QuiverField began in a garage in western Michigan, surrounded by broken-in bow cases, a chronograph that never quite got put away, and a stack of arrows in various states of fletching repair. That garage belonged to Dale Kerrigan, a bowhunter and former archery shop technician who founded QuiverField in 2019 after growing frustrated with review sites that recycled manufacturer marketing copy instead of putting gear through real, honest use.
Dale spent eleven years working the counter and the press at a full-service archery shop, setting up compound bows for first-time buyers, tuning recurves for traditional shooters, and fielding the same question over and over: "Which one should I actually buy?" He started writing down honest answers for friends and customers, and those notes became the foundation of this site. What started as a one-person project has since grown into a small team of contributors, but the original mission hasn't changed: give archers straight answers, backed by actual time on the range and in the field.
Who We Are
QuiverField is written and maintained by a small group of archers with backgrounds that span bowhunting, target archery, and shop-level bow technician work. Our contributors include a USA Archery-certified instructor, a former pro shop manager, and a bowhunter who has taken game with everything from traditional longbows to modern compounds. We're not professional marketers who picked up bows for a content calendar — archery is how most of us spend our weekends, our vacation time, and a good chunk of our garages.
We keep the team small on purpose. Every review that goes up on QuiverField has been read, checked, and often shot by more than one person on our team before it's published. That slows us down, but it keeps our standards consistent.
How We Review and Pick Products
Every piece of gear that appears in a QuiverField review has been physically tested by our team. We don't publish reviews based solely on spec sheets or press releases. Our process generally includes the following steps:
- Purchase or borrow, rarely accept freebies without disclosure. Most of our test gear is purchased at retail price, exactly the way a reader would buy it. When a manufacturer sends a review unit, we disclose that clearly in the article and it does not affect our conclusions.
- Real-world shooting sessions. Bows, sights, rests, and stabilizers are shot across multiple sessions and, where relevant, in field conditions — tree stands, ground blinds, 3D courses, and indoor lanes — not just a single afternoon at a static bench.
- Measured performance data. Where it matters, we use a chronograph for arrow speed, a scale for draw weight verification, and paper tuning to assess arrow flight, rather than relying on manufacturer-claimed numbers alone.
- Durability and comfort checks. We evaluate grip ergonomics, vibration and noise at the shot, finish quality, and how components hold up after repeated use, not just out-of-the-box impressions.
- Comparative testing. New gear is tested against established, well-known products in the same category so our ratings reflect how something performs relative to real alternatives, not in isolation.
- Team review before publishing. A second team member reviews testing notes and, when possible, shoots the product independently before a review is finalized.
We prioritize gear that readers are actually asking about — new releases from established manufacturers, popular budget options, and products with a track record worth examining, whether that reputation is good or bad. We're just as willing to write a critical review of a well-known brand as we are to highlight an underrated product from a smaller manufacturer.
What Makes QuiverField Trustworthy
We believe trust is earned through transparency and consistency, so here's what you can expect from us:
- Honest ratings, including negative ones. If a product underperforms, has quality control issues, or simply isn't worth the price, we say so directly. We'd rather lose a partnership than mislead a reader.
- Clear affiliate disclosure. QuiverField participates in affiliate programs, meaning we may earn a commission if you purchase through links on our site. This never influences which products we choose to test or how we rate them. Affiliate relationships are disclosed on every relevant page.
- No pay-for-placement reviews. We do not accept payment in exchange for favorable coverage. Sponsored content, when it exists, is clearly labeled as such and kept separate from our independent reviews.
- Updated information. Archery equipment changes fast — new arrow materials, updated cam systems, redesigned broadheads. We revisit and update older reviews when products are discontinued, replaced, or meaningfully changed.
- Real testing, real names. Our reviews are written by named contributors with described backgrounds, not anonymous staff writers. You can see who tested a product and why their perspective matters.
We started QuiverField because we were tired of guessing whether a review was genuine. Our goal is simple: when you read something on this site, you should be able to trust that a real archer put in real range time before writing it. Whether you're buying your first youth bow or your fifth set of carbon arrows, we want QuiverField to be the resource we wished existed when we were starting out.
Have a question about a review, a product we haven't covered yet, or want to share your own field experience? Reach out through our contact page — we read every message personally.