# What knife do you use to dress your birds??



## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

I am in the market for a nice knife for field dressing small game/upland birds. I figured that I would ask around and see what everyone else uses. I think I might want to go the "handmade" route this time and buy a knife off of a local (Michigan) custom knife maker. I know there are a few in the U.P (bark river etc) a guy in Bay city (Black forest blades) and a few others. I was at a hunting fishing show at the Gibralter trade center late last year and remember looking at knives made out of old Farriers files. the knives were very unique and very cool. I think the guy was from somewhere near Imlay city but for the life of me I cant think of his name.. 

Anyways.. any guys out there that use local knifemaker's knives to clean their birds or skin their game? 

Jeff


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## slammer (Feb 21, 2006)

I do not use one. I do the step on the wings and pull the legs then I use pruning shears to cut off the feet and any remaining stuff.


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## troutchops (Apr 15, 2005)

I got a LL Bean Marbles (made in Michigan) knife a few years back as a gift. Great knife that works for deer down to grouse. If you are in the market for a high end custom knife Randall makes a nice trout/bird knife with a stag handle.


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## Hoppe's no.10 (Sep 16, 2007)

If the only kind of game you will be using your knife on is small game then this is all the knife you will ever need:










When I started hunting I carried all sorts of belt knives and oversize pocket knives - They were all way to big and not very handy to use especially the belt knives - and I did own at one time a Randall Bird and Trout Knife - beautiful knife but again not very handy for small game. About five years ago I started carrying the above knife.


Hoppe's no.10


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## Tecumseh (Aug 13, 2004)

I don't use a knife either. I keep shears in my truck to cut the wings off and just pull the breast off.


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## slammer (Feb 21, 2006)

I went to Kansas about 10 years ago with a guy and a couple of his friends, one of them has been mentioned here a few times, Ed Martin. He presented the guy with the first limit a pocket knife that had a bird gutting hook on it. You pushed it up the read end and twisted and pulled and it was supposed to pull out most of the inards. I guess this would be helpful on long warm days to help the birds keep longer. I have looked a few times but never see them in the stores.


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## Hoppe's no.10 (Sep 16, 2007)

slammer said:


> He presented the guy with the first limit a pocket knife that had a bird gutting hook on it. You pushed it up the read end and twisted and pulled and it was supposed to pull out most of the inards.


Admittedly I've never used a knife with a gut hook. 

1. They only seem to be on upscale and very expensive pocket knives in Orvis catalogs and the like. Not the type of implement usually found on a knife in a sliding plexi-glass display case at your local bait and tackle/hardware store.

2.They are only designed (from what I've read) to pull the "gut" as in intestines out - which leaves the heart, lungs, blood etc. in the chest cavity which has to be removed sooner or later so why not do it all at once.

3. If the bird is shot from the rear (as a lot of birds are) then the intestines have probably been punctured and are leaking before the dead bird hits the ground - this is the stuff that has to be cleaned out A.S.A.P. especially in warm weather. What is the point in pulling out the "gut" with a hook but leaving all the "drainings" and other organs inside.

4. This is what I have done for way to many years to count: As soon as possible make a slit with your knife just below the breast bone. Reach in with two fingers up into the chest cavity and pull backwards. This will remove all organs . While your doing this and especially with pats continue pulling down through the birds a--s to totally open up the bird from stem to stern. Everything will be in one messy glob in your hand and either toss it into a stream or put it in the crotch of a tree so your dog doesn't swing back around and swallow it all like an oyster :tdo12: . Grab a few fern leaves and use them to wipe out the cavity and then put a bunch of clean fern leaves in the cavity to keep it open for some air circulation and then head off for your next bird. 

This process gives you ample time to reflect upon the death of this bird and the meaning and pleasure its death has brought into your life and probably the sole reason you have a wonderful companion of a bird dog to share it with you. Stain your hands with the warmth of the blood and guts of the bird - it won't hurt you and you'll much better appreciate what a "hunting" is really about.

Hoppe's no.10


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## duckman_1 (Nov 20, 2006)

Carry an Old Timer, 1 3/4" folding pocket knife.

But mostly use my hands to clean.

D


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## jimmyjette14 (Aug 25, 2005)

a close friend gave me a wonderful D.H.Russell GROHMANN trout\bird knife have never even carried it. he spent a pretty penny on it . just dont have the heart to tell him I use a Kershaw Task Master shears. for small game. when cleaning birds at the preserve we always use pruning shears . snip snip . all done. but I do really like the romance of that special knife to go with the perfect Dog, Gun, Trip and Day. might just carry that knife this year. hope I win that Ceasar we are raffling off this June. thanks for bring this thread up MI. good luck to ya on your search


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Hoppe's no.10 said:


> This process gives you ample time to reflect upon the death of this bird and the meaning and pleasure its death has brought into your life and probably the sole reason you have a wonderful companion of a bird dog to share it with you. Stain your hands with the warmth of the blood and guts of the bird - it won't hurt you and you'll much better appreciate what a "hunting" is really about.


Good words...

I don't typically "field" dress to the extent that Hoppes does. I'm more apt to "truck" dress all of my birds at the same time, or just toss them in the cooler and do them all when I get home.

Like a lot of you guys, I do most of the work by hand -- standing on the wings. With woodies, I'll just peal back the skin below the breast and pull it all out with my fingers. The only knife I use is to fillet the breast meat from the ribs; usually just before I cook it.

Does anyone take more than just the breast meat? Sometimes I'll keep the legs and thighs too, but I've always wanted to keep a pheasant or grouse mostly intact and cook it like a whole chicken... I just don't know how to keep it all in one piece.

KW


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## Rudi's Dad (May 4, 2004)

I breast em out, and fillet the breast at camp with a fish fillet knife. Thats for WC, Grouse, but Phez get the thighs saved and deboned too.


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## MIoutdoorsjunkie (Oct 11, 2006)

Great explanations and advice guys.. I use a cleaning process similar to the one mentioned by Hoppe's#10. I like the idea of carrying a small knife for misc. bird/game cleaning. I have carried a small pocket knife while hunting for several years and it has always came in handy. The small pocket knife that I usually carry doesnt hold an edge very well and I was just looking for something with a bit more class and better quality. I wanted to support a local knife maker rather than just buying the run of the mill Gerber, Kershaw, Spyderco or whatever... Thanks for the responses..


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## everlast1 (Nov 9, 2006)

I breast everything (for myself) with the exception of 25 teal I freeze whole every year. Been carrying Uncle Henrys like the one shown above for many years. Forget the gut hook, I've cleaned over 15,000 ducks, 1000 grouse and for me a knife does a better job.


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## loomisfun (Sep 22, 2003)

I don't use one on grouse or woodcock.

I can comment on Black Forest Blades though. It is a top quality product. I have dressed 9 deer with one of these knives and can still shave hair off of my arm. I haven't even attempted to sharpen it yet. I also have 2 of his fillet knives. They were used extensively through the summer without any problems. We used them to process 3 deer this year and were still sharper than anything else I have but admittedly not as sharp as they were new. 5 minutes back at Black Forest Blades and they were showroom sharp again!

I can't say enough good things about these knives. 

Loomisfun


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

loomisfun said:


> I can comment on Black Forest Blades though. It is a top quality product. I have dressed 9 deer with one of these knives and can still shave hair off of my arm. I haven't even attempted to sharpen it yet. I also have 2 of his fillet knives. They were used extensively through the summer without any problems. We used them to process 3 deer this year and were still sharper than anything else I have but admittedly not as sharp as they were new. 5 minutes back at Black Forest Blades and they were showroom sharp again!


SOUNDS like a good knife! Not sure why you shave your arms though, have to say, that's kind of weird man! :lol::lol:


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## I'm with Brandy (Aug 5, 2007)

slammer said:


> I do not use one. I do the step on the wings and pull the legs then I use pruning shears to cut off the feet and any remaining stuff.


My shears are sharp enough to cut like a knife. I usually just breast them out and cut off the wings.


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## BarryPatch (Jul 21, 2004)

Rudi's Dad said:


> I breast em out, and fillet the breast at camp with a fish fillet knife. Thats for WC, Grouse, but Phez get the thighs saved and deboned too.


Filet knife is the best for birds. I puncture the skin below the breast and pull it off .Filet both breasts then remove the leg quarters and pull the skin off of them. Guts stay inside the bird where they belong.


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## 2tundras (Jan 11, 2005)

I dont neeeeeed no stinking knife


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## Bonz 54 (Apr 17, 2005)

Buck Bird Knife. It has about a 3" blade on one end and a "Gut Hook" on the other. Works great if you just want to gut the bird and cool it faster. Just push the gut hook in the vent, give it acouple of twists, and pull everything out the vent. Keeps the bird clean until you are ready to do the final processing. FRANK


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