Hunting Knife Recommendations

[patience0830]

Knives of Alaska makes a smaller knife I think they call the cub. I've used mine on every deer I've killed in the last 15 yrs. Just the right size. Grip texture and material keep it firmly in hand, even when bloody.

Not sure what the cost is these days, but I think they use two different options for steel now.

 

[Jeepster48439]

I've got a Schrade 125OT as my go to for deer hunting. It is a folder, but I have used it for over 40 years. I use it for both field dressing and skinning. I do carry a custom made, 4" drop point fixed blade, but it rarely comes out of the sheath.

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

I've had this one over 20 years but I bet they are still under 20 bucks. The tip is a little sharp and I was gonna reshape it some, but I just learned to be careful gutting. The gut hook definitely didn't work good on the one I tried

+1 for the sharpfinger. Carry one myself, and around this time can be found paired with another knife in a holiday set for sub-$20

 

[Hookeye]

Ran a home built kit knife modified for a couple decades. Worked great.
Did a deer w my CRKT M21 once.
No prob except w cleanup.
The JW knife I mentioned is bigger than I like, and the handle straight. Works fine but takes some getting used to ( did a few dozen w a diff knife ).

My next knife will be a Behring drop point w stag grip. Close to 400 bucks.
I just want one.

 

[Hookeye]

My hunting bud runs an old Sharpfinger.
Drives a newer vehicle than me too.
Lots of stuff does a good job, but may fit/ feel better to some than others.
Dunno how adaptable a person can be.

 

[Hookeye]

My deer are dressed in under 8 mins w no blood past my wrists. None on clothes.
No sawing pelvis or ribs. Knife goes along side of sternum easily. And you can pull that other stuff through the pelvis. No need for a saw.

Yet some folks think they need em.

 

[Hookeye]

A sharp sturdy knife w 3.5 to 4" blade should be dandy

 

[Hookeye]

Used the Worksharp field tool to sharpen some broadheads. Worked great. Just sayin

 

[johntheplinker]

As inexpensive as the Mora's are it might not even be worth sharpening them.

Yea, they are that cheap! Bad thing is, they never dull when I have a spare available.

 

[ISP 5353]

I know it is a folder, but a Buck 110 is a pretty classic deer knife.

 

[yetti462]

I like my remington big game.

 

[The Dawg]

I carry a Morakniv. It's done everything I ever asked of it.

 

[thelefthand]

What exactly do you plan on doing with the knife? I know you said deer hunting, but is that field dressing, or also skinning and processing?

I've used a LOT of knives over the years, and made a few of my own as well. Of all the knives I've used my dad's 4" Buck knife is the absolute best. Great for both field dressing and skinning. Gut hooks on the blade are useless. If you want a gut hook, get one that is a dedicated gut hook. I would recommend something similar to a Wyoming Knife. Add a 4" and 6" fillet knife to cover processing work. I use the generic Rapala's you can get from Walmart.

 

[dnurk]

If you’re looking for knives to process deer I can highly recommend one of these kits. Blades are decent quality and we have done a lot of deer with one of these kits. I do carry a custom made knife for field dressing just for sentimental reasons as this kit isn’t intended for field dressing.

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/pro...n=CI&msclkid=760a5388f5ae1286e6510c3d62d80234

 

[bobjones223]

So I wanted to try a gut hook for skinning but didn't want to spend the cash until I knew if It was for me.

I went out and got a pack of the shingle hook blades for a utility knife for a couple of deer.

I really liked how easy it made skinning and also reduced the amount of fur left on the meat.

Once I knew I liked using the gut hook for skinning I went out and got one of these because I didn't want to change my skinning knife out.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WZXHB52/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

After receiving it I took and angle grinder and removed the glass breaker from the front.

It comes with its own case that I just throw in the bag....Keep in mind I use this during the gutting process but it makes skinning WAY EASIER!!!

You just run it down the center and out the legs like a zipper!

 

[teddy12b]

Every year I take a couple options with me just to play with as I'm a knife nerd to an extent. I only field dress my deer and then I take it to a butcher for them to do all the smart work. I also do a bad hack job, and get blood up to my elbows, then usually when loading the deer in a truck or hitch hauler basket I usually get some on me there too. I'm a hack at field dressing deer, there's no getting around it.

The last two years the knife I've found myself gravitating to is an Esee Izulla II. I think it's just the right size with slicing around inside the chest cavity. The standard knife & sheath can be found in the $60 - $70 range and I know that's more than you wanted to spend, but I don't think you'd regret it one bit. Check facebook groups and you can find deals on mint condition knives that guys are trying to offload. I like a Mora knife, but I've never used one on deer. Next year a "mora light my fire knife" will get put in the rotation to see how I like that.