Favorite/Beloved Bird Knives

[dkell]

After using a shrade old timer for years I have recently been taking a bit of a dive on knives, production, semi-production, and custom. Just out of curiosity, what are your favorite knives for handling upland birds? Favorite steel/blade shape?

Thanks gents!

 

[CCH]

My dad and his pals always carried Camillus bird knives with the gut hook that they put to good use. I don’t bird hunt much now, but have a very similar pattern Buck that does the same thing. My Gerber Bird & Trout is my long time general small game knife.

 

[tt_johnsclist]

#2 Trout & Bird Knife

Good things come in small sizes. A smaller version of the #1 Original Award Model. Designed for dressing of small game, fishing, backpacking. For flat grind blade information, scroll...

www.grohmannknives.com

 

[2ski]

I had this Remington set that had a knife, a separate gut hook, and s pair of shears. I lost the shears so I bought a Gerber set of shears a year ago.

How do you use a gut hook on birds? I pretty much just use shears and maybe a knife for a cut or two, literally.

 

[dkell]

I don't use a gut hook I'll just open up below the breastbone and pull it out with my fingers. I always have hand sanitizer in my vest anyways.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I gave up on knives for birds years ago. I use game shears for all small game.

 

[Holmes]

Standard Havalon Piranta is all I use for butchering. Nothing works as well for getting the breast separated from the wishbone or popping the legs out of the pelvis, imho.
We almost never get a bird (including ducks) up here with any fat on it, so 99.9% of birds get breasted out.

I use Gerior shears for detaching wings and head to send in the state small game biologist.

 

[go4thegusto]

Dawson Fisherman is my go-to for everything but skinning big game.

 

[dkell]

Those Dawson blades are nice knives!

 

[TheGDog]

For birds I like to fall back to the Havalon scalpel. OR the blade that comes on the Leatherman Skeletool. Although the Argali Carbon blade worked well with birds too when I tested it.

I kinda like just using the Skeletool for small game because with the pliers part I can cut/snap off the forelimbs of a Rabbit quickly, then just peel off the skin.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Three blade old timer pocket knife. My backup for big game and bird knife. In the late 70s and early 80s, it skinned and fleshed a lot of beaver, cats and coyotes. Keep life simple!

 

[Jimss]

For skinning birds for life-sized mounts it's tough to beat Outdoor Edge replacement blade knives.

 

[huntsman22]

 

[dkell]

I found the hogue, what are the names/model of the other ones? Thanks for putting pictures up.

 

[huntsman22]

They are customs. Jeff Oelke boner, Dale Howe huntsman, and Rick Menefee 12 GA.....

 

[WCB]

The cheapest 4" fillet knife I can find basically. A pair of shears for when I need to transport them or break them down more for I.D. If there is one place to put almost zero dollars into equipment it would be a knife specifically for small game.

 

[huntsman22]

Shears are the place for zero dollars.....

 

[huntsman22]

Honey, go grab me the scissors. I have a mess of birds to butcher........

 

[DWD]

Argali carbon has worked very well for me from partridge to turkeys.

 

[TheGreek]

I use a pair of gerber game shears most of the time but have enjoyed the benchmade flyway the little I've used it so far.