Cat Quiver
 

Has anyone every used a backpack type quiver like one of the models from Cat Quiver? The concept is interesting but I wonder how good they would be for hunting the woods here in Michigan. I'll spend 50% of my time stalking and 50% of my time walking to/from stands.

Thanks

RE: Cat Quiver
 

I absolutely love mine and wouldn't hunt with anything else from now on !!

I have the CQ III and it has room for more stuff than I need to carry !!

RE: Cat Quiver
 

CBM,

In looking at the Rancho website I get a better feel for what they look like and how they are constructed. The first question I had was how well does the quiver hold the arrows? I can't see what is under the hood where the fletching/vanes are held, but the bottom appears to hold the points by inserting them into some sort of foam/padding. It seems like this type of systme would mean that 1.) arrows can be pulled out easily by branches as you pass by; or 2.) arrows are difficult for the archer to pull out to prepare for a shot.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

At the top, right of this site is a "search" button. Do a search for Cat Quiver and you will find a lot of posts about this popular quiver. Mine is over a decade old, and I've never had an arrow fall out in all those years of hunting. The foam does an amazing job of holding the arrows in.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

That's all I use anymore, it can be kinda interesting carrying a climbing stand with it but its not a big deal, you set it up for your length arrows, once thats done arrows falling out is not an issue. Every now and then I try a bow mounted quiver again ( why I'm not sure) but I always end up back with my CQ. I even tried a hip mounted quiver once and to me they're kinda like carrying a rake through the woods.:D

RE: Cat Quiver
 

Chase the 2 arms that hold the bottom piece on are adjustable .....so you move them to fit your arrows ! Once that is right ....you push your arrow up into the top foam and then let the bottom sink into the bottom foam ! As long as your arrows are all the same length.........they're snug as can be !! If you need one.....you just reach back and push up and pull out an arrow........after a few tries it is as easy or easier than snapping an arrow out of a standard quiver !

RE: Cat Quiver
 

I am interested in trying one for hunting this year.
Do you reccommend any certain brand or features to look for?

RE: Cat Quiver
 

It depends on how much stuff you take with you, I have the CQ1 and it's plenty big enough for what I take, the frame is the same, the size of the Pack is the difference. IMHO ( for myself) the models with all the extra pockets are overkill, I bet those are really interesting to carry with a climber. It is suprising how much stuff you can get in them.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

I have used a Catquiver I for about 3 seasons now......before that a hip quiver that I pulled into the stand with me.
I got rid of a bow mounted quiver entirely after the 97' season, and I'll never go back.

I figure I'd be taking my bow quiver off and hanging it anyway so why not kill 2 birds with one stone and use a Catquiver. This way I don't need a fanny pack.

Just wear it up , and strap the whole thing to the tree........sits nice and tight, arrows are easy to get out and the pack is right there as well.
If I am using my Climbing stand I just strap it to the frame for hiking in.

They protect the arrows MUCH better than a normal quiver, especially good at protecting fletching from the elements.
I'll keep on using mine.....good investment.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

Here in Washington, we typically don't hunt from tree stands, usually all spot and stalk. I have used my fathers CQ 1 that is about 30 years old and liked it well enough. The one thing I did do differently was to glue in a piece of high density foam in the hood and inserted my arrows with the vanes down. I didn't like the idea of reaching back to grab an arrow out and having the broadheads at about the same spot. Worked great, and I have thought about buying one with more room, I liked the one with the fanny pack attached, so the gear weight has a lower center of gravity. You can also detach the fanny pack and use either unit separately.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

WA: funny, I was just thinking that it might make sence to so exactly as you have done. My only concern is having broadheads that close to the back of my neck/head. With the arrows reversed I could reach around with my right hand, grab an arrow by the fletching/vane and put it right on my string/rest - much easier that having to turn the arrow over to get to the nock.

How is the hood of the quiver constructed - what material?

RE: Cat Quiver
 

Hi,

I've been thinking about one of these but am curious how low they hang. :eek: (None of the photos I have seen show the packs on a person). Would you be able to sit down while wearing the pack? How about wearing a fanny pack along with one of these? Is it difficult to access the arrows or the stored gear? I'll be hunting elk and deer in Washington, so I'll usually be on the move.


BTW, I've been luring and learning here for a while, but this is my first post. I'm brand new to bowhunting and am really looking forward to this fall!

RE: Cat Quiver
 

Agent Zero M:
Welcome to the boards. There are some really knowledgeable archers here with a wealth of information. Good questions. I will be interested in the responses as I am interested in getting the Cat Quiver II or III as well.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

The arrows are very easy to get to.........but the gear would not be ......unless you take it off (unless you have one of the bigger models) ! The bigger models have side pockets and bottle holders (basically a fanny pack)! With my CQIII an extra fanny pack would be no problem....but I've never needed one !

I can sit down with mine on.........but if I plan to sit long at all......I take it off !! And I think it would depend on your arrow length.......as to how low it would be for you !!

My only negative with them.......is when stalking some mule deer last year........I did a lot of belly crawling and the neck pad sticks up too high for that.............it kept pushing my head downward and nocking my hat off !! Besides that it is great and really comfortable ! I put a D hook on mine and if I take my climber ......I just clip in on up top.......put a bungy across to hold the bottom ..........and I'm off just like it's not there !!

RE: Cat Quiver
 

I have a CQIII and a CQIII.5

I have never been a fan of bow-mounted quivers, so for me that was never an option. Leg mounted quivers seemed like a pain going through brush, and then I still needed a pack for all my other items.

I've been using the CQIII for 4 years now and I do like it. I'd like to make a few changes to the internal compartments, but overall I enjoy using it.

Depending on how long your arrows are will determine how low the CQ comes down on your back. Personally, I think it would be tough to sit down on the ground with a CQ on your back, but I rarely do that type of hunting.

I most do fixed treestand hunting, and the CQ lets me "do it all" in one unit. I can carry my arrows, binocs, knives, rope, flashlight, release (and extra), compass, radio, grunt calls, scents, hand warmers, gloves, smaller set of rattling horns, etc... All in the backpack ready to go each trip. Once in my stand I hang the CQ off to my side for easy access to the pack and to extra arrows.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

Agent,

Welcome aboard. I am pretty new, as well. I think you will find that there is a lot of traffic here and that you will get several answers to your questions pretty quickly.

The company that manufactures Cat Quivers has some pictures of a guy wearing at least one of the models so you can get a pretty good feel for how they wear. I doubt that you will want to sit down wearing one, but that will depend on how tall you are and the length of your arrows.

I can't remember who makes them but you can pull the name from any site that sells them. Should not take you long to find it.

Good luck.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

Thanks for the replies, guys. CBM, thanks for the "heads up" about the pack getting on the way when you have to crawl on your belly. My arrows are 30" with field tips, so I'm guessing they'll be another three inches longer with broadheads.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

I was also interested in them at one time. But found that I can just attach my bow quiver to my back pack. That seems to work well for me.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

you guys concerned about reaching and hitting a broadhead with your fingers?.........yeah that can happen.......trust me on that one.[:@]

I shoot mechanicals entirely so for the most part it is not a concern, but the one time I decided to carry some Rocky Mt. 'Snypers' I paid the price with the worst cut I have ever had from a broadhead.
Be careful.

It wil work backwards but not as well due to the design of the 2 foams used. The one in the hood is a thick open cell style that allows you plenty of wiggle room to push your arrows into as you swing them into the bottom hood. With a hard enough foam to accept broadheads inside the upper section you won't have enough give to swing the nocks into the bottom section. You need that big upper inside cushion to give you enough room to get the arrows into the thing and still have them held securely.

Attaching quiver to existing pack. . .
 

Hey Bob,

Thanks for the idea. My current quiver is a 2-piece, so that won't work. I might pick up a cheap one-piece and see if I can find a good place to secure it to my daypack. :D

RE: Attaching quiver to existing pack. . .
 

Glad I could help. ;)

RE: Cat Quiver
 

Chase2 and Agent Zero M,

I used some closed cell foam like the kind cheap broadhead targets are made of to replace the foam in the hood of the CQ and hold the broadheads. Push the B/H all the way in to the back of the blades and the nocks only need to rest on the bottom plate of the CQ. As for how low it hangs, I shot mine with arrows at about 28.5 inches, and found that if I sat on a log, the bottom plate was over the back. I also used a fanny pack, I just snapped the pack on then reversed it so the pack is in my front. It works well as long as your not carrying too much stuff.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

I'm currently going between a bow and a hip quiver. Hopefully someone can answer this one. When using a climber stand you say you can thow the straps of the CQ onto the climber BUT, can you still easilly get to you arrows or would they be to far behind you?

RE: Cat Quiver
 

I've got a CQ-1, which has just the small storage on top of the quiver. I attach it to the outside of a cabelas backpack, which I already had when I purchased the CQ. This has served me well for the last 4 years elk hunting. It's very quiet, you just have to make sure the CQ is cinched very tight to the backpack so it doesn't flop around. I also run an elecrical tie through the top nylon loop of the backpack and the top loop of the CQ.
In answer to another question, I can't sit on the ground w/o taking the backpack off, but I can live with that. Also, with a little practice, the arrows are easily accessable w/o taking the backpack off.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

I just came up with another option: Maybe I could mate a small quiver to a small hydration pack and carry the rest of my junk in a "leg-pack." I saw these today and they looked pretty cool. Two large cargo pockets are suspended from a waist belt and attach around the thigh. If this doesn't make sense, you can find them at Summit Equipment.

RE: Cat Quiver
 

You may be trying to carry too much. I bought a sweet backpack at Wal-Mart last year just before the season opened. It is two-in-one as it has a lower part that will unzip and can be worn as a fannypack. The fanny pack part by itself wasn't very comfortable as it drooped terribly, it is not attached to the belt very securly. But, the pack is nice, has a hydration bladder compartment, an outer pocket on each side, and a outer-center pocket. It was big enough to hold my Montana Decoy, and everything else I needed. Usually the problem is I fill it with TOO much junk and the weight becomes unbearable, especially chasing these wandering Wapiti.