Deer hunting...with a Knife?

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Regardless of the danger factor, good luck getting close enough to a deer to stab it. If you can do that, then you're a better hunter than I am.
 
If you ever have a deer in a house then you will get the picture of the power of the beast.A buck can kill a human.
 
To answer the OP's original question, I think a long, double edged spear point type knife would be the best. Probably 8"+ long with some beefy guards at the bottom of the blade. I'm sure any big knife would do it though, say like an Esee Junglass.

On a related note, I saw Bear Grylls shiv a Caribou in the back of the head with his Bayley knife in the arctic last season. He did snare it first and talked about how dangerous it is to get so close to a large, wild animal. I guess if I had to eat and didn't have my bow or gun, I'd try to do the same. And please, let's not turn this into a Bear Grylls thread.
 
I have dispatched a few deer with knives, but unless it is a buck, I prefer to deliver the coup de grace with a slug behind the ear. It is quicker and more humane than slitting the throat.

The last year I went shotgun hunting (i.e. bunch of people chasing deer around the woods, slinging as much lead as possible at running animals) there was a BIG doe that got both back knees taken out and was dragging herself around with her front legs. Sad, really. Also, the sound that a frightened and injured and full of adrenaline whitetail makes when you approach it is pretty terrifying in itself. Sounds like a dinosaur. Those hooves are sharp too.
 
puukkoman said:
I don't think you could catch one. When people hunt wild hogs with knives, they have to first make the hog mad enough to charge, so that they can get close enough to it to stick it. Deer will just run away (most of the time).
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They usually chase pigs down with dogs, and on horses usually. Lynn Thompson of cold steel used to have video of boar hunting with a boar spear (sold by Cold Steel of course). I hunt deer with archery tackle, and have bagged quite a few. Plenty with guns of all kinds. A knife, no thanks. I might try a spear from a tree stand some day. I think my state just legalized the atlatl (spear thrower), for a primitive season. All better than just a knife.

This would be you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khKrd1RNy2U&feature=related
 
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The OP doesn't mention his hunting experience or expertise. I'd recommend starting easy - with a recurve or longbow. If you can consistently get close enough ( 20 yards or less ) to *responsibly* kill a deer with a bow, then maybe you can think about getting closer - in spear or even knife range.

Guys can kill hogs with knives because said hogs are immobilized by dogs specially bred and trained for the purpose. Even then, hog hunting with a knife is dangerous. Good luck catching (sneaking up on, whatever) one and dispatching one with a knife on your own though.

Deer - same thing. My son and I kill them with traditional bows (recurve for him, longbow for me) and once or twice I've technically been within knife range. Even so, I seriously doubt I could have made a clean and responsible kill with a knife.

Forget for a moment that deer have excellent hearing and side mounted eyes (giving them a wide range of vision) which are very good at detecting movement. Forget the deer's uncanny sense of smell. Forget the fact that deer tend to move in groups and they don't all necessarily face the exact same direction at all times. If you can bypass all the formidable defenses these animals possess and stalk within arm's length, you still need to be able to cut deeply and in a vital spot. You aren't just talking about knife tag where a touch is a victory. For a clean and responsible kill, you would need to damage heart/lungs, major blood vessels, windpipe, etc.

If you get one - post some pics cause we'll never believe you. :-p
 
Read "The Tracker" by Tom Brown Jr. He describes killing a deer with a knife by dropping on it from a tree. The deer was laughing so hard, he made an easy target.
 
This thread is starting to sound like were knee deep in the barnyard or drunk as a one legged skunk.Who can tell us how you killed three deer with one throw from your 40 inch bowie knife?I know you will tell us about the bear you killed with the two inch folder that was not even a lock blade that you later realized was made in China.
 
I guess it really depends on what type of animal you are hunting. Getting close enough to the animal to use a knife is something that you should think about. This sounds really fun and I would do something like this but think safety first.
 
kitkat52 said:
This thread is starting to sound like were knee deep in the barnyard or drunk as a one legged skunk.Who can tell us how you killed three deer with one throw from your 40 inch bowie knife?I know you will tell us about the bear you killed with the two inch folder that was not even a lock blade that you later realized was made in China.
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I think the 'dispatched x deer' posts are about deer that were already down with arrow or bullet wounds and the dispatchers just sped the process along. I've seen it done on a badly shot deer - no big deal and not at all incredible, it's nicer than letting them suffer.
 
ginshun said:
Regardless of the danger factor, good luck getting close enough to a deer to stab it. If you can do that, then you're a better hunter than I am.
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what he said! i've stalked plenty a deer and they smell you long before you'd get that close!
 
pyro777 said:
Ok in all seriousness me a friend were discussing hunting in a more primitive fashion, using long bows and flintlocks, instead of the newest latest most accurate guns of today. The subject came up of hunting with just a knife and I really got to thinking about it. It sounds possible, plausible, and probably has been done before. What do you guys think. we also talked about what kind of knife would be used. the first thing that came to mind was a kabar, then the new kabar bacon maker designed for pig sticking, and a buck 119. What others would you think would be good at trying to deer hunt with a knife.
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You must have the stalking skills of a Puma to even contemplate this style of hunting. Ancient peoples and the modern San take a lifetime to develop the necessary skills to approach game with seemingly undersized bows or short spears and manage to end the contact quickly. Most healthy deer and antelope will startle and bolt if you so much as snap a twig at a hundred paces. The knife model you use really won't matter a wit in the large scheme of things. If you manage to close the distance on a buck with the skill required and can navigate to a vital spot away from the kicking hooves and protruding antler rack, you may be in for more of a fight than you think.

There are some (funny to watch, not funny if you imagine roles reversed) videos on YouTube of bowhunters that got too close and were charged, kicked, bitten and antlered by angry bucks that took offense to the intruding hunter. Turns out your average whitetail is better at hand to hand combat then your average hunter is, with the result being rather inexplicable injuries and stunned silence when the video of the confrontation is anonymously posted the following day.

If you really plan to carry through with this, make sure there are no camcorders about, you have accepted no offer of alcohol (that includes a choice 12 year old Scotch I'm afraid) and you will be well served to have supportive friends a short distance away with a large supply of first aid. You need to be certain you have the kind of true friends that can be trusted to keep their mouths shut about those nasty "deer injuries."

Best of luck.

-E
 
You don't "HUNT" deer with a knife. No offence, but the idea just doesn't make since.

If you want to go primitive jump down from a low limb of a tree with a Spear. A method That was used often before firearms, and still is by a few crazy thrill seeking hunters out there.
I sure wouldn't do it, but I think its legal in many states.


I'm pretty sure you will change your mind on this adventure pretty soon. If not, do plenty of research first, and good luck.
 
CRKT F.T.W.S mabey the ka-bar bk9 combat bowie mabey the cold steel recon scout or kobun?
 
Kill a healthy deer with a knife good luck

Have killed hogs and deer with knives but dogs where involved

to try and kill a deer with just a knife in a survival situation might be possible with many attempts with a lot of wounding of yourself and the deer but for sport deer deserve better
 
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