Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Skinning/ Field dressing Axes?

I am wondering how many use an axe or hatchet and what kind? I used to use them more frequently and was also wondering about the specialized skinning or flaying hatchets? One I saw was more like an Ulu blade and for skinning only, others are for flaying and dis-jointing. The Knives of Alaska Clever looks like it could be useful.

Currently I use variously a saw, machete, saws-all, bowie knife or chain saw for these duties. But for pack in use the small hatchets might be the best option.

Any thoughts?

Gransfors Bruks Hunter's Ax

I like their mini-hatchet too.

I prefer the feel of a wood-handled axe, but the Estwing steel-handled axe is my preference to hang off my saddle, as a horse is far less likely to break it if he goes down on it.

i like the fiskars to the estwin axe, it wont break and it slpits mood way better than the estwin. also when clearing trails when the trees are frozen the fiskars doesnt twist like the estwin.

ive used both and the estwin isnt as fat as the fistars under the leg when riding and it gets slipperly when you are working through a moose and have bloody hands.

I was going to suggest the same thing.

they're both sweet little tools.

The one thing that bugs me about using axes on big game was the report of the death of a man, I believe near Silverton, CO., if memory serves. I heard it of it on the radio newscast way back before Al Gore invented the internet. The guy was found bled to death from severing his femoral artery on an apparent glancing blow from his hatchet while splitting the brisket of an elk, as near as they could tell. They found him with what he had on hand stuffed in the wound to try to stop the bleeding.

For me, it's been a Stanley folding saw for game and the hatchet for wood ever since. Just sayin'.

A nice sharp hatchet is one of the most dangerous things you can have when you are out in the woods by yourself, no doubt. A miss, or glancing blow has a great chance of hitting you somewhere that matters because of that short handle.

A full-length axe is generally much safer, because it gets that sharp edge out beyond the extremities. But stuff does happen...

If you are patient, and a little lucky, you can find some older axes that were made with superb steel. It seems that good steel was more commonly used than today.
This can help you avoid paying the yuppy tax (high price) that comes with certain of todays brands.
In my case, I use an older Bridgestone. Craftsman has made some great stuff as well. I have been thinking about acquiring one of the older Boyscout axes, as they generally were well made, and I lost mine many years ago.
As mentioned in one of the prior posts, that Estwing is pretty nice, will never fail, and is priced reasonably. I also like the looks of a Snow & Neely.
I believe A LOT more folks die of gunshot wounds than from hatchet wounds. Yet I go out with a gun several times a year. Darwins law rules.

Besides my Grandsfors, I have two Estwings....handy axes....the older one is carbon steel while the newer on is SS....that old one holds a much nicer edge.

These axes come sharper tan you can image, I suggest these above all others, I've got several and I would look no further if I wanted one for cutting up game. Mine are still so sharp after 10 years they give me bad dreams.
If you do much wood chopping, there wedges are worth there weight in gold.

Can't see any good reasons to use one of these on large animals. A knife can do anything you need it to do. Have butchered dozens of moose with nothing more than a 4 inch blade.

I absolutely agree with this. I haven't done dozens but I have seen enough moose, caibou, deer and an elk to know an axe is not required. The only exception is if you want to pack out the ribs whole. Then a folding saw does better job at this.

If you've never tried on the bone sections of ribs slowed cooked in the oven with barbque sauce - do it on your next moose or elk. It's some of the best eatin' to be be had, if not the best.

fish head

Do you not split the ribs? All other duties a knife can handle.

The hatchet does help preserve the knife edge when separating joints.

At the price for the Grundfors hatchet I may stick with a saw, even though they are great looking instruments.

The other one I was interested in is the Junglee and I have seen another Scandinavian skinning or flaying axe that worked more like an Ulu. These looked more like a throwing hatchet with a lot of curve to the blade.

"At the price for the Grundfors hatchet I may stick with a saw, even though they are great looking instruments."

Take a look at the Wetterling Large Hunter's ax. About half the cost of the GB. I own the GB and have used my more thrifty friend's Wetterling. Both are Swedish products and IMO one is as good as the other. IIRC, Wetterling has been acquired by GB. If I was going to buy an ax tomorrow, I would buy the Wetterling.

Depends on what your hunting..I can do a deer, including splitting the ribs and pelvis with plain old 4" pocket knife.

I can field dress and elk with a pocket knife, but need to finish up with an axe of one kind or another to quarter it and pack it out..I normally have a hatchet or small axe on my horse. A small chain saw works well but its messy and a pain to pack around unless your pulling a pack horse. IMO.

I carry a short version of this:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1290067&CAWELAID=109377414

Weighs just a few ounces, super sharp and will rip through bones faster than you can believe. After a couple of years toss it for a new one as they only cost about $10.

I carry a Wetterling axe and a hatchet on my trips to the mountians. They both stay inthe truck until I need them, and mostly use them for camp chores.

I also have a Hunters axe made by Bark River...it has a blad more like an Ulu and you can use it for slicing up critters pretty good!

For elk, I carry a 1lb Estwing. I keep it as sharp as I can manage. I use a folding saw, 4in S30V Gerber FB Drop Point and a Tinker too, depending on what I am trying to get done.

For field dressing I use it to skin, split the pelvis, split the ribs and chop off the neck. Chop really isn't the right word. I never chop with it. I baton it through the neck bones.

I quarter the animal with it also batoning it down the backbone.

Easy to clean up too.

I have several scars on my knuckles from shards of moose bones that cut my hands while packing out chunks of moose split with an axe. Several moose cut up that way taught me not to do that any more. Those bone shards are really sharp! I'd use an axe again if that's all I had, but a saw does a better and safer job of it.