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Quiver On or Off?

The reality is that shooting with a quiver full of arrows attached to the bow’s riser does not increase arrow accuracy at the target.

By Michael Corrigan

Today’s archery equipment is so diverse. There are so many choices in every product category— broadheads, arrows, arrow rests, release aids. Ask ten bowhunters to give their opinion on what is the best way to go on any number of equipment choices and you will likely get ten different answers. That is one of the beautiful things about our sport. Personal choice embodies today’s bowhunter, especially in the realm of shooting equipment.

However, bowhunters can also be one of the most opinionated bunches you will ever meet, happily telling other bowhunters what equipment and shooting techniques they should use. So in the true spirit of bowhunting enthusiasm, I am prepared to offer my staunch opinion on the topic of shooting with a quiver attached to the bow riser.

Shooting with the quiver attached to the bow’s riser looks cool. Wouldn’t you agree? Advertisers think so. Flip through any magazine, paying particular attention to clothing or equipment ads, and you will see my point. You can also refer to just about any bowhunting equipment mail order catalog cover. It comes down to something we all know already—advertising campaigns often do not depict reality.

The reality is that shooting with a quiver full of arrows attached to the bow’s riser does not increase arrow accuracy at the target. If it did, you would not see top tournament archers sporting quivers on their hip.

Aside from the subject of accuracy, I can’t stand the added weight. Bow manufacturers have made great strides to reduce the overall weight of bows in response to bowhunter demand, and yet some bowhunters attach a heavy quiver full of arrows to their bows. It is an enigma.

Some bowhunters make the argument that it is more convenient to reach for a second arrow from a bow-mounted quiver. Is that a fact? I would argue that reaching for a second arrow and removing it from a hip quiver or one mounted on the side of a treestand is just as easy, and I can usually do so without moving my bow around.

Treestand hunters in particular should consider shooting with the quiver off. A bow with a thin profile is more easily manipulated for a shot, especially when a shot is presented behind the tree. With the quiver off you can shoot with the bow’s riser nearly touching the tree if need be. Not so if the quiver is attached to the riser.

Bow manufacturers have also made great strides to reduce the axle-to-axle length of bows. Still, some bowhunters defy logic and attach a quiver full of arrows to the bow’s riser, often resulting in arrow fletchings and nocks extending below the bottom cam. Bumping arrow nocks on the side of a treestand can throw off a shot almost as badly as making contact with the bottom cam.

You will also be better off with your quiver off on windy days. A quiver full of arrows acts like a sail when attached to the bow, and holding steady at full draw will be made more difficult.

I can’t think of one advantage to shooting with the quiver on the bow. I will, however, make one confession—I do attach my quiver to my bow while walking to and from my stand location. I typically tote a portable climbing treestand on my back, so wearing a hip quiver is not practical. I also like to attach my quiver to my bow for the convenience of hoisting the entire setup into the tree once I’m settled in. Climbing a tree with a hip quiver is simply not safe.

While stalking elk and mule deer out west, I use my standard one-piece riser-mounted quiver as a hip quiver. The conversion is made easy by simply tying a piece of shoestring around the main strut of the quiver and sliding a hip quiver “S” hook through the string loop on one end and through my belt on the other end. In this configuration the nock ends of each arrow point skyward just as they would with a standard hip quiver. When I stop to take a break, I can still attach my quiver to the bow’s riser and hang the entire setup from a tree branch or rest it safely on flat ground as a single unit.

On occasion I will carry my quiver in my release hand while on final approach during a ground stalk. I like to do this if the stalk necessitates a belly crawl or hands and knees attack. Keeping my profile low is better accomplished if arrows are not waving about attached to my hip. When I get into position for a shot, my quiver is already on the ground for easy arrow removal.

This concludes my self-acknowledged opinionated rant. Quiver on or off? You decide. But before you do, weigh the advantages and disadvantages. And in the true spirit of bowhunting, I hope your choice adds to your overall satisfaction of this glorious sport.

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