Dad shot 73 whitetails in his deer hunting years. As his oldest son and the first to follow in his deer hunting footsteps, when he spoke, I listened. When he gave “how to” instructions, I listened even closer.

 But I was a mite uncertain when he said, “To field dress a deer you’ve just shot, use a folding knife with a main blade no longer than your index finger.”

I had in mind buying a one-piece “hunting knife” with a long blade to hang on my belt in a sheath and carry proudly in the woods.

I asked the obvious question: “Why not a hunting knife?”

“There are several reasons,” he said. “The main two, and they’re closely related:

“1) so you keep the blade tip under control at all times, poking it only where you want, and …

“2) for the safety of your own hands, so you don’t stab yourself or slice your own hands while you’re field dressing a deer.”

This was many years ago, before short-blade nonfolding knives were readily available. But the basic principles of safety and field-dressing ease are still the same.

Dad explained, “You need to know exactly where the blade tip is at all times, not just guess at its location, especially when one hand  and arm are up inside the deer’s body cavity trimming out the diaphragm behind the heart and lungs and then cutting loose the lungs and heart.

“You want to trim the diaphragm close to the ribs so all the blood pooled in the heart/lung cavity will be free to drain out instead of remaining pooled behind it.

“After that, it is even more important to know where the knife blade tip is because you may have both hands and forearms inside the deer, pulling down on the throat and windpipe to leave as little of them as possible in the deer when you cut them off.

“You DO NOT want a blade tip waving around up in there beyond your fingertip where you can only feel what’s happening instead of seeing what’s happening. Your idea of knife tip location can too easily be wrong. That can lead to some bad cuts on your forearms, wrists, hands and fingers. What you think may be the surface of the deer’s heart may be your thumb base right beside the heart. Both may be slippery with deer blood.

“I’ve seen some serious hand cuts in that situation. One was my own. I didn’t want to repeat it.

“There may be another factor, too — excitement, pride in the thrill of success. You’ve just taken down a deer, maybe a nice buck. You may not be as careful as you should be when field dressing it. You may be in a hurry to get the job done, get the deer back to camp and show it off. Especially if you’re a new hunter.

“Later, when you hang the deer, you may want to hang it heels up and head down. When you hang it that way, you want blood and other inner fluids to drain most easily out through the mouth. A short windpipe and throat will drain best.

“And if you shot the deer where you were supposed to — in the lungs and heart — there will be a lot of blood yet to drain out. Not all of the blood will drain out the bullet or arrow holes, especially if you don’t have entry and exit holes.”

He paused to be sure I was paying attention. I was. I can still remember him talking and simultaneously moving his arms and hands in protective, explanatory motions.

“We always hung our deer head up,” he explained. “We thought they looked better that way, especially the bucks. I always thought they looked more dignified hanging head up, more like a  wild-game trophy than just a piece of meat. People want to see a buck’s rack first, anyway, and the hunter wants other people to see the rack first, especially when it is a good one.”

Dad would wash it out with water or snow and dry the heart/lung area and intestinal body cavity when they needed it, getting out blood, stomach contents from gut-shot deer, urine that leaked or was forced from bladders, and other unwanted stomach or digestive contents. This was important when hanging deer head up.

Over the years, I became somewhat of a folding-knife freak. At one time, I owned 46 of them. I obviously didn’t need 46 folding knives, so I sold most of them. But I still slobber over small knives that will eviscerate deer and other game. My knife collection slowly regrows, with affordable but better knives. It now includes a couple of short-blade nonfolding knives, as well. They excite me, too.

CLICK: MINI-TRAPPER KNIFE SPECIAL

What to look for when buying the best small pocket knives

 If you’re looking for the right field-dressing knife, or a good multi-purpose pocket knife, you’re in luck. The woods are full of them, at reasonable prices. There’s also a $1,200 folding knife with gold for fat-cats to buy and show off.

What type of knife should you get for field dressing deer? Something with a blade no longer than 3 inches. (My son is 6’3”; his index fingers are 3.25”. I’m 5’10”; my index fingers are 3”.) You will find most styling variety in EDC folding knives, but there also are some very suitable short-blade nonfolding knives that are really sturdy and durable. EDC is not a fancy label; it simply means “every day carry.” You will find blades as short as 2.2 inches. Some of the best pocket knives have blades less than 3 inches long. Short-blade knives will be less bulky, lighter weight and versatile but still have thicker, easily gripped, well-shaped handles.

• COMFORTABLE HANDLE — The maneuverability of small pocket knives requires comfortable handling. The first thing to consider is an ergonomic handle, a handle design that enhances your grip and eliminate slips, such as contouring shapes, finger notches and textured finishes.
• REGULATION COMPLIANCE — Wanting to own the best small pocket knife won’t mean much if the legislation in your area or where you hunt doesn’t permit owning or carrying one. Before you buy, check the legal requirements in your region regarding the type of blade, lockup or style permitted there. More on this topic at the end of this article.
• ADDITIONAL FEATURES — A belt clip, a serrated blade, a lanyard hole, handle texture, locking mechanisms and blade shape are among the features to consider when buying a folding pocket knife. They are worth having if they improve your knife’s functionality or carrying ease.

The Internet is a great place to do knife research. Start with KnifePlanet.net and KnifeCenter.com and go from there. They will have all sorts of videos, info-based articles (well illustrated) on a host of topics, price levels, styles, steel info, brands and knife models in various price brackets, and more.

Remember that a knife is a tool you use to do a job. When choosing a knife, the question isn’t about which knife blade types or what knife shapes and designs look good. It’s really a question of what you will use it for and whether it will do the job.

Knives today, folding and straight nonfolding, are well engineered and constructed, especially in the $50-and-above brackets. Of course, the higher the price, the more features the knife generally will have and probably tighter construction or milling tolerances, thus higher value in your hand. Some of the quality aspects may be tough to determine if you’re not a knife-freak, but a little Internet homework and smart shopping will teach you a lot. You will be equipped to get maximum value for your needs and preferences when you do buy a knife.

You will find information on the following basics, and more:

• Prices — Bracketed as: Up to $25, $25 to $50, $50 to $100, $100 to $200. There are good knives in the $25- $50 bracket. The upper two general price brackets ($50-$100, $100-$200) are often stronger and better made, maybe also with better sculpting and shaped handles.
• Knife types — hand tools, shop knives, sports and outdoor knives, hunting knives, tactical knives, camping knives and tools, kitchen knives and accessories, chef’s knives.
• Knife handle material — alloy steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, fiberglass, micarta, stainless steel, wood, plastic (nylon).
• KNIFE BLADE MATERIAL AND SHAPE — alloy steel, stainless steel, Damascus steel. Corrosion resistance, edge holding, hardness, width (for chopping, slicing)sharpening ease, maintenance needed, tip style. For instance, carbon steel has superior corrosion resistance, but also requires more maintenance than stainless steel. If there is fire-resistant steel in a blade, the blade can be used to start a campfire.

A  good knife retailer probably will have a series of small charts that show the various types of metal in a knife blade and the chacteristics of each, the Rockwell hardness of the blade, the various blades’ abilities to hold sharpness, ease of sharpening and more.

• Knife blade shape — drop point (most popular), trailing point, hawkbill, guthook, sheepsfoot/wharncliffe, tanto, reverse tanto, kukri, dagger, straight back, clip point.

Plus comments/information on locking mechanisms, blade-and-handle swivels, blade protecting liners, washers/bushings vs. ball bearings, handle thicknesses/width, blade thickness, blade shape, finger cutouts, finger guards, blade holes for fingers, switchable belt clips, models made only for right or left hand, textured handle gripping surfaces, a ton of information on blade steels, carrying ease (case or belt clip) lanyard holes and lanyards. (You will lay your knife on the ground during field dressing and forget it, almost guaranteed.)

LEGAL ISSUES WITH KNIVES

Legal jurisdictions where you live or hunt may be a primary concern, principally concerning blade length and blade emergence style. You will find necessary information on the Internet. Don’t ignore it. Research it. (Some good knives may be classified as stilettos, which are no-nos. Knives labeled as “automatic” may be illegal where you live. Rules vary by states; for instance, in Wisconsin we can own knives that are illegal to own in parts of Illinois.)

The American Knife and Tool Institute (AKTI) is a nonprofit organization representing all sectors of the knife industry, offering definitions for knife designs or knife styles as a part of its mission to educate and inform members of the knife community and the public, legislative, and law enforcement entities about knives and matters regarding knife laws.  Do you know what an auto-open or automatic knife is and where it is and is not legal to own?

Check state and local knife laws for specific details on possession, carry, manufacturer or sale of knife types and maximum blade lengths where you live and will hunt. Some restrictions may apply in a specific state. 

A knife owner needs to know about the law regarding knives in the location where he or she lives and where they may travel/hunt as restrictions can vary greatly. In addition to state laws, many cities or counties have additional ordinances regarding knife possession. When traveling by commercial airlines, remember to put your knife in your checked baggage, not in your carry-on or pocket! If traveling by bus or train, be sure to check out their specific prohibited-items regulations.

A knife owner also needs to know enough about knife technology to understand knife laws based on design characteristics, mechanical functions, etc., and be able to discuss them intelligently. Unfortunately, many laws are based on a type of knife, blade length and/or the mechanical movement of the blade, instead of criminal intent.

— Glenn Helgeland is the former owner and president of Target Communications, a deer and turkey expo company from the Midwest.