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How to Choose the Best Deer Hunting Knives

How to Choose the Best Deer Hunting Knives

If you're a whitetail hunter, that also means you're a knife owner. Some kind of blade has been the deer hunter's sidekick since before man even invented a belt to hang it on or a pocket to slide it into.

But despite thousands of years of refinement in knife making and hunting, untold numbers of sportsmen still don't have a clue what separates a good blade from a bad one. They carry knives, all right, but in many cases they're not only dull but also fundamentally unsuited to the task.

In the world of cutlery, to be ideal for one job is to be at least somewhat ill-suited for another. Each knife is a compromise. A big knife provides more leverage, while a small one gets into tighter spots and provides a more delicate touch. Extremely hard steel wards off bone and other obstacles longer before dulling, but softer steel is easier for most folks to sharpen. A flimsy blade is great for working around bone, but it's of little use when forcing your way through an old buck's pelvis or even rib cartilage. Everything is a tradeoff.

Now, factor in this reality: In the long run, most hunting knives spend less of their working lives slicing game than performing other tasks. A hunter often finds himself needing to trim a small branch hanging over a trail, slice a section of pull-up rope or even open rations at camp (because somebody once again forgot the can opener). The list of potential needs for a knife is almost endless. If you don't believe that, try leaving yours at home.

One solution might be something that doesn't exist: a magnum version of the old Swiss Army knife. But make this tool big enough to do serious work in the deer woods and you'd practically need your very own Sherpa to lug it around for you. Fortunately, you don't need every kind of knife with you when you're in the field. You just need to have access to a given knife, in good working condition, when you reach the part of the venison-preparation process for which it's best suited. Much of that overall process occurs far from the woodlot where you gut your buck.

So do you want a single utilitarian knife for whitetail hunting, or would you prefer having a number of specialty blades? Not everyone will answer in the same way, because not all are equally involved in the process of turning a deer into dinner. Those who simply want to eviscerate the animal before turning it over to a professional meat cutter or Uncle Gary to process have simpler knife needs than do those engaged throughout the process.

With all of this in mind, let's look at some solid variations on the general concept of a deer knife. These definitely aren't the only good ones out there, but they've all proved themselves worthy of continued use by many whitetailers across the land.

Fixed Blades

Before I get into fixed blade knives that work well in the deer woods, let me point out some obvious ones that don't. That list begins with grossly oversized blades, including those of the legendary Bowie design. Will they get the entrails out of a deer? Sure. Do they work well? Not really. For whitetails, a blade much longer than 4 inches tends to be more of a problem than a solution. Leave the really big knives to the movie prop guys in Hollywood. Same goes for many survival knives.

For field dressing deer, one of the problems with many big knives — knives of all sizes, in fact — is they feature a clip point blade design. The sharp, thin tip lies above the spine, making it literally the first point of contact with the target. This almost invites you to nick some part of the digestive tract behind the diaphragm as you open the body cavity. Plus, a deer dead for even an hour — perhaps sooner in hot weather — often has significant gas pressure in its paunch. There's little to no gap in which to operate, so it doesn't take much of a slip to make a mess.

The so-called drop point blade minimizes this problem. Wherever you choose to make the initial cut on the deer's belly, a drop point blade greatly reduces the chance of accidentally pushing through both the skin and the surface of the organs beneath. A drop point blade isn't quite as sharp on the tip, but you really don't need a sharp-tipped knife for dressing out a deer. Plus, thin tips simply aren't as strong as thicker ones.

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Today, almost every knife company has multiple drop point models in its line. Pick one with a good blade, about 2 to 4 inches long, and you'll be able to eviscerate any whitetail on earth. If you want a specific suggestion, look a few proven models below.

Folders

I've always liked a folding knife. My dad — a meat cutter and cowboy by vocation, and hunter by avocation — never went anywhere without his Schrade in the right front pocket of his jeans. Daddy and Schrade both have been gone for nearly a decade now, but what they both found appealing about the concept of a folding knife still applies. If you don't mind the minor hassle of cleaning the blood, fat, meat and hair out of a folder — especially one with multiple blades — once the gutting is done, they can be handy in the deer woods.

A Word on Gut Hooks

I wonder, on occasion, if some hunters like gut hooks because blades of this type look like something they'd hand you when you walk into a biker bar. My own ambivalence about gut hooks has nothing to do with image. When a gut hook is part of a knife's main blade, sometimes I find it simply gets in my way.

A standard gut hook can be hard to sharpen once it dulls. That said, for the specific task of unzipping the belly of a deer without busting a gut, this feature can be a huge help. One of the best products out there is the Wyoming Knife, which is detailed in the gallery below.

Boning It Out

Once a deer is skinned and ready for final processing, another specialized knife design rises to the top of the list: the boning knife. More like a filet knife for fish than what most sportsmen would call a hunting knife, the boning knife has a flexible blade that makes it quite handy for removing meat from a carcass.

All that being said, be sure to take a look at the best deer hunting knives right now:

Grohmann D.H. Russell Canadian Belt Knife

The Russell Canadian belt knife has been around for more than a half-century, and for good reason: It just keeps getting the job done. While big and rugged enough for taking on moose and other really big game, it isn't cumbersome for whitetails.

Price: $96

Wyoming Knife

When Carl Addis introduced this product many years ago, I opened a lot of hunters' eyes to the concept of using a gut hook on big game. There are now many more gut hook-equipped knives on the market. The Wyoming Knife incorporates super sharp, replaceable blades on both its gut hook and separate main blade. While not designed for a wide range of camp duties, this product does well at getting you through the field dressing process in a hurry.

Price: $25

Victorinox Hunter Pro Folding Blade

New this year, Victorinox Swiss Army introduced the Hunter Pro folding knife. The Hunter Pro is the newest member of the Victorinox Swiss Army Outdoor Collection and is made for rugged conditions and easy one-hand use. With a 4-inch stainless steel blade and an ergonomic grip for any weather condition, the Hunter Pro is exactly the kind of knife you want in a survival situation.

Price: $80

Benchmade 585 Mini Barrage

As one of the premier knife makers in the world, you know what you're getting when you buy a Benchmade. Combine that with an exclusive offer from Cabela's, the World's Foremost Outfitter, and you've got the Benchmade 585 Mini Barrage knife.

Available in an orange, molded and ultra-durable Valox handle, the 585 comes with a black or stainless finish drop-point blade with ambidextrous thumb studs. It's the perfect carry knife for any outdoorsman and is built to last. Whether you're doing some work around the house or hunting out in the woods, the 585 is a great buy for Father's Day.

Price: $140

SOG HuntsPoint Boning Knife

As a maker of military grade knives and tools, SOG also knows its way around the outdoorsman's toolbox. Its new HuntsPoint boning knife belongs to its purpose-driven line of hunting knives, made with co-molded handles and stainless steel that takes a beating.

As a dad, this is the kind of knife that makes you smile. The touch of orange on the handle makes it visible in the wild, and the leather sheath keeps it fastened to your hip in the worst of conditions. This is the big game hunter's ideal belt knife.

Price: $80

Buck Model 110

The Buck Model 110, a classic folder that turned 50 in 2013, has held up far better in that span than some of us hunters have. With a durable frame and extremely solid lock-back feature — a big plus for safety and rigidity in the field — the 110 has always been a winner with hunters.

It's a bit bulky and heavy to be a true pocketknife, but not at all cumbersome in its belt sheath. For those who like folders but don't want too short of a blade, the 110 does a fine job of bridging the gap between diminutive pocket models and clunky fixed-blade hunters.

Price: $40

DiamondBlade Goddard Traditional Hunter

The DiamondBlade Goddard Traditional Hunter drop point model is made with friction forging, which results in a hard, tough blade. If you're looking for a rugged, no-nonsense knife to be your hunting buddy for years to come, check it out.

Price: $475

Havalon Piranta

Do you have trouble making delicate, precise cuts when caping a buck? Don't know how to put a great edge on a skinning blade? Get a Havalon Piranta and say adios to both issues. With its 2.75-inch stainless steel blade, the Piranta might sound wimpy, but for caping and skinning — as well as slicing a deer's soft belly tissue while maintaining total control — it's downright manly. You're literally operating with a blade sharp enough to make a surgeon smile. Dulling isn't an issue, either — just pop in a fresh #60XT blade as needed. The Piranta isn't made for hacking bone, but it's great for those parts of the hunt that demand an ultra-sharp blade. This makes it an affordable, can't-miss choice.

Price: $35

Dexter-Russell 1375 Boning Knife

My brother, Sam Whittington — who has processed thousands of whitetails over the years — says if he had to pick just one knife for this job, it would be the Dexter-Russell 1375 HBR. I can't argue with that. The wide, limber blade lets you remove backstraps and other main cuts, as well as all the trimmings, with little effort or wasted venison. When not being used to make short work of a deer carcass, the 1375 HBR also is great for many kitchen tasks.

Price: $20




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