Knife cut or saw cut deer breast bone?

Ive never cut the breastbone but everybody has there own technique. There are many saws and other tools that would do the job though.
 
What type knife do you use or recommend? Thanks.

Here are the two I use:

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You do not need a big knife. I like my Buck 103 and my custom. The Buck 103 is a 4" blade. I am not certain what the custom is. It was made by George Anderson out of Utah in the mid '80s for me for the princely sum of $45.

It is not vital but it does make it easier to get all that stuff out. If you aren't packing it out a great distance or if, like us, you can use an ATV to bring it right to the truck and then from the truck home and to the processor then there is no need to go to the trouble of quartering and boning. Like you said, let the experts do the work.

I have never seen a whitetail that didn't open like a zipper when opening the breast bone. It is so easy and it gives such greater access to get out the windpipe and the heart and such that I can't see not doing it.

If you are quartering don't you have to do it anyway?
 
In order to better clean out the body cavity, it's necessary to open the rib cage by cutting the breast bone. It takes a sharp knife and some effort. Be sure you have a good hold on the knife handle as slipping could be disastrous. I prefer to use some older leather gloves when I reach this point.

I'm probably going to start using some type of small saw to make this cut just to be on the safe side.

Watch the first part of this video to see what I'm talking about. Click here.

Thats crazy. I have been hunting for over 20 years now, and have never seen anybody cut through the breastbone like that. I have always just reached up in there and cut the windpipe like others have mentioned. Maybe its a regional thing. I've probably seen literally hundreds of deer field dressed and nobody has ever done it like that. I never cut the pelvis either, but that I have seen people do.

Maybe I'll try it this year, just for the heck of it.
 
I have to totally agree here. I hunt deer and hogs, and we raise and slaughter our own sheep. I never cut the breast bone or pelvis. There is no need to.

-Mb


Guys,
It is not necessary to cut the breastbone to clean out the body cavity. It is also not necessary to cut the pelvis on most big game.

If you are talking about BIG GAME like ELK and MOOSE it is possible to take most of the meat without opening the body cavity except you can't take out the tender morsels...liver,heart and straps without doing it.

As far as cooling the meat goes....once the animal has the quarters off...and the meat on the outside of the backbone is harvested...there is very little left to take ...just what I mentioned previously.

Too many folks reading too many books....and believing that is the only way things can be done.

A lot of deer in some parts of the country are about the size of a big dog. In others they run way big 200 PLUS. Nevertheless, a lot of guys do a lot more cutting than is actually NEEDED. Funny, even skinning doesn't take a lot of cutting unless you are wanting to keep the skin for a trophy mount..and even then it might be best to get it to the taxidermy and let the experts earn their money.

Just like the books that tell you to cut a whole bunch of poles to build a shelter when you can use deadfalls and blowdowns to do the same thing with half the time and effort.

Don't buy all the baloney on the shelf. Think it through.

Anybody who has downed a Big Muley buck at the bottom of Pete's Hole will tell you...
Skin it...quarter it...bone it...and then pack it out. Don't get cute...just get it done. A man can skin any animal on the ground, no need for a tree....


If you get these steps wrong...you are in for a long day, Amigo.

Shane



and an animal can be skinned without doing so either.

I have always wondered why so many hunters/outdoorsman talk about things like this.




Sometimes discussion
 
I don't cut THROUGH the breastbone, I cut the cartilage around it where the ribs attach. I doesn't take much effort at all and it opens things up so it's much easier. You can do this with something like a Mora clipper with no problem--you don't need a saw at all.

I did accidentally cut right through the sternum once--that took a lot more effort than I'm used to. If you stay to the side it's much easier.
 
I think anybody is entitled to dress their deer how ever they want. Whatever works for them. It dosent mean its the right or wrong way.

The OP asked what kind of saw would be good for the task, not if there is any need to do it at all.
 
I don't cut THROUGH the breastbone, I cut the cartilage around it where the ribs attach. I doesn't take much effort at all and it opens things up so it's much easier. You can do this with something like a Mora clipper with no problem--you don't need a saw at all.

I did accidentally cut right through the sternum once--that took a lot more effort than I'm used to. If you stay to the side it's much easier.

That is a better description of it. If you catch them right they just zipper open. You do not need a big knife.
 
Most people just do it the way they were taught. I may try it a different way this year.
 
Why gut the deer at all , just take it home and cut it up.

That depends....If I am hunting alone in bear country,I'll take it home & gut it.If I got a buddy with me,I always gut it on the spot.

I think it is a regional thing,since I do it the way my grandfather showed me when I was a pre-teen.He was from NY state,previously from Poland BTW.

I think both ways are just different, & neither the "right" or "wrong" way.
 
Why gut the deer at all , just take it home and cut it up.

Lighter for transport, dragging, lifting.

Less to spoil especially in deer camp for a couple of days.

Less to toss out at home if you are doing the butchering at home.

Provides protein and treat to our forest friends.

Nice if you want backstraps for dinner in camp.
 
I have to agree I think it may be a regional thing. Just kinda jokin about not gutting.
 
I think that splitting the breastbone and pelvis was aimed at letting it cool faster while hanging in camp. On a small white tail or black tail, probably not an issue. On the bigger mule deer, maybe of some value. On an elk, essential to pack out in quaters, less so if you bone out.
 
After reading all these posts I've decided theres more then one way to skin a cat
 
isnt there though.............

just depends on how ya wanna do it, my dad taught me and he didnt do the breastbone, so i dont either, my best bud does though (thats how his dad taught him lol) and he uses a folding saw made by IIRC gerber.
 
I normally just cut the sholders and hams off leaving the skinn on tie the leggs together cut out the backtraps and loins and leave the rest of the deer for the hogs and vultures. No need to gut it just be carefull while cutting around the guts. Skin the hams and shoulders when you get home. Alot less mess and only need a small pocket knife. I did it all with a kershaw scallion last season.
 
I fall on the non-breast bone cutting side but...

Specifically to the saw vs. knife issue I vote knife. In my experience anything I can do with a knife instead of a saw means not scattering a bunch of fine bone chips through everything.
 
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