Let me know about your thoughts on a fletch cover for your quiver. I've always used bright fletching on my arrows and thought I might give try to a fletch cover. Which ones (purchased or home-made) have you used? Does it ruin, or mash the feathers?
Photos would be great, but just let me know your experiences good or bad.
Yes I do ( will). I hunt real thick stuff, full of stick-tights and pickers. My flecthes get all torn up. So this year, I am using a Safari Tuff Quiver that covers my fletches. I have high hopes it will be the ticket!
Bob.
Jonathon... I almost always use a fletch cover on my bowquiver. I prefer white fletch and cap dip on my arrows and that makes me a little self conscious.
My favorite is a simple "bag" type cover made of camo fleece. It really doesn't mess up my fletch and I give it a spray with ScotchGuard so I can hang the bow upside down and protect my fletch from rain.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/elkpondwait.jpg)
Lots of guys do just fine without one, but I like it a lot.
I don't use one.
I stay away from white colors on my arrows. An incident involving coon dogs in southern Alabama (January 1974-Cahaba State Forest) with a hip quiver full of white-fletched arrows... long story but the dogs thought (I guess) I was a deer with a flashing white tail?
I especially like blue fletch because my eye picks up that color very well in the grass, leaves, etc.
I use a fletch cover for my bow quiver. It is simply a bag that slips over the fletch and is held up by an adjustable stretch cord. I use bright florescent yellow fletching and before using the cover it was obvious the animals would spot it especially if there was any movement of the bow.
Cat Quiver Yes
Back Quiver No
No - Bow Quiver
BQ only for a number of years. I might cover the fletch with a towel or shirt if it is raining. Otherwise nada.
Charlie...did you make your own or is there one on the market that you've found to be better than others. I'm assuming making one of fleece wouldn't be too difficult with some material and a piece of stretch webbing.
I don't remember where I got mine. Possibly 3Rivers.
It would be very easy to make. You could make it from about anything, but the fleece is nice and quiet.
Always use one. The turkey pick up color far away. The deer also pick the white out very easy and it alarms them. I now shoot for the past 4 or 5 years only pink. The cover works great for me.
I use a homemade one I made about 40 years ago and tie it to the quiver with a small leather thong. I dyed it brown originally but it is now a purplish color (horrors to you matching camo afficionados).
Fletch covers are a good idea unless you hunt from a well-made blind (don't need them then). Deer warn their friends by flashing their white tails...that bright tone and sudden motion makes an excellent 'flag'...and so do your light-toned arrow fletches moving at the end of your bow quiver each time your hand moves. Same goes for big puffball string silencers that are light toned....they seem to 'float' as you move and make very good flags for sharp-eyed critters looking for things that can hurt them. Don't believe it matters? Watch an otherwise camoed (including face and hands) bowhunter move slowly through the woods with bright fletch and bright silencers in dim light (best time to hunt). If you can see them the deer sure can. :knothead:
Attention to detail never hurts...and it might help alot.
Do the fletch covers make any/much noise at the time of the shot?
Eric
When I used a bow quiver I did. I used one I made myself. Thought it was a lot better than the bright feathers flashing around, plus in less than desirable weather it helps keep your feathers dry to an extent. Never had a problem with it making any noise, in fact it helped reduce noise if you happened to brush your fletching against something. If I still used a bow quiver I wouldn't hunt without one.
I like white too. . . but I just put one white-fletched arrow (maybe two on a more remote hunt) in my quiver along with natural colored fletching-seems to break it up.
I like to use a cover when stalkig and scouting new areas. I don't if hunting in a stand though. I like to use bright colored fletching so I can see my arrows easy when shot. They also protect my fletch pretty good.I think I use it more often than not. Its just a simple homemade one.
I believe I'll try making a simple fleece one and give it a whirl this season. Thanks for the replies.
fleece is definitely the material you will want to use, as other materials tend to make a bunch of noise when your feathers move.
I know the one I have is from the same people that make the wooly whispers string silencers,
very well made.
You can use a camo fleece cap. If it gets really cold, you can also put it on your head.
Nope.
I tried one last season that I made of fleece. The problem I had was that I found it impossible to quietly remove an arrow for a second shot on a close animal.
While I use white fletch, I also use flo. orange wraps. I like to think the orange keeps folks from thinking I'm a target.
One trick is to keep two arrows out of the cover,one on your bow and the other kind of hidden in the back by the cover so you'll have one ready to shoot quickly if you miss.
Jonathan,
I use a fletching cover with my bow quiver all the time. I prefer white cap dips and white fletchings like a lot of the guys have mentioned. I hunt ground blinds a lot and tree stands on occasion. In both situations I remove the quiver (Boa 5-arrow) and hang it upside down to keep wet weather off the feathers.
I made my own from fleece. Easiest way I found to make them is to sew a tube big enough around to fit the quiver. Then cut an oblong piece and sew it to one end. This makes an oval, flat bottomed "bag". You can hem the edge to put elastic in or use the snazzy elastic cord.
My wife, who sews things, found some cool interfacing material that you iron on the back of cloth. It makes it a little stiffer (less likely to smoosh fletchings) and a little more water resistant. I will see if I can find some pictures.
Post us some pics when you get your's done. I'm always interested in how folks make their own stuff.
OkKeith
Yes I use one for protection of my feathers going through brush or wet weeds in the mornings.
Yep...I use BRIGHT feathers and wraps for lots of positive reasons...and there's no way I would go to the woods without a fletch cover. No way.
I do not want a bright flag waving around in the woods announcing my presents. I've seen other hunters a mile away only because they didn't have a fletch cover.
I also use a bow quiver as a blind...and I sure don't want a neon sign on my blind if I have to adjust for a shot...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/fletchcover101.jpg)
Fleece is good....and also Buck-suede is quiet and water proof as well. Need to use one with an open bottom for ease and quiet arrow retrieval....
I also hide my second feather outside the fletch cover in the back a lot of times once I get set up....like in the pic below.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/bern2.jpg)
I always enjoy reading from guys that kill a lot of critters. There certainly seems to be a pattern of successful reasons among them.
I use a fletch cover as well.
I use fleece also.I get a fleece neck gaiter,cut to narrow it,to fit my 3 arrow quiver,works great.
John
I use a camo waterproof cover. Rains a lot here!
home made out of fleece