Hunting with Buck

B

Brownwm

Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
283
Well, deer hunting season is still many months away but I just recently went through with getting my first hunting license as an adult. I would tag along with my father as a boy deer hunting in Upstate New York but that was decades ago as I'm now in my 40s.
Upon learning of my interest my father gifted me a Buck 113 for my first hunt which I adore. Now my wife, paying little attention to my knife collection but always surprising me brought home this 673/135 combo for my first hunt God bless her heart.
Naturally I'll have to pack them both and hopefully get the chance to use them.
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What are your favorite Buck hunting knives? Just curious what experienced hunters prefer. Pics are appreciated and encouraged!

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I used to always have my Buck 119 on my belt when hunting for grouse and snowshoe hare. It was also my trusty companion during my summers as a forest surveyor; I always felt safe with it on me.
 
That's a fine group of hunting knives you have!
I've dressed deer with everything from a big ol' 619 down to a 110. Even used my Ergo Hunter Pro. I find a slim blade in the 3-4'' range works best for the way I dress deer. I keep a 560 on my belt and a 118 in my pack and I've never felt under knifed. I have a couple of older 440c 118s that I use and a new Vanguard in BG42 that I can't wait to try out. I found the wider blades were a little too much for the task and have since retired the 619,119, and Ergo-pro from hunting.






 
I bought a buck twin set in 1985 that has a 103 and a 118 in it. I picked the set up at a pawn shop for $25.00 , they had not been used. I also picked up a 105 a few years later. These 3 knives are all I have ever needed, I have processed a lot of deer, hog's, small game and fish with them and have never needed anything else. Mt_Polk that vangaurd is almost to nice to use.
 
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Buck's Twin sets are nice. I like the width and belly of Buck's 103 for skinning and field work. DM
 
BrownWM, looks like your Dad and your Wife set you up well with knives for big game hunting. Buck is my preferred brand for a hunting knife - I like stainless steel blades and the shape/feel of the 100 series handles, and I also enjoy trying out their many designs. The Buck 102 has a nice blade but the handle is too small for my taste in a big game knife - I do like it for small game (ducks, etc.) I fall in with the Buck 118 crowd as being my hands down favorite knife for whitetail - for me it is just the right blade length, but it's not too wide, has a good belly for skinning, and a full size hand grip to keep from getting fatigued. That said, I always carry a Buck 110 on my belt and use it for my second knife (if I can't clean the knife in the field I like having a clean knife when I begin taking the meat off the deer). I have skinned and cut up a number of whitetail with a Folding Hunter. I've cleaned and butchered with a Buck 113 like yours (great belly for skinning and not too long to get in the way, a tad wide for my preference thought). I have also used the Buck 105, the Buck 121 (thicker variation), as well as quite a few non-Buck fixed blades (by Western, Case, Schrade USA, etc.) Nowadays I just carry the 118 in my pack and the 110 on my belt and consider myself well equipped. It is a matter of trying different knives and picking your favorite - as a knife buff I just like to keep trying other models on at least one deer per season. Here are some 118 pictures, they have been shown here before but I'll post them for you. OH
Ps I tried out my Buck 118 on a wild turkey last spring; it performed fine, but I much more prefer the flexible variation of the Buck 121 for breasting a big bird (geese, swan, or wild turkey).

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Here is my older (flexible) Buck 121 about to breast a wild turkey - the thin blade is just right for getting all the meat off and the length is just right for the job - my 118 was a tad short when I did the same job a season later. I carry a buck 112 on my belt for turkey season, the shorter length is fine for the moderate size of a turkey. Also have a shot of the Buck 110 skinning a deer. OH

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My first 'real' hunting knife was a 118, it remains my favorite, partly for sentimental reasons, mainly because it works for most every need. When big game hunting it is a 118, a 110 and a 103. Waterfowl or upland it's the 118, a 110 and/or a 112. Preston

Here are the usual suspects...



These are in the planning for this year...

 
Like David, I find the 103 to be a dandy when skinning. I have also used the 110 and 102 to good effect.
 
No. Don't remember whose deer that one was but it looks like I see the wound down near the front of the ribs - heart/lung shot. I don't remember anyone butt shooting one in many years. OH
 
I would agree the OP is set for hunting with his three Bucks. I consider the Vanguard to be the perfect hunting knife, and I also love using the 110. My experience with Bucks is only in processing two deer, from field to freezer, but I found them to be excellent knives! They take a beautiful edge, with nothing more than light steeling, and they hold it well. When they finally start to dull, bringing them back to razor sharp takes me less than a minute. I actually prefer synthetic sheaths too, as I can throw a bloody knife back into the sheath and wash and disinfect them both when I get home with a deer.

Joe
 
The last time I processed a pig I used a D2 118 ..The very best knife I've used on game by far. There was a 651 involved too....
 
Your a lucky man to get some great knives given to him. I've had a 121 that's seen many years of use. I personally like fixed blade knives for deer hunting but I like to split the sturnum and pelvis and they are easier to clean. I picked up a Paklite Elite set a while ago that I've really been pleased with, the skelatinized handles are not for everyone however.
 
There is a way to improve a skeletonize grip without adding appreciably to the thickness. Dip the grip in a can of Plasti Dip. I let it dry and dip again. About 8 dips total. It insulates and gives you a great grip on the knife, yet the knife stays slim.

Joe
 
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