Carrying arrows on my elk hunt

aorams

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 7, 2013
Messages
198
Hi Forum,

I am a brand new archer planning an elk hunt for the upcoming season. I love the way my bow shoots without a quiver and would like to figure out a way to carry my arrows in my backpack without adding too much weight. I've shopped around for some broadhead covers (two blade fixed) so that I can carry them loose in one of my long quick access compartments but wanted to get input from others who have experience with this.

Thanks!
 
I have lashed my tight spot to my pack, I have also placed it hood side down in outside pockets like side water pockets.
 
I would suggest getting comfortable shooting with a quiver...You call a bull in, and miss or stick him bad...what do you plan on doing for an immediate follow up shot? If you have your pack on the ground, and you are forced to move before the shot while the bull is circling, your extra arrows are no longer anywhere close to you. . Im just saying this because i have personally seen it happen before and had the client kept his quiver on his bow he would have had a broadside follow up shot, and we would not have lost that bull. Elk are big animals, and if your arrow drifts and sticks a shoulder blade which it will NOT puncture through like on a deer, you are only going to have one quick chance for another shot. Just my two cents, but I personally wouldnt ever want to have a bull coming in with only one arrow at my disposal.
 
I would suggest getting comfortable shooting with a quiver...You call a bull in, and miss or stick him bad...what do you plan on doing for an immediate follow up shot? If you have your pack on the ground, and you are forced to move before the shot while the bull is circling, your extra arrows are no longer anywhere close to you. . Im just saying this because i have personally seen it happen before and had the client kept his quiver on his bow he would have had a broadside follow up shot, and we would not have lost that bull. Elk are big animals, and if your arrow drifts and sticks a shoulder blade which it will NOT puncture through like on a deer, you are only going to have one quick chance for another shot. Just my two cents, but I personally wouldnt ever want to have a bull coming in with only one arrow at my disposal.

This is GREAT input... Thank you...
 
If you are worried about weight, I've gone to the 3 arrow Tight Spot and it is a nice compromise...lower weight and bow still shoots nicely with 2 backup arrows. They also make "catpacks" that have a quiver integral to the backpack it which you can pretty easily reach an arrow for a second shot with some practice. My advice, get a bow quiver and use it!! When meeting a bull in the woods, you want things AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES as it is hard enough to find one and get him down. Any layer of complexity you add to the situation gives all that more of a chance for failure!
 
I have a tightspot, and don't like to shoot with it either, but I practice so that I can when I need a quick shot. When I have more time or a longer shot I just take it off and keep it beside me. I wouldn't want to handicap myself not being able to get an arrow, shot opportunities happen in the blink of an eye.
 
Solid advice, I used a quick follow up shot some years back on a 6pt. herd bull. My first arrow hit his shoulder (scapula bone) and stopped. The bull turned and faced me head on, I was lucky enough to keep my composure and put another arrow in him quickly from my bow mounted quiver,.. in only seconds. Learn to shoot with it on, with one arrow missing from where you pull one first, to simulate your first shot.
Mike
 
Get a tight spot, shoot with the quiver on. its the best option, as others said you want arrows on hand for follow up shots or animals that appear when you least expect it, which happens alot when calling!
 
Get the lightest quiver made, and just carry one extra arrow. Put the rest of the arrows in your pack.
 
I used to shoot without a quiver on the bow. Used a hip quiver for many years and had no issues. Well, i wore it out and on a whim I tried the tight spot with the thought I would probably just lash it on my pack... Well it never comes off the bow now. I have just gotten used to shooting with it. I do take it off in the spring for just shooting but it goes back on mid summer and doesn't come off till January.
 
I put a fixed 4 arrow on my bow and have been practicing with it. No issues in practice.

Spent an hour breaking brush this morning between turkey spots. Arrows on the pack would've been a challenge.

I have the elite fixed quiver on my impulse 31. The tightspot on my mathews is also good. I have both the 3 and 5 arrow tightspot for my creed.
 
Check out a Cat Quiver. I shoot a stick and I'll die before you'll see me put a quiver on my longbow. LOL! I shoot with a back quiver but they suck for hunting. But this Cat quiver is slick. You can strap it to the back, it protects your feathers and you can easily get an arrow with your pack on.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
If you don't like shooting with a quiver because of it taking your bow out of level then you could try an offset stabilizer. I just started shooting one recently and like what its done for me. It did add about 6oz to my setup though if you're an oz counting guy.
 
Get you a tight spot quiver and a vendetta stabilizer( can be fine tuned by changing weights around). I use to want to shoot with the quiver off, until I found this combo. My bow is now perfectly balanced in the vertical axis. Also the extra weight makes the bow quieter and more stable in the high winds you are likely to encounter in the mountains. That is just my two cents.
 
I shot quiver off for years on whitetails (from a treestand)...and tried that with pack mounted quiver on my first elk hunt. I knew right away that was a bad idea...for a few reasons:
-busting thru dark timber was not only hard on the arrows on pack but made more noise that if pack would not have had arrows on it
-multiple times of clipping an arrow on when I thought a shot opportunity was coming, only to have to stop afterwards and remove my pack to make sure arrow/broadhead got back in the quiver just the way I wanted.
-You could string an arrow much quicker and with less movement (and quieter) with a bow mounted quiver
-follow up shots as mentioned by others...much more likely with bow quiver.

Either can work, but for the Elk mountains I will only have bow quiver from now on.

Good luck with what ever you decide!
 
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