In your experiece with processing a deer? - Knife selection needed

[Yo Mama]

In your experience, which is a better/lighter/easier way to carry processing knives for say deer? My choices are a dedicated knife only, with gut hook on the tip. The other option is a combo set like this: http://www.summitknives.com/product_info.php?products_id=2767

This combo has a drop point knife without gut hook.

I'm stuck as I don't know if having a non-gut hook knife will help with easy of cutting?

Hope I made sense.

 

[stork]

Any 3" drop point knife is all you need, as long as it's razor sharp.

Several years ago I started carrying a small (fist sized) block & tackle and 4-5 of the heaviest duty 30-50 gal garbage bags I can find.

Upon tagging my deer/antelope, I hook onto a rear leg and hoist it into a tree limb with the block & tackle. Then skin the deer down to the neck. Double bag 2 of the garbage bags x2. Proceed to remove the front quarters (as long as they're not shot up), then the rear quarter that isn't being held by the block & tackle. Then I remove the backstraps and cut off the hide and head. The last to be cut from the carcass is the hind quarter that is holding the rest up. The whole process takes 10-15 minutes.

All the meat gets put into one set of the double bags and the head & hide get put into the other set. The bags slide a lot easier over terrain than trying to drag the entire deer. I also carry a Sagan saw to cut through any leg bones or neck bone that I can't cut through. If I had to go into an area that would require a long drag I carry one of those cheapie roll up kids sleds to pile on.

The above technique works as long as your local laws & ordinances allow it.

FWIW

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Any 3" drop point knife is all you need, as long as it's razor sharp.

This...with special emphasis on "SHARP"!

 

[CoRoMo]

I define field dressing (gutting, but sometimes skinning & quartering too) very differently than "processing".

I can field dress, skin, and quarter the animal with a sharp pocket knife, even a small one. Going through the sternum/rib joints is easier with a bigger, fixed blade.

I 'process' them in my kitchen, with some surplus/used knives I got from a beef packing plant, and a LEM grinder. They are awesome!

I have yet to try out a gut hook. I don't even know how I'd keep that little notch sharp, but the Outdoor Edge Swing Blade looks interesting.

 

[grubbylabs]

So far the only knife I have needed out in the field has been a buck 110. It has field dressed elk and deer without any issues. If you do it right there is no need to go through any bone at all unless you are trying to remove just he antlers.

For processing at home I went to our local butcher shop and bought a couple of used knives from them. And trust me when I say they are used, there is not much left of them. But the few times a year that I use them they work great for me.

For sharpening out in the field I us a DMT folding diamond honing tool it is only about 3-4 inches long when folded up and about 1 1/2 inches wide. I got it at an Ace hardware. It works great for re polishing your knife edge when you are going through a large elk or multiple deer. But I always use a honing steel on it at home or camp before I go out in the field. At home I have a longer diamond edged honing rod that I got from Lowe's and a honing steel from a cutlery set. If you practice rite you can get your knives sharp enough that you don't notices when you cut yourself.

 

[heeler]

For field use I use a Buck 110.
Enough weight to cut through the rib cage cartilage while field dressing and small enough to finish gutting the deer.
I have never wanted a knife with a gut hook personally.
I have skinned many deer with my 110 but I actually prefer the Schrade Sharp Finger for skining.
I use the 110 to quarter the animal and to remove the back strap and tender loins.

 

[Cemetery21]

Stork and grub nailed it. I also bone after quartering and use a fish fillet knife for that.

 

[atomchaser]

For processing (not field dressing), I use a 5 inch curved boning knife (Forschner about $15) and a hack saw. A sharping steel comes in handy to.

 

[UpTheIrons]

I guess it all depends on what you are doing where. I use only two knives from skinning to freezing - a Buck 691 drop-point blade with gut hook and a 7 1/2 inch Rapala filet knife. Keep them sharp, sharp, sharp.

But, I hunt on a lease where we bring the deer into camp to gut and quarter them, so your mileage may vary. We've got a good setup with a mounted block & tackle, cool rooms and lots of hanging space.

 

[Art Eatman]

"Sharp!" After that, I guess any blade around 3.5" or a tad more is plenty good. I've not seen where it makes much difference. Sharp. Always think sharp.

 

[flipajig]

I use a 4in drop point for field work for cutting for the grinder or steaks I use a felt knife