Which tools for field dressing and cleaning?
Hi all. New hunter here. I'm just wondering what most of you hunters who backpack in and out take with you for field dressing and cleaning a kill. Let's assume we are talking deer, pig, or bear.
Obviously a knife is a necessity but I've seen a lot of people using hack saws and hatchets too. I know weight is always an issue and every pound counts ao I'm wondering if most people haul that kind of equipment in when backpacking or just make due with a simple knife?
Dust feeder.. you might want to move this to the backpack hunting, but to answer your question I just use a knife, thought about getting a "Wyoming Saw" but I can't justify the weight of carrying it so if I get it it will stay in the quad box or truck to use when I get my animal back to camp.
A knife is all you need. A double bladed knife is nice because it gives you twice as much sharpened edge. Then you can use one blade for the cape and the other for the gutting and quartering.
You might want to bring a pocket sharpener with you as well.
A small tarp is nice also, which allows you to keep the carcass out of the dirt while you are working on it.
A heavy duty cloth game bag is of course essential, to keep the quartered or boned meat clean and blot away the blood.
Plastic gloves are great too.
Last edited by Shoobee; 07-30-2012 at 09:17 AM.
Havalon knife plus extra blades
Game Bags
Game Cleaning Gloves - Elbow length
That is the basic system for getting it done. There are numerous other items that may make it easier or more convenient. However, I carry these items because I like to reduce the weight in my pack and leave room for the meat on the way out.
Originally Posted by nexus
Havalon knife plus extra blades
Game Bags
Game Cleaning Gloves - Elbow length
That is the basic system for getting it done. There are numerous other items that may make it easier or more convenient. However, I carry these items because I like to reduce the weight in my pack and leave room for the meat on the way out.
What he said...plus some cordage in case you hafta hang some stuff and make multiple trips. Bears are a bear to haul out.
Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.
The U.S. city with the most restrictive gun laws in the nation, Washington, D.C., has the highest murder rate at 24 per 100,000. The state with the most unrestrictive gun regulations, Vermont, has the lowest murder rate at 0.48 per 100,000.
That don,t look safe, i will stick with a "Fixed" blade, just my 2bit's.
Like Nexus pointed out a Havalon piranta with extra blades, game bags in case I need to hang the meat (I seldom use them), a good knife and a Wyoming saw (the small packable one) for cutting through the skull plate and keeping the tagged antlers. I use heavy duty white trash compactor bags and bone the meat out on the spot, as long as I cool the meat within about 4 hours (temperature dependent) it is not necessary to air the meat (as in using a game bag). My usual routine is to de-bone the meat, put it in the plastic bags and pack it to camp where I can cool it in the shade or in a cool creek, eat and then pack it to the truck and a awaiting ice chest. I've never had a single scrap spoil. The heavy duty trash compactor bag rarely get holes and they keep your pack clean; it's a big plus in bear country. With the way I go about it, I leave the game bags in camp unless it's really hot and I think I might need to hang the meat in the shade around the harvest site.
Shoot. I meant to Post this in the Backpacking section. Can I request for an admin to move it??
Regardless, thanks for the tips. I already had gloves, game bags, and a tarp on the list, mainly wondering about cutlery. Without a saw can you still cut the scull cap and lower legs off or do you end up hauling the whole head and full length legs out?
Not sure if anyone as used the Cutco Drop Point feels knife, I love mine. Have used it on three hogs and still as sharp as the day I bought it. They claim you only have to have it sharpened over 2 years or so.
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Field dressing (quartering in my case) involves:
rubber gloves
paracord (helps keep the animal from sliding downhill if on steep slope)
Alaska game bags (rolled type for quarters)
and of course, one of my custom knives similar to the one below :-)
P.S.. I carry a small bone saw with me but kinda gave up using it.. sawing through leg bone is actually pretty tough and can work up a good sweat.. I find it easier to simply use my knife to cut the tendons/ligaments around the knee joint to separate it.
Yes I forgot the paracord. Once had an elk tumble down a hill and get wedged behind a small sapling. Had to use the cord to secure the damn thing to a nearby tree to keep it from going over a 40-50 foot ledge about 10 feet down the hill. No fun, but the cord was a life saver. Sounds like SpiritWalker has had similar adventures.
Never carried a saw for smaller game like deer, just always planned on caping it out for identification and mounting purposes. When deciding what goes into my pack, I like to try and limit the weight and rely on the same items regardless of the distance from my vehicle (local or back country). Otherwise I become an equipment junky and start purchasing and loading up all the new and better widgets.
11 pigs, 150 calf ears, 75 casterations, 3 coyotes and several head skinnings for mounts. Its also my dinner knife. Stays in my pocket everyday. Its still new though. I use a wire rope for pelvic bones and a diamond flat two sided sharpener.
DISCLAIMER: some of the things I say may be unfiltered, offensive, or even complete B.S.
There is always someone around everywhere who has a Cutco. Same as Buck; there is always someone who has a Buck too.
Strictly compared to a fixed blade, nothing else is safe.
But safe is relative.
I like having the 2 blades on it, all sharpened and ready to go.
It functions as a fixed blade knife, just that you have 2 blades available at any time.
I know I know, new-fangled gear always looks tricky.
What do you mean By wire rope for pelvic bones?
They sell this little wire survival saws, not much more than a wire with a ring on each side. The wire has some abrasive stuff embedded in it. You pull on the rings, back and forth and the wire cuts thru the bone.
they also make them for PVC pipe. Pretty nifty and just a weigh an once or two. Here's an example:
http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/16su...FaQaQgodERMAHQ
Life's short . . . Hunt hard
Why tip-toe quietly through life, only to arrive safely at death ?
I'll definitely p/u one of those! That's along the lines of what I was picturing. I've seen something similar but with a handle and hack saw like frame used for woodworking.
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You need a saw to cut a skull cap, but you don't need any more than a knife to cut the hocks off the legs.
Mick
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Knife.
What itdann said. You can buy one at Big5 in the camping section. Weighs about an ounce. Cuts wood, bone and other bits.
DISCLAIMER: some of the things I say may be unfiltered, offensive, or even complete B.S.
haha, damn that sounds like a good knife.
Honestly, for everything except the skull cap, a nice folding knife will do it all. My buck 110 hunters, guts, skins and removes the legs without a problem.
No need for a saw to cut the pelvis....what for?
Folks always tell me that they use a hatchet or a saw to cut the pelvis and I can't figure out why.
P7260023.jpgP7260022.jpg
Life's short . . . Hunt hard
Why tip-toe quietly through life, only to arrive safely at death ?
I've always wondered that too. I hate getting bone chips and marrow in my meat. Tried that little hocking technique (knife only) on a BIG cow elk and it worked like a champ.
It's good to have a plan. That way you have something to change.......
Ive used one of these swing blades on the last six deer ive cleaned , they work great, pretty fast too once you get the hang of it.
Depends,..if your pack frame hunting wich i do a fair amount of,..i carry a wyo. saw, for cutting horns off, and used it for cutting poles to tie off boned out meat in sacks you have to leave over night,..well above the ground so bears, and yote can't reach it.If your hunting where you can drag your deer out or got lots of help,..you can get by with a pocket knife.Use to save the liver for the old man,..if the deer was fairly close,.gut him out,..throw the liver back in and sew up the belly with parachute cord, kept alot of debris out also.
Last edited by mod700; 09-02-2012 at 05:25 PM.
And of course, no processing kit is complete without the butt out tool!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zatFoVQb6xQ
This thing is THEE BOMB!
Life's short . . . Hunt hard
Why tip-toe quietly through life, only to arrive safely at death ?
Dan, I've seen it in the catalogs, but have never used the butt out tool. Last pig I gutted, I cut around the genitals and anus, loosened the system through the pelvis and then pulled it back through the cavity as I removed the entrails. How does the tool work? Is it a time saver or does it make the job easier?
Sorry, didn't realize I could click on the video.
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