Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Field Dressing Battery for Moose

For those that have BTDT, what does your field dressing kit for moose consist of? Model & brand names encouraged, as well as any related pics.

Thanks

I have been able to get the job done with an older Kershaw knife, that has 3 interchangeable blades, plus an old Bridgeport axe. A key feature of the axe is that the steel is on piece from the head up thru the handle, with woods grips attached. I have added some friction tape. This design cannot break.
Also always have a very good pocket knife with me.
Unfortunately, Kershaw changed the design of my knife a few years ago, as well as where they were produced. They simply are not as good due to change in steel & blade design.
Most of the fellows with which I have hunted moose carried 2 or 3 good belt knives, plus an axe.

That's the guide's job. What do you mean --what kind of dressing kit do I carry for moose? I usually carry a bottle of water and a sandwich, eat it while I watch the guide do his job.

fishdog52,

Just curious, but what size axe are you talking about and how does it get used for field dressing?

Regards,

Peter

One good knife and plenty of packers will get the job done. I Like a knife with a bone saw on the back to split the Ribs. At least four of the 48" heavy duty game bags will be needed to keep the blow flies off. I also like to have one fine mesh bag for the backstraps tenderloins and the other small pieces. You don't need a bunch of gear but a bunch of bodies to pack is a good Idea.

Our group takes 4-6 moose a year here and we do it all with a couple knives...

If we can reach the moose with ATVs, we gut the moose, skin the top side and take quarters and ribs off......flop it over and do the same meanwhile taking loins and tenderloins.....all bagged up in HD meat bags.....the brisket is not split but removed whole as it's great roasted. All of this is done with folding hunting knives except cutting the legs shorter which is done with a saw that I don't remember the name of.....looks like a large carpenter saw except curved and cuts on pull.

If flying into trophy moose country we do much the same except we do not gut the moose.....skin top side and remove top quarters with knife and throw onto clean tarp....remove loin and ribs as well as tenderloin.....remove top half of neck also....
remove all bones and put in double layer "cheese cloth" NAPA polishing cloth bags.....label as to cuts etc.....All done with knives.....

We have one large Cutco serrated hunt knife that cuts moose hide extremely well....

My partner likes the folding version of autopsy scalpel....from Barney's in Anchorage.

I use a Dozier Slim Outdoorsman....had a slippery handle and neighbor redid the scales with dall sheep horn.....beautiful knife...all most too pretty to hunt with.

Another couple partners use Kershaw folders.

I sharpen all but the Cutco on my Tormek with 4,000 grit Japanes Water Stone.....we do very little touch-up in the field.

For us, it depends a bit on the situation but generally it's 2 or more guys, several sheath knives each, a come-along with necessary rope AND a dedicated chainsaw. The one guy who has the camp and airboat uses an ulu for skinning. That really works slick. We also have several nylon tarps and we seldom haul a moose on our backs - at least very far. We shoot 'em on the river and we've even been known to tow them up/down river to camp & dress 'em out there. We make it as easy as possible and we hunt for the meat & not the antlers. Our group of about 4 +/-usually settle for 2 bulls a year so everybody gets a half.
The chainsaw is indispensible. Keep it simple & easy.
Bear in Fairbanks

We do it exactly as Vern describes. Sharp knives are a good thing. Folders can be a problem. Had one fold backward while cutting Riley's moose in September. I did not even look at it, just tossed it in the lake right then. Nothing worse than leaving dangerous junk in the middle of the something where it might be used again...

Never saw a single use for an axe while cutting up any critter... A sharp knife will seperate joints and allow the quarters to come apart.

Usually carry a Wyoming saw for the antler removal and leg shortening.
art

I've become quite fond of the little Victorinox paring knives for carving up critters. They weigh next to nothing, and they're wicked sharp. A little flex in the blade sure makes stripping out the loins an easy thing. And, at $5 a copy, they are cheap to replace.

I've got the large-sized Wyoming saw for cutting the skull plates, but I'm sure there's something better. It gets the job done, but it's not great.

If you've not seen it done, an axe is a slick way to take off the skull cap. And it's hanging right there on your saddle! Estwing 26" campers axe.

The folding knives are for slicing taters 'n' onions, and the steak back in camp.

Victorinox skinner, diamond sharpener, Stanley Tool box saw or small hatchet and a lot of elbow grease and muscle.

A Sharp knife, axe and a bottle to celebrate and most importantly couple young eager willing hunters.

After using a Havalon Piranta Tracer on a moose, I'll never field dress another animal again without this knife. Perfect knife for me.

I like the Spyderco Wegner or Impala. A good folder is always my choice for field work as it's always with me. Tried the swingblade this year and the gut hook had a hard time getting under the tightly attached hide. For rough work I take the Gransfors Hunters axe. If I was just a bit more talented I would leave the axe and get it all done with the knife like my aboriginal friends. I like the grippy handle of the gransfors but reground it a bit to give a more durable micro-bevel at the edge. Game bags in the summer and a slippy tarp in summer and winter. I like taking 50-100 feet of good non-stretchy rope. If by myself I sometimes take a 1000 pound block and tackle, but find with three or four loops in the rope I can make an approximation of the pulleys and save some weight.

Dittos' on pirantas....

http://www.havalon.com/

They do fold, but I've never seen one fold closed and doubt it could the way its locked, I've used fixed blade scalpel handles and see no difference really.

I've taken apart one moose with that piranta, mostly anyway. I carry a smaller backup skinner fixed blade about 4 inch blade and a fixed blade gut hook/filet type blade as backups and use the skinner for skinning mostly as it works well, but for opening them, and taking them apart the piranta is all I need. Extra blades are so light and easy to pop on, no need to sharpen while working etc..

The only thing I can't do is get a skull cap if I need it, I can disjoint the head really easy though.

Some type of rope, depending the situation, is always handy... backpackign its paracord... if not its basically ski rope....

I always have a couple of single light pulleys along, more for hanging bags of meat myself than anything.. but they are handy.

Saw if you need it....

We use sheath knives, and have a shapener handy. I use a Wyo knife for slitting open the cavity. I also use a cordless sawzall for bone work. We hunt in decent bear territory, and sometimes its prudent to load and go. I have an atv winch mounted onto the box of the truck (ford), and a pair of ramps made out of 2X6. I also carry two rolls of rope, 200 yards each. Most times we skid the moose out that way, guts and all, and clean beside the truck. Then winch the moose whole into the box, and get outta dodge. Skinning is done back at camp, or, if we cheat, we take the whole thing to the cutters, and he skins for $40.00 with a floor mounted winch. Its cheating alot, but compared to years gone by, I do not mind one bit.

R.

I've only shot 3-4 moose, but I've not used anything other than my "standard" kit that I use for everything else:

-two 4" Vanguard knives
-one folding Sierra Saw
-one 1x4" folding diamond sharpener

I almost always have either a Gransfors "Hunter Ax" or their belt hatchet in my pack, but I've not used either breaking down elk or moose.

Photo-Video of field dressing my wife's moose. Good shot of the Spyderco Stretch in the middle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNT7mObMb_c

$5.00 Victorinox serrated knife for the primary cut's and separation of joints/ribs and my Flint skinner with Dall Sheeep scales for the skinning, could do the whole animal with the little Vickie with no problems if need be. Wyoming saw (LG) for clearing brush and removal of the Antlers. I break down a critter very similar to Vern and Sitka Deer.

In our group someone always has a dedicated chain saw which we used to cut off the quarters, ribs, neck and skull cap.
Knives are another issue. The older I get the more I find out the cheaper fixed brands work as well as the expensive ones. Take your pick. Hate folders as they seem to wear out your hand as more weight is in the handle than in the blade.
If hunting without a chainsaw in the group or in an area where the moose could be boned would add a small Stanley cross cut saw. $10 and wickedly sharp.