Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Who here uses an axe/hatchet

Instead of a wyo/bone saw in the field?

I use both. A Gerber bone-wood saw and add a 1 lb Estwing hatchet for elk season. I use it mostly as a skinning tool and to split wood for the little Seek Outside stoves.

I don't find enough use for a hatchet for deer, antelope, etc.

I use a knife, boys I hunt with would laugh their asses off if someone brought out woodworking tools.


How bout a sazall or a chainsaw?

YES




Yes, & Yes

Tools are made to make life easier or do a job quicker.

Why do you give a crap what others think ? Think for yourself.

Jerry

Used a hatchet on my first couple of deer. Now a single knife gets the call to duty.

A small hatchet splits the pelvis on older deer a hell of a lot easier than a knife.

The pelvis on small immature deer is about as soft as butter and is easily spilt with a knife.

I did split the pelvis on my buck w my fixed blade this year but broke a fixed blade Pachmayr on my buck 2 or 3 years ago.

I prefer to use a hatchet for the pelvis and use it some to remove the head when I am done skinning.

Now break a chainsaw or sawzall out of your pack when field dressing and that's when the laughing would start.

I haven't found a need to split a pelvis in the field in years on deer or elk. I do carry a folding saw that uses recip saw blades. It's more for survival than anything, in case I need some firewood to save my tail. I'm certainly not going to pack around a hatchet while chasing elk. My pack's too heavy as it is.

This is Milwaukee's folding saw. There are other good ones, too. I carry a spare 9" wood blade.

It’s so easy to take the rear quarters off with a knife an axe or saw is not needed, ever.

I agree if you are quartering in the field.

Different regions, different techniques.

Knife is all that goes in the field with me. I keep an Estwing axe and a Wyoming saw under the back seat of the pickup. The Wyoming saw is used to cut skull caps, antlers are last to come out, so I grab it after the first load of meat. The axe has never been used, but I like knowing it’s there if needed.

I often split the pelvis and open the rib cage on deer to help them cool a little, it's often pretty warm here even in Dec/Jan. The little bone saw blade on the gerber exhange a blade is quick and easy to use and saves putting a knife to bone. I usually don't carry it in the woods as I don't open those until I get back to the truck....opening the ribcage and pelvis before dragging them out just let's more leaves/trash get in. I usually have a hatchet on the ATV/truck but I don't use it on game.

https://www.gerbergear.com/en-us/shop/cutting-tools/saws/exchange-a-blade-46036

I never use a hatchet on game anymore, and I stopped using them in the 70s when I got a "Sierra Saw".

I use only a knife for removing the sternum on all game up to elk size but I use a saw on moose and buffalo. But I use a saw on the pelvis on everything, down to doe antelope.

I Never punch a bladder with a saw and for most of the deer and antelope I dress out, I use the saw in my Victornox Swiss Army Knife. The larger size folding saw is a lot easier on elk and moose then the 3" long Swiss Army Knife saw, but I have done a few elk with only the Victornox and one moose too. Even on a moose, the small saw gets through the pelvis straps in just a few minutes.

Like many of us, I learned from my dad and he always carried a hatchet to split the pelvis. During the depression, he worked in a meat packing house for a while so I always figured he knew all about how it was done. Over time, I can to realize that dressing a steer on a hook isn't the same thing at all. It's totally different that dressing a deer on the ground in the field.
I just use a sharp knife to cut around the anus then pull it out the hole a ways. I squeeze out all the pellets I can then just let it hang to be pulled back inside later when the guts came out.

I use the saw on my Leatherman for splitting pelvises.

You don't need either. Just completely break them down in the field. All you need is a knife. Saw, or axe are excess baggage.

I just carry my knife in the field and don't split pelvis in the field anymore. Couple of weeks ago when I got home from deer hunting I hung them with a winch and gambrel, skinned them out and broke down the carcasses to butcher able pieces. That 20 volt Dewalt. Sawzall sure cut thru joints damn fast with no hassle. Don't see the need to haul it hunting but was nice in the back yard. Mb

I’ll use a 3” or so saw blade to cut a couple ribs off and make a large enough opening to get the heart out when doing elk gutless. Otherwise I have no need for a saw or hatchet.

I’m curious as to why guys split the pelvis? I don’t even bother with the whole cutting around the butthole bit anymore. To my way of thinking the butthole is inside the pelvis and not contacting anything I eat, plus I probably don’t leave 2” of it in there when dressing a deer so it isn’t holding much heat. If it’s cold enough to hang an animal it isn’t going to matter for the day I’ll hang him before quartering and if it’s too warm to hang one he’s getting quartered and in the icebox ASAP so it definitely doesn’t matter. I could be wrong but the last couple dozen deer, elk, caribou, moose, and pigs I’ve done make me think I’m not.

Of course I’m always ready to learn and all ears.

A serious response. We all don't do things the same way. Some circumstances necessitate different applications.

I don't have to dress deer out in the field and I don't have to pack meat out of the field.
I used 3 Wheelers for retrieval for several years then I didn't even need a wheeler. Now I 'only' use a 4 wheeler to haul or drag a deer to my truck.

Splitting the pelvis ?

Regardless of fully gutting or gutless it's simpler for me to bring the Ham inside and butcher.
When possible, I much prefer fully gutting - RINSING - and leave hanging with hide ON. Temp dictates if/when I can do that.
Then I remove the usual parts and process.

'Sometimes' I give a whole deer to elder friends who don't hunt much and they butcher & process. When I do that I gut and rinse thoroughly and THEY take the deer and process how they want. So I don't split the pelvis.

MOST of the time our Wx is too warm to leave hanging, aka higher than 50* for too many hours.
Then I do gutless and split the pelvis and put hams , shoulders, T L & backstrap on ICE.

Kid, I 'm not being smart or sarcastic at all.

Some have the idea that 'their' way is the only OR best way.
No one is inferior because they do things in a different way. Conversely no one is 'better' or smarter because they do it
'their' way.

I learned of 'gutless' only after joining the 'fire' in 2010. I tried it and I like it better WHEN I'm not hanging meat.
Seems to me that gutless would be the preferred way for those who pack meat out of the field. In that case IMO it's
the hunters choice whether to debone or split the pelvis and pack.

I hope that I have answered your ?? in a way that makes sense to you. I re read this several Xs and "I" understand it.
LOL


Jerry

Well said. Too many posters think the way they do it is the ONLY way, or the only RIGHT way. Hell I'm about to stop carrying anything and just use sharp rocks at the kill site.

There have been times ive used one. Honestly i mostly use a cheap Fiskers $25 hatchet for pounding tarp stakes, maybe a nail or two, and processing down wood. I keep it knife like sharp though if i need to use it in lieu of a blade for food prep or who knows what.

Ive had the Wyoming saw but i prefer the Bacho Laplander bushcraft saw as its teeth are medium aggressive and it will serve on wood or bone if called upon. Its better in this respect than the Silky brand pocket saws because the blade is more durable and will not snap if in a bind, but it is not as efficient as the Silky brand in wood cutting. But overall its more durable and has a less hard blade for toughness. To clean up is easy. Just cut a little bit of wood and it self cleans that blade of debris before washing.

I think that the guys with really spendy hunting knives are nuts and those custom skinning knives are a fad and not necessary. Those folding pocket scalpel blades are good for taking off hides and fairly cheap and have replaceable blades. Most guys cant sharpen a knife worth a damn anyway and dont know what their doing so replacable blade make sense for some.

Personally my breakdown kit is an Swiss Army knife in the pocket and my fixed blade is a thin Mora Kansbol or a $11 Outdoor Edge fieldskin fixed blade and an small "fine" diamond stone. My stuff is thin and light so im able to cut and saw fast and efficiently. Also my stuff is affordable and cheap

Mora Kansbol $40
Outdoor Edge $11
Bacho Laplander $20-25
Fiskars hatchet $25