloves because there was a huge opportunity to improve on what was on the market. Fact is, most gloves are sold/produced by apparel brands and they are a sideline to their main focus, apparel. By producing a glove that offers better fit and function it has been easy to attract dedicated sportsmen to our brand. Yes, producing the best line of hunting and fishing gloves is our long-term focus.

SSR: Is the goal to create a glove for every specific need, or to create gloves that can tackle as many tasks as possible?

Mossberg: We currently offer 14 different hunting glove styles, something specific for every hunting situation — deer, duck, turkey, upland bird, cold climate, warm climate, lightweight and heavyweight. And there are more styles in the hopper.

 

SSR: What is the strength or hallmark of Hunt Monkey products?

Mossberg: Premium construction, advanced materials and the best fit and function on the market — all with a 100% satisfaction guarantee to the consumer, stamped on every package.

 

SSR: How do you help drive business for independent retailers?

Mossberg: Marketing, marketing, marketing. We are extremely focused on creating brand awareness and driving traffic to our dealers. To date we have created over 20,000,000 marketing impressions for the brands. We utilize every marketing channel available: TV, digital, print, social and pro staff. For the 2022-23 season we are running ads in North American Whitetail, Gun Dog, Duck Dog and Elk, along with 30-second TV commercials running on the major outdoor channels and a digital partnership with North American Whitetail for the Gear Series. Plus our extensive pro staff provides product reviews and images for social.

 

SSR: Are there any programs or incentives for retailers who want to stock your products?

Mossberg: We offer several very successful merchandising programs that include two-sided metal displays, season-specific Top Sellers kits and signage. Most of the top distributors carry the line and we also work with the four main buying groups. The line provides great margin and fast turns.

 

SSR: What’s on the horizon for the company?

Mossberg: Continuing to produce the best hunting and fishing gloves on the market.