Knife for elk, mule deer, bear

[lefteye]

Gerber Gator drop point folding knife became my favorite after several years. I have also used Buck folding knives. I preferred folding knives in the field because I'm short and didn't want a long knife on my belt or in my jacket or pack.

[TheLastGoodFight]

I am coming to the discussion late, I know, but I have to take a moment to promote Van Sickle Knives out of San Angelo Texas. Each are a handmade product made personally by Frank Van Sickle who will compose his work according to the buyers preferences and needs. There is a bit of a waiting list, and prices go from $89 to $300 depending on the details you ask for. If you send me a PM I'll email you a PDF of their online catalog.

[reinert]

I wanted to try something a bit different this year as far as cutlery goes in my hunting daypack. I always have had, and always will have, my Buck (#118; have had it for well over 30 years) fixed blade, and my Kershaw blade/saw change-out set in my pack.

This year I added a new knife, thinking batoning through the breast and pelvic bones might work well (experimenting) instead of the saw during field dressing. I used a Condor Final Frontier knife for this application on both my mule deer and cow elk this year; got my elk last Friday, and put that Condor knife through its paces on the breast and pelvic bones, using a stout pine stick for the baton. I didn't use any discretion abuse-wise on that knife, either, and used it any way I needed to use it to get the job done. I did get some very, very small chips out of the blade on the elk bones, and bent the very end-tip of the knife after the elk work. Again, I wanted to see what this new knife of mine could handle what I didn't want to put my old Buck knife through (again), though I can't say enough of what that old Buck has done for me in the past on elk, deer and antelope... and the Kershaw set.

Only for some final interior work on the elk did I use my dear old Buck knife, but for everything else on both that mulie buck and elk, I used that new Condor knife and it STAYED really sharp for both critters. It definitely has a permanent place in my daypack now along with my old Buck Personal and Kershaw set. The combined weight of all three knifes, sheaths included, comes to 1lb., 9ozs. That's easy essential weight in my pack knowing I have all I need for steel, for any application in the field. I do believe I'll get a hold of the Condor folks and quiz them on elk bones and blade chips before next season, though. All in all, that Condor Final Frontier knife is a good one, and a new keeper in the daypack.

http://www.knifecenter.com/item/CN24...frontier-knife

[Bottom Gun]

I bought a couple of Buck Big Sky knives years ago before Buck stopped production. They are the best skinning and all around hunting knives I have used. You can still find them but they are rather pricey now.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-BUCK-4...MAAOSw~CFY7m6a

[OzeanJaeger]

I use a tiny 2-3/4" Cub Bear caping knife that I power strop into a razor after every outing. I use it for everything but splitting bones. For that I use a sharpened hatchet.

Last weekend at deer camp all sorts of beautiful, big, $500 knives (including my Randal) sat in their sheaths on every belt, and my tiny little knife covered in thick blood, was passed from hand to bloody hand to dress deer after deer. With the double finger choils and that rubbery grip it always feels like you are in total control, and it never gets away from you no matter how covered in blood it or your hand and gets.

I've dressed and skinned many an animal with a "hunting knife" before watching a guide dress an Elk with this tiny caping knife. I was sold in the first thirty seconds and have never looked back.



https://www.knivesofalaska.com/item.asp?id=28