Joel Maxfield is easily one of the greatest bowhunters to ever walk the earth, but chances are you’ve never heard his name. He’s a living legend in the archery and bowhunting world, yet he’s managed to fly under the radar of all the hype others in the bowhunting community seek to acquire.Â
Maxfield is the right-hand man that’s worked alongside Matt McPherson of Mathews Archery. He helped launch the brand back in 1992, and he’s been there ever since. Mathews wouldn’t be what it is today without Joel Maxfield.

The same could be said of Maxfield’s role in the launch of Bowhunting.com and the Bowhunt or Die Web Show over a decade ago. Todd Graf and Justin Zarr first met Maxfield while hunting with Scott and Angie Denny at Table Mountain Outfitters. Maxfield and Graf immediately connected with their entreprenurial spirit and vision to build a bowhunting brand.
Following that first meeting with Maxfield at Table Mountain, Graf and Zarr soon traveled to the Mathews headquarters in Wisconisin where Mathews became one of the 1st partners in the launch of the Bowhunt or Die Web Show. It wouldn’t have happened without the help of Joel Maxfield.Â
Check out the video below for an inspiring look at who Joel Maxfield is and the role he played in the launch and growth of the Mathews brand.
Catch Us If You Can
In the video above, Mathews Founder and CEO, Matt McPherson, reflects on the growth that he and Maxfield experienced back in the early days of the brand.Â
“The ‘Catch us if you can’ slogan came at a time we were growing super fast,” says McPherson. “It was our way of saying we’re gonna continue doing this, we’re gonna continue being innovative, and we’re gonna continue to be running and not walking.”Â
McPherson knew that being a quality business, built with a focus on putting people first, would go a long way. And that’s exactly why Maxfield was such a good fit. “We knew that if we put people first, the business would follow, and Joel was already on that page,” says McPherson.
Business began to boom in the mid-90’s, and Mathews quickly began to find their place at the top of the podium in the 3D archery world. They began to dominate tournament archery competition in the mid-90’s and have continued to do so to this day.Â
“Honestly, to me Joel has always been the face of Mathews,” says Darren Collins of Mathews. “He’s mostly responsible for an incredible team of pro shooters and pro hunters.”
Even today, in 2022, the top pro 3D shooters are winning with a Mathews bow in hand.Â
On behalf of the Bowhunting.com team, we offer a big thanks to Joel and the crew at Mathews for the friendships, partnership, and the vision for greatness in the archery and bowhunting community.Â
Be sure to visit the Mathews website for a look at all the latest bows, stories, and what’s coming next. www.mathewsinc.com