Today’s Bow Quivers Bene t from Better Engineering, Materials rchery icon Fred Bear is gen- arrows with broadheads dangerously en I began choosing tough two piece erally credited with inventing exposed. I somehow avoided injury quiver designs instead. While bowhunt- Athe bow-mounted arrow quiv- with this primitive out t, despite get- ing close to home or vehicle I typically er, initially an arrangement of heavy ting along with it for years – those years returned to my trusted Catquivers… wire holding rubber arrow gripper and in which I clung to traditional bows in So, in that I’ve never really proven berglass dome at opposite ends. ey any case. With the solid acceptance of an ardent bow quiver fan, at least while were pretty ingenious, even by today’s compound bows, quiver designs began wielding compound bows, to say I’m standards. e frame was adjustable in to blossom. My rst wheel bow, an impressed by the latest models really is length to accommodate various bow 1981 Browning Xcellerator, carried a saying something. Manufacturers have models and included a molded hood to quiver by the same company that was addressed all my original gripes and protect razor-sharp broadheads against clunky, unnecessarily complicated and are building much lighter (less bow mishaps to hunting edges and bow- noisy during the shot. ese shortcom- torque), highly streamlined (less snags, hunters alike. I own several originals ings, my adoption of bow sights that and torque), stronger (quivers are sub- and still nd them functional enough required me to hold the bow verti- jected to plenty of abuse) and smarter to mount on vintage Bear recurves cally against a quiver’s weight, and the (easier mounting systems, sometimes while bowhunting down memory lane. discovery of Jerry’s above mentioned built-in adjustability) wares promot- Of course before this inevitable devel- Catquiver, all led me to essentially ing greater accuracy, fewer hassles and opment bowhunters wore all manner abandon bow quivers for nearly two longer life. e following are only a of back quivers; simple tubes of leather decades. sampling of those designs. with arrows shoved in point rst and Still it’s di cult to deny the inher- feathers waving in the elements, or ent conveniences of bow mounted quiv- Glenn St. Charles’ primitive design that ers. As designs became more re ned DETACHABLE “EASTERN” Jerry Gentellalli eventually re ned into I’ve returned to them slowly. I might QUIVER DESIGNS his highly-functional Rancho Safari choose a detachable model for white- One-piece, quick-detach quiver Catquivers. tail hunting, something easily removed designs are most prevalent because By the time I started bowhunting once installed on stand. Some of these Eastern whitetail hunting dominates in the mid ‘70s bow quivers were de provide clever mechanisms to secure our sport. Sitting for long hours with rigor, French for “absolutely essential.” them to stand trees within easy reach a bow in your lap isn’t comfortable We couldn’t have imagined operating for backup shots. In western backpack- with an attached quiver. ere’s also without them. My rst was a simple ing situations a Catquiver became just the concern of interference in the tight pair of grippers clamping to opposite one more item to strap on an already con nes of an elevated platform. Many limbs of my trusty recurve, holding four distended pack. This is Alpine Archery’s Soft Loc 5 Arrow Quiver in the Mossy Alpine Archery’s Bear Claw quiver is an economical model that Oak Break-Up In nity camou age pattern. Angle and height of detaches quickly using a mount positioned along a set of indexed the quiver are adjustable to keep arrows within the outline of the holes along the center support stem. It is o ered in three arrow bow. and ve arrow models, in many popular camou age patterns. 84 May12AT084-095.indd 84 4/2/12 1:33 PM By Patrick Meitin Today’s Bow Quivers Bene t from Better Engineering, Materials manufacturers further accommodate allows removing the upper gripper for e rubber hood insert helps main- the stationary bowhunter by provid- xed blade heads. e molded hood tain broadhead edges and dampen ing options for mounting removed is covered in Mossy Oak In nity or vibrations. It’s suitable to both xed quivers close at hand. Still, many Treestand, Realtree Hardwoods Green blade and mechanical designs. e one-piece quiver models prove solid or APG, Lost Camo or black with other entire quiver includes the Tru-Touch enough for even on-the-move bow- nishes available on request. ey’re Soft-Feel Technical Coating for further hunting. Normally these are models o ered in three or ve arrow options. A vibration reduction. spreading contact points over wider lag screw-equipped Quiver Clip allows e rst thing you’ll notice about spans, promoting added balance and for quick fastening to stand trees. the new GameChanger Quiver ($90 to silence when left in place while shoot- Also worth mentioning is the Bear $100) is its o -set design and special ing. Detachable qualities then make Claw ($30) budget priced quiver. A mounting system, setting the hood and transport (in a bow case) and storage dual-pylon mounting block and com- dual ve arrow grippers behind the much easier. posite spanning bar, including indexed sight bracket and tighter to the bow for Alpine Archery’s (www.alpin- mounting holes, allows for vertical- improved balance. A lightweight car- earchery.com; 208-746-4717) Soft ly positioning the quiver for perfect bon- ber hood and Tru-Touch Coating Loc Quiver (MSRP $55) de es quick balance. A thumb-latch system aids accentuate vibration control and the pigeonholing. It is an instantly-detach- instant removal. ey include a single one-piece milled-aluminum frame able quiver Eastern whitetail bow- arrow gripper and the same capacity is skeletonized for strength without hunters nd convenient with vertical- and camo options as the Soft Loc. weight. e adjustable-tension Cam- adjust balancing, vibration-absorbing Apex Gear (www.apexgear.com; Lock mounting system allows one- and mounting-angle versatility. All 877-701-APEX) devoted a lot of R&D to handed removal. e entire frame and this gives Western bowhunters a via- new quiver designs for 2012. Of three mounting block is adjustable up and ble option when left in place while models o ered this year, two are com- down and for tilt to help nd the just- shooting. e rubber mounting base pletely new, including the Accu-Strike right positioning for individual bows. and dual carbon-rod frame make it and GameChanger. e Accu-Strike Dual grippers accommodate carbon deadly quiet. e quiver comes on and (MSRP $30 to $35) o ers a vibration- or aluminum shafts of many diameters o instantly, but locks securely into free, lightweight and compact carbon- and the hood includes a tree-hanging place. ey include dual arrow grip- ber design holding four carbon or loop. pers perfect for today’s mechanical aluminum arrows. Its secure mount- Archer Xtreme/AXT (www. broadheads and the foam lled hood ing bracket allows one-handed opera- ArcherXtreme.com; 406-924-6113) has tion and is adapt- woven-carbon quivers with the look able to right or of sleek sports cars, but this space-age left hand use. construction is o ered for more than The all-new Game Changer from Apex Gear is super lightweight Apex’s new Accu Strike is made to be feather-light, vibration and compact. It includes a machined-aluminum frame and back-set free and a ordable. The simple design holds four arrows in a double arrow grippers for better balance. The twin grippers let it t single gripper and includes a rubber-lined hood and Tru-Touch both xed blade or deployable blade broadheads. rubberized coating. 85 May12AT084-095.indd 85 4/4/12 9:40 PM racy good looks. e one-piece Carbon quivers around comes from Athens Vapor Quiver (MSRP $270) with C.B.R. Archery (www.athensarchery.com; (Carbon Body Ridge) frame is formed 574-224-2300). e most novel feature completely of aerospace carbon ber, of e Zen-4 and e Zen-6 (MSRP coated in V.A.C. (Vibration Absorbing $130 to $135) is the built-in bow/gear- Coat), a rubberized nish, which com- hanging hook. A stainless-steel, lag- bined destroy harmonic vibrations. bolt-equipped bow hook is hinged Carbon construction also makes it right into the center of the quiver, fold- impact-resistant yet feathery. e Quad ing and locking out of the way when Lock four-point, twist-and-lock system not in use, snapping out and anchoring allows solid, single-handed operation. the quiver anywhere it’s needed once e staggered frame bushings allow a installed on stand, and then providing couple inches of vertical adjustment a place to hang your bow, game calls or in a ve arrow design. e hood holds daypack. e quiver includes a hard- closed-cell foam to support all types of anodized aircraft aluminum frame and broadheads, with the gripper securing 300-series stainless steel hardware. all diameter shafts. e open bridge e Cam Lock Mount allows instant frame makes a convenient hanging sys- installation and removal and multi- tem as well. e newer Vapor Hyperlite position adjustment. e composite Quiver, a two-piece design, is detailed hood includes a rubber liner to protect later in this article. broadhead edges with double grippers For solid AXT innovation at a more securing mechanical and xed blade a ordable price, the Carbon Helix heads. e Zen quiver I tested during Quiver ($110) incorporates sound- an Illinois bowhunt was a touch heavy dampening technologies in a ve (11.2 ounces) for attached shooting arrow, double-gripper design.