My dad is a hog hunter and his birthday is coming up so i would like to get him a knife. What knife should i get cause i don't have a clue which one would be good for hog hunting! Ill be going to academy later so if you could look at the site and let me know which one you recommend! Thanks!
If I had to dispatch a hog with one of the current offerings from the swamp I think I would go with a rodent 7, maybe even 9 depending on how balanced it felt.
If you're going to slaughter a pig with a knife, I'd suggest a long blade. 2 reasons - long cutting edge and deep penetration. The Rodent 9 for sure. But, if the knife is just for breaking it down, a Rodent 6 or 7 would do. Even a Ratmandu.
I got a Ratweiler off a gent who pops up here now and then. He said that the knife was used to kill around 50 hogs, and has photos to prove it! I think in the pic thread you should find pics of Ratweiler and Battle Rat (or Camp Tramp???) that we're used to stick pigs.
Long and stabby is the ticket to dispatch a hog. I'd say something with at least a 7 inch blade. Unfortunately, Academy doesn't sell Swamp Rat knives.
I second the RS for hog cleaning. I've done a few myself. I recommend canvas micarta since it offers better grip.
Thinking he is a hog Hunter he most likely won't be killing them with a knife ..... So I would go with either a Rodent Solution or Rodent 3.
They do. Dogs pin them down while the hunter dispatches them with the blade. The dogs wear kevlar vests that go up unto the collar region. Still.... you don't want to get very attached to a hog-dog. I've been part of stitching up one and can tell you the tusks on a small to average hog cut like a razor. Fortunately for this dog the owner had sutures and antibiotics on hand and the dog lived to play another day. Tough dog. But back to the question at hand, I'm with Rob... Go big and stabby. R9 would be fine. Hogs are built like a TANK. They have thick cartilage plates protecting their vitals and are tough as nails. Penetration is what you want in a pig-sticker. .
I used to hunt hogs often when I lived in Texas. I mainly spot and stalked with a bow but I have been forced to use a knife before as well. I can honestly say there isn't a current Swamp Rat I would want to use for that purpose, my choice was and always will be a Randall Model 1 with a 7 inch blade. While the R9 would work for dog hunting if you are using one because you got charged (this is the only time I used a knife because I don't agree with using dogs to hunt any animal) it is not fast enough imo for that purpose.
Or for a cheaper/easier to get blade, similar, but still great knife, the regular Ka-bar, Ka-bar fighter, or similar would work for this purpose and is easily enough to wield. Personally if i needed a knife for this out of the current Swamp Rat lineup id choose the Ratweiler. It being thinner than the others would be beneficial for this i think.
Hog hunting with a knife is a different kind of thrill. Any of the larger Busse Kin knives (dogfather, R9, 911) would work, but unfortunately you won't find those at Academy Sports. In general, other manufacturers like Cold Steel and Condor Knife and Tool have made some knives specifically for hog hunting or at least advertised them as such. I don't know the specs on those models but you might be able to find them or something comparable that would work. The SOG primative jungle and primative canopy knives are available at Academy and have large stout blades, although I don't think they advertise them as hog hunting knives. However, they too might work. At any rate, any good fixed blade knife with an 8"+ blade, strong tip, good steel that is 1/4" thick would work. Let us know how the hunt goes CC
I never hog hunted with a knife, i never hog hunted period. But, why would you need it to be 1/4" thick? for ease of penetration it seems a little thinner blade would be more efficient. But again i have no experience hunting with a knife thats why i am asking. But you dont see many fighting knives, or knives made for deep penetration made with extra thick steel... I have seen a lot in .156-.188 though. Also this thread may be of some help to the OP even though he never came back after posting his question.... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/864918-pigsticker-challenge
If you're looking for heart and lungs, long and stabby is all you need. My old Cold Steel Laredo Bowie has been my favorite. It tapers up to 5/16", but that kind of thickness isn't necessary. The LB is well executed, though. The new ones don't have the same distal taper as the old Carbon V ones, so they feel a little more blade heavy. I've seen the tip of that 10" blade come out of the other side of the smaller hogs.
WW, I am not a hog hunting knife expert but from a physics stand point thinner does sound better...and blade length is important. Whatever works for the end user is what is most important. Some of my coworkers have used a 3/16" thick blades (RTAK, I think) and that seems to work for them. I have always gone with 1/4 and that works well for me. While hogs are mammals their anatomy is not identical to to that of humans. I based my choice of 1/4" thick blade on my previous experiences using centerfire pistol cartridges and knowledge of their anatomy. For example, most would suggest that a .357 mag is suitable for self-defense against ordinary people, but it is on the marginal side for hog hunting realistically speaking, although ballistically it has enough energy in theory. I have shot hogs with a different magnums calibers in the shoulder (or slightly behind it) from ~30 paces and they don't always go down with one shot all the time. A handloaded 45LC or 44 rem mag is a better choice but a follow up shot is often needed. I realize that this is apples to oranges but all I have to base it on is past experiences and I realize that those can vary. At any rate, based on those experiences, I opted for a 1/4" thick 10" blade (dogfather) and have no regrets. I have not used the CS laredo bowie but that too would be a good choice for some. In the end, it is a tool box and you use what you have...and some things work better for others in similar situations. Thanks for listening. CC
