Field Dressing Tools

[DBake]

What tools do you use to field dress your trophy?

[boneaddict]

A sharp knife.

[Hunting Cowboy]

A sharp knife.

Exactly! I carry two Case LSSP 2159 lock blade knives and a stone for sharpening.

For caping, I have a small taxidermy kit

When elk hunting I will carry a Camp Ax - (a small hatchet), and a small folding saw for breaking down into managable sized loads.

[boneaddict]

Gerber saw for cutting off legs, which can be done with a knife if you know what you are doing, and for skull caping.  Had to use an ax on the moose.  Just easier.

[GoldTip]

I carry a caping knife and a skinning knife and a wyoming saw.

[Coasthunterjay]

  Heres what i use 



just joking, just my handy knife and friends.........

[DBake]

Heres what i use 



just joking, just my handy knife and friends.........

I got to get me one of those!

You guys prefer fixed or folding knifes? Do saws and axes serve the same purpose?

Just a heads up, I have never been hunting before. I have become more interested in hunt in the recent years, as I am starting to put together my own hunting gear.

[addicted]

when i used a folding blade it was hard to clean out all the nooks and crannys. i got a kershaw interchangable blade system as a gift and it worked pretty darn good this year. IMO.

[boneaddict]

MANY deer have been field dressed with a folding blade, but I use a fixed blade. 

[high country]

I keep a gerber axe in my camp or truck, but mostly I just use this-

http://www.knife.com/product_p/53642.htm

everything I need. saw, sharp as hell locking blade, best gutting blade ever made, and the swiss army toothpick/tweezers......a backpacking perfection for the hunter.

I have a schitt load of knives including a bunch of customs and the swiss army hunter is my go to knife....if I lose it I am out 30 bux.

as for cleaning a folder-some good ol' hot water is all I use, just spray out the gooey goodness and be done.

[tmike]

A couple of sharp knives and a sharpener. Be careful on the folding blades when they gum up they may not lock. I almost found out the hard way.

[Hunting Cowboy]

when i used a folding blade it was hard to clean out all the nooks and crannys. i got a kershaw interchangable blade system as a gift and it worked pretty darn good this year. IMO.

As in most cases with hunting gear......to each his own. I have never made claim that this was the best knife for the job, but I have field dressed and caped a lot of animals over the years and it's what I learned using and what I've become a custom too using. I have tried many knives and own many including fixed blades. I am very comfortable and efficient using this particular Case knife. It has a little different blade design and IMHO better steel than my Buck 110 folding knife. My advise would be use what works for you, get good at it then you can depend on it.

as for cleaning a folder-some good ol' hot water is all I use, just spray out the gooey goodness and be done.

Agreed!

[addicted]

As in most cases with hunting gear......to each his own............. My advise would be use what works for you, get good at it then you can depend on it.

there ya go. thats probably the best advice on alot of things

[gray brow]

I use a folding Buck finger groove lock back.  Hard steel.  When properly sharpened, and I don't drag it across too much bone or cut too much hair, it pretty much handles an animal without need to resharpen.  If it needs a touch up, the Buck Steel in my pack sharpens it up fast.  Probably been using that knife for 15 - 16 years, now.  Tough knife.

Other than that, I carry a Wyoming II in the nylon case, which I think ends up lighter than my shorter, original Wyoming saw in the leather case.  The II curls around the bottom of my fanny pack like it was designed to go there.  These II saws are nice because they have a long, honest to goodness meat saw blade you can really work with.  Even the shorter original Wyoming beats hell out of the folding saws, in my opinion; I tried a few of the new fangled folders but they just weren't tought or efficient enough for me after I used the first Wyoming I had.

But, hey, any saw works better than no saw. 

[LongTatLaw]

From elk to deer to boar to bear to coyote... same 4 items.

One meat pack with padded hip belt and sternum strap (80$ sportsmans warehouse)
one hatchet - 7$ at walmart
one hand saw that folds up that doubles as a skull cap cutter by afternoon and treestand limb cutter by morning
One very sharp knife

The hatchet and saw is permanently attached to the meat pack and only removed for cleaning and cutting. Several knives in a sack attached to meat pack.

I use the knife for cutting and cape the skull right there on the scene. Then use saw to remove skull cap with horns but removing the cape from the skull isnt fast unless your well practiced and slow means just cape to the neck and then cut the head off. To remove the head no saw or hatchet is required... just cut a gash in the meat ect and then give the head about 3 full turns and it pops right off.

The hatchet I use for brute force on legs and hips where a saw will do the same job in a softer but slower way.

The hatchet does better for removing ribs for eating as well.

IMO

[robodad]

I know this thread is old but do any of you have any thoughts on the "Butt Out" or have any of you used it and what do you think. I don't have one but I would try anything to make that part of the job easier !! 

[MountainWalk]

KOA muskrat
plain ol pocket knife
handmade fixed blade
gerber folder
20 ft of rope

[cackle]

gutted my elk this year with an inch and a half long oldtimer went for a load of wood on opening day late archery on the way back to camp there was a cow standin broadside at 40 yards on the side of the road bad choice. i double lunged her my buddy shot her in the ass she went bout 50 yards and done. im like anybody got a knife and out of four of us no one had brought their pack. tuffy had the old timer didnt even want to try to use it. so we tried to get her whole onto the tail gate (the whole truck was full of rounds) but couldnt do it so went at her with the pinkie sized oldtimer got most of the guts out and got her on the tailgate and were back in camp laughin by dark. but i carry a kershaw blade trader in my pack and has done a great job on other animals.

[ICEMAN]

robo, that buttout tool looks a bit gimmicky to me.... I have always had no prob circling the poopster with a thin blade, and pulling all out thru the inside....

Then again... I envision making a new tool, the "butt yanker", out of a slide hammer and a dog tie out screw. Screw that baby in, and start slamming! Crap, you may not even have to gut the damn thing!? Just yank it all out thru the vent? I will let you know how it works...

[robodad]

Iceman I am with you, a bit gimmicky for me too however I did buy one and I give it to my friend who has colon cancer and was about to go in for his colostomy surgery LOL !!

Lucky for me he was a good sport about the whole thing. 

Yeah Let me know when you get the "Butt Yanker" on the market, I might have to get one for my buddy if the plastic fantastic don't work !!!  LOL

[ICEMAN]

...I did buy one and I give it to my friend who has colon cancer and was about to go in for his colostomy surgery LOL !!:chuckle: LOL

Holy$heit Robo, I just about sprayed coffee out of my nose on that one!!! That is really funny! 

[PacificNWhunter]

Fixed blade knife and a folding bone saw.

[Coasthunterjay]

robo, that buttout tool looks a bit gimmicky to me.... I have always had no prob circling the poopster with a thin blade, and pulling all out thru the inside....

Thats pretty much what i have always done for deer.....I do the gutless method for the larger animals(elk) with my dad. Never shot an elk so i havenmt been able to do it for myself yet.

But i am really quick at gutting so the Cutting around the ole PoOPer is A-OK with me......

[Elknut1]

  When taking care of your downed animal whether it's a deer or an elk having the needed items to do this are as important as having the needed calls or ones weapon on his elk hunt!

  Safety is always a big concern for myself & others that may be with us!  Hatchets have their place in the right hands for certain parts of taking care of ones critter. Thing is, most guys are not skilled in wielding a sharp hatchet around. If you're a mile to 5 miles back & you're going to use one be sure you know what you're doing, a slip or a glancing blow can really suck if you take one in your shin/leg or hand/fingers. Believe me crap happens especially if you have little experience in using one?

  I'd feel more comfortable recommending a good saw such as a WY Saw where it can do everything you need in leg & antler removal with little to no chance of injury far from nearest roads. Also your bones are fractured  & jagged looking where cuts to you or your bags may occur.  Too, you need good game bags that will take care of your meat once critter is down. Tough light weight ones are needed so you can carry 4 of them to handle meat once down. Allen Outfitter game bags will fill this need easily. I've used them better than 10 years & can recommend them whole heartedly.
  If interested in what these things are or look like, I have a Video Clip out on them. You can see it on our Site  www.elknut.com  click on "Video Clips"  Have a great day!

  ElkNut1

[Slider]

WOW!!! I have tried everything through the years. I have settled on a quality folding knife and an Allen Saw. This saw is very inexpensive and very light!!! It fits on your belt but I toss the saw and the knife in my pack!!!

[ICEMAN]

I have an old Outers (?) version of that saw, gotta be 25years old... Sort of a crappy saw, bends a bit if you lean on it, the steel sort of looks dirty, hard to keep polished or sterile looking. Damn I love my saw!

I looked at the fancy schmancy one my buddy carries, and BFD, mine is better! Good choice Slider!

[huntnphool]

I am given a lot of chit for the amount of knives I carry but they always shut up when they need to borrow one because their "multipurpose" knife doesn't do the job

[Red Dawg]

I got a knive. What else do you need in the field. got everything else back at camp.

[Wea300mag]

WOW!!! I have tried everything through the years. I have settled on a quality folding knife and an Allen Saw. This saw is very inexpensive and very light!!! It fits on your belt but I toss the saw and the knife in my pack!!!

I used one of those a few times, what a knuckle buster. I like the Wyoming saw, some assembly required, but is works much better.

[wannahunt]

Here what I carry. I leave the rechargeable saw at home when I'm deer hunting. The power saw wieghs less then my bigger knife so I don't mind packing it. The gutting blade is a little small for elk but works great on deer. I take a Wyoming knife along when I'm elk hunting.

[Alchase]

Slider, I use to carry every tool I could think of "just in case" I needed it. As I get older pack weight is more important. On day hunts for field dressing I have settled for "two" high quality non-folding knifes, Allen saw (mostly for knobbing the knees of deer to drag easier). Elk hunting I add a sharp ax and game bags.

Other gear include flashlights (I have many mini-mags and a LED light, LED hat light in my pack), drag harness, parashoot cord, survey tape, first aid kit, zip ties, leatherman multi tool, three or four lighters in different pockets inside ziplock baggies, emergency fire starter, a couple glow sticks (emergency use), extra "D" rings (make good pulleys for hanging meat). GPS, range finder,  two way radio,lots of water, food.

[cascademountainhunter]

my sharp buck knife

[chukar-ridge-quest]

As long as the blade is sharp, any knife will do.  Just don't run the blade on any hair, your golden.  If you need to pack a saw,  ENOUGH said.  Never packed one, unless it's late archery elk, and I want to cut a Christmas tree

[wastickslinger]

I have been using the Kershaw Alaskan Blade Trader the past few years. Good knife, saw and skinner(with the handy gut hook) all in one sheath. My brother in law had issues with his blades coming out of the locking mechanism. I have not had any issues with mine. I like it because it is all in one and compact. The metal is a bit soft, I carry a small steel with me too.