What knife do you prefer for field dressing a deer?

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  • teddy12b

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    I'm just curious what other people like to use when field dressing their deer. I'm not trying to start some kind of a flame throwing thread of mines better than yours kind of thing but, just genuinely curious what other people use since I always do a hack job of field dressing deer and this year was no exception. I'm not going to blame or give credit to the knife for me doing a bad job, I just found that this year got me thinking I should ask people with more experience than myself.

    Normally I just make one cut on the lower belly, then slice up the gut trying not to cut open any intestines. Once I hit the sternum I baton through it with the knife so I can finish off some stuff up top. Once that's all done, I finish off the lower end work and call it a day. I don't fully process the deer myself, I just drop it off to a butcher.

    The knife I used this year was a Jeff White butcher and it's is a great outdoors knife, but I found myself wishing it'd been a little shorter, and more of a sharp point. Not complaining by any means, just thinking of what to use for next year. The knife I used last year was a JG custom and it's only an inch or so shorter, but that made it that much more maneuverable inside the chest cavity. I tend to always think I need or want a big sturdy knife, but my plan for next year is probably just going to be taking my little esee JG3 or something that size.
     

    bwframe

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    Last 3 were done with an ESEE 4. I didn't cut the sternum or pelvis in the field.

    I'm looking at brighter colors for my field/skinning/butcher knives. More and more I like my sharp tools not blending into wherever I might lay them down.
     

    saintnick81

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    I just use a cheap winchester with a gut hook and a butt out tool. I don't cut the sternum or the pelvis. Sharpen it after each deer.
     

    ghuns

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    Old Buck 112.

    Have a newer 110, slightly longer blade, no finger grooves, it sucks. Won't hold an edge for anything.
     

    teddy12b

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    I'm looking at brighter colors for my field/skinning/butcher knives. More and more I like my sharp tools not blending into wherever I might lay them down.

    I'm getting to be that way myself. I didn't do it this time, but I usually either use some orange paracord in the lanyard hole, or just wrapping whatever the item is in an orange piece of duct tape. I've got an esee 4 in the woods right now that the next time I go looking for I'll be bringing a leaf blower and magnetic roller. :(
     

    patience0830

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    Not far from the tree
    Small Knives if Alaska. Model # escapes me. You can do it with a small Case sodbuster, and I have. I find a short blade and a good slip resistant handle cause me less grief than a longer blade.
     

    Hookeye

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    I use a 3.5" fixed blade drop point. Its done over 70 deer.
    Last yr I used my CRKT folder M21
    Got a Jeff white Bush 3 to run this yr.

    I don't cut the pelvis (no need) but do cut along the sternum (cartilage) through the ribs.
    Easy.

    No need to baton, saw or anything else. Just minor saw like action with forward pressure, pop pop pop pop.
    No big deal.

    Never nicked a gut either.

    Takes 5 mins tops, no blood past wrists.

    Have seen folks take 2 or 3 times that long and hack the poor deer to shreds.
    I'd be embarrassed for doing such a crappy job.

    IMHO doing it well shows respect for the critter, but maybe that's just me.

    Amazing, how folks who have done deer for yrs, OK job.............can just one yr forget and turn into absolute hacks on a field dressing.
    Scary.

    Saw some horrible stuff come into check ins/processors.
    I don't understand sloppy work.
     
    Last edited:

    Hookeye

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    My knives are wicked sharp.
    Plus I carry an "Accusharp" to keen one up if need be (does a rolled edge, usable, but not ideal IMHO).
    Supposedly simplifies sharpening.
    Have seen folks use them, and think their knife sharp..........and they didn't even use the simple tool correctly.
    A neat field dressing job requires a sharp knife.
    No sense making it a mess and taking more work than needed.
    Keep it sharp and just be careful.
    Fighting stuff is when folks get nailed.

    Also, if you have a helper...........make sure they stay the hell out of the way, not leaning in, putting hands in the cavity...........just hold the front legs apart, standing a bit back.

    Not only are some folks sloppy, they're dangerous too.
     

    dak109

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    Been using an older Buck 110 until this year. Using an even older Buck 112. I still take the 110. I wasn't sure I would like the smaller blade, turns out I prefer it.
     

    ilikeguns

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    Small, sharp blade with a non slip handle. No need for anything big and beefy, in fact a long knife is a hindrance. I don't like gut hooks, a plain blade has always worked faster/easier for me.
     

    x10

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    US gun/knife guys sometimes give too much credit to the tool when all these things we like to do are a skill and the skill of the tradesman behind the tool is what really counts, A good quality 3-4 inch drop point knife will do almost any job out there. I have to say the old schrade's, bucks, and such were great knifes but a lot of the new customs are really shining, I know I'm behind the times but my blind horse knife has really good steel and will hold an edge throughout several deer or hogs.

    Just for fun lst year I butchered 1 deer with my estwing hatchet just to see if it could be done
     

    Chase515

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    I used a SOG Huntspoint Saturday on the doe I shot. The orange handle was easy for me to see when I was cutting, sitting the knife down and pulling, picking up and cutting some more. I left it on the ground when I went back to my jeep to retrieve my canteen and rinse off my hands and knife, it stuck out like a sore thumb. I keep a back up cold steel Pendleton lite hunter in my back pack while hunting.
     

    nascarfantoo

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    Was very fond of my Benchmade Hunter until I took advice from a few people on-line. As back-ups I bought a couple Mora knives (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EAL0TVA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Tried one this weekend on a buck and have to say it is awesome, especially for $15. Out of the box it was extremely sharp which my finger can attest to. Can't say how they hold an edge (only been through 1 deer) or how they sharpen. I bought 1 in lime green and 1 in magenta so that they would be hard to lose.
     

    x10

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    I have 2 mora knives and I've used them butchering hogs and they are OK they take a good edge but they don't hold it as well as a true quality knife but for the money they are probably the best bang for you buck just don't think they are going to compare to a true quality knife


    one of the ones I got it had a pretty bad edge from the factory and when I looked at it under magnification the edge was way off center whoever ground it did not have much experience but I reground it and it worked out
     
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