Bird hunting knife.

[Big Bad]

Can't find it now but it was probably a year or more ago that I started a thread lamenting the loss of my very specialized Buck bird hunting knife and trying to find one to replace it. What is a 'bird hunting knife' you may ask? Like the one pictured below, the Buck consisted of a pocket folder with two blades, a very specialized shape cutting blade and a stainless steel hook. The idea is that for best flavour and meat preservation it's important to get the entrails of a newly killed bird out as soon as possible, so you use the blade to enlarge the bird's vent, cut around and free the large intestine, and then draw out the guts with the hook. It's true that you can do the same thing with 'most any knife and cut a twig with branch stubs on one end to do the same, but this is the more elegant solution.

When I created the first thread, I was on a quest to find a substitute for the $20 Buck version I'd carried for decades, but two things happened: it turned out that such knives are only available in the USA anymore and then Covid closed the border. Now, by a very slight chance I found the Boker version bird hunting knife in an online Canadian cook's supply store (found because they were identified as selling AA pressure canners, see survival forum) and it should be on its way. Not nearly as cheap as the little micarta handled Buck was but this is 2021 and the Boker is a rosewood handled beauty. Also, unlike the discontinued Buck, it has a lanyard ring. ,

The company that sells them is cookstore.ca and they have what seems to be a nearly complete line of Boker hunting knives. And now I can wait for the missing Buck to turn up almost at once....

 

[weasel1]

Fastest way to find something you lost. Buy a replacement.

 

[the spank]

99% of our hunts we have everything packed up and birds cleaned by 9am so zero need of a bird knife with a gut hook for me. They don't sit long enough to worry about getting the guts out immediately. Most days we barely have enough time between flocks to pick up the downed birds in the decoys and get back to the blind before the next flock is on us. I really love waterfowling on the prairies!

 

[redryder]

Nice knife. I think you must have got the last one because I sure can't find it at that store.

 

[RRH.01]

Fastest way to find something you lost. Buy a replacement.

The buck 321 was discontinued yeeeaars ago, camillus made them for buck.

 

[Big Bad]

Nice knife. I think you must have got the last one because I sure can't find it at that store.

So it seems. Maybe you can call them and ask for them to bring another in or something. Their SKU as seen on the order form is BOKE-110093H

 

[Brutus]

Nice knife. I think you must have got the last one because I sure can't find it at that store.

Same here.

 

[sjstrey]

I use the paring knife that came with my kitchen set. 9 times out of 10 I don’t use a knife at all cleaning upland birds. That said, I have seen some really beautiful bird and trout knives out there.

What’s the hook all about?

 

[iron cat]

I use the paring knife that came with my kitchen set. 9 times out of 10 I don’t use a knife at all cleaning upland birds. That said, I have seen some really beautiful bird and trout knives out there.

What’s the hook all about?

It's a gutting hook , typically European. I have one on my Puma folder .
Cat

 

[Big Bad]

And yup, I found the missing Buck bird knife. A tiny little thing itself, it was in a tiny forgotten pocket in a piece of gear, an ammo belt, that I didn't use last year. Meantime, the Boker that mystically allowed me to find it is still on back order, so if I have any sense I'll cancel it while I can. I say if.

 

[huntingfish]

Can't find it now but it was probably a year or more ago that I started a thread lamenting the loss of my very specialized Buck bird hunting knife and trying to find one to replace it. What is a 'bird hunting knife' you may ask? Like the one pictured below, the Buck consisted of a pocket folder with two blades, a very specialized shape cutting blade and a stainless steel hook. The idea is that for best flavour and meat preservation it's important to get the entrails of a newly killed bird out as soon as possible, so you use the blade to enlarge the bird's vent, cut around and free the large intestine, and then draw out the guts with the hook. It's true that you can do the same thing with 'most any knife and cut a twig with branch stubs on one end to do the same, but this is the more elegant solution.

When I created the first thread, I was on a quest to find a substitute for the $20 Buck version I'd carried for decades, but two things happened: it turned out that such knives are only available in the USA anymore and then Covid closed the border. Now, by a very slight chance I found the Boker version bird hunting knife in an online Canadian cook's supply store (found because they were identified as selling AA pressure canners, see survival forum) and it should be on its way. Not nearly as cheap as the little micarta handled Buck was but this is 2021 and the Boker is a rosewood handled beauty. Also, unlike the discontinued Buck, it has a lanyard ring. ,

The company that sells them is cookstore.ca and they have what seems to be a nearly complete line of Boker hunting knives. And now I can wait for the missing Buck to turn up almost at once....

I went to cookstore.ca and searched through 16 pages of knife and couldn't find it. Can you share the name of the model?

Cheers!

David

 

[Big Bad]

I went to cookstore.ca and searched through 16 pages of knife and couldn't find it. Can you share the name of the model?

Cheers!

David

Update- They had it as "Boker - Bird Hunter Rosewood Pocket Knife - 110093H" and I gave their SKU in post #6. As I discovered, it's not not one they keep in stock so perhaps anyone who wants one should contact cookstore.ca via their customer service department and tell them so. On the order form they list 1-888-975-1595

 

[Big Bad]

OK, no way I need 2 such knives so I did the responsible adult thing and sent an email cancelling my order, meaning that perhaps there will be one available at the store shortly.

Opening day for grouse here so I'll be out peering through the thick foliage and hearing them flying away.

 

[hoytcanon]

If you are talking about grouse and pheasants... you can clean them in 10 seconds without a knife. I've cleaned thousands and never used a gut hook yet.

 

[Muddlerminnow]

Never hunted pheasant but for grouse the stand on the wings and pull the feet works great. No knife needed, I take it pheasants are the same? That said one always should carry some sort of blade and I too like the smaller classic little slip joints, a case sodbuster for light duty stuff is my favourite not that anyone cares

 

[Big Bad]

Never hunted pheasant but for grouse the stand on the wings and pull the feet works great. No knife needed, I take it pheasants are the same? That said one always should carry some sort of blade and I too like the smaller classic little slip joints, a case sodbuster for light duty stuff is my favourite not that anyone cares

To each his own but field gutting with a knife and hook is no trouble, is IMO more respectful to the bird, doesn't expose the meat to outside contamination and generally speaking it's just better to bring home a nicer looking bird. I've seen the leg pull method fail too.

 

[hoytcanon]

To each his own but field gutting with a knife and hook is no trouble, is IMO more respectful to the bird, doesn't expose the meat to outside contamination and generally speaking it's just better to bring home a nicer looking bird. I've seen the leg pull method fail too.

Respectful to the bird??? Seriously... it's dead, it doesn't care.

I don't use the "step on wing" method. Just peel the breadt skin off and then grab the legs and neck in one hand, poke your thumb under the breast bone above the vent with a forefinger inside the wish bone and pull... the twist off the wings... takes 10 seconds... the meat will be as fine as a drawn bird.

 

[Muddlerminnow]

Respectful to the bird??? Seriously... it's dead, it doesn't care.

I don't use the "step on wing" method. Just peel the breadt skin off and then grab the legs and neck in one hand, poke your thumb under the breast bone above the vent with a forefinger inside the wish bone and pull... the twist off the wings... takes 10 seconds... the meat will be as fine as a drawn bird.

Thanks for sharing, I will have to try that method.

 

[Muddlerminnow]

To each his own but field gutting with a knife and hook is no trouble, is IMO more respectful to the bird, doesn't expose the meat to outside contamination and generally speaking it's just better to bring home a nicer looking bird. I've seen the leg pull method fail too.

It can yes, not often but not pretty when it does. I’ve never seen it but I’m sure it works great. I agree that would make for a great way to keep meet clean yet cool and have a nice bird to bring home without the need for an extra bag. Many ways to skin a cat certainly seems to hold true for grouse as well. Glad you found your knife!

 

[Runningfool]

One can also skin a deer in 10 seconds with a golf ball, a piece of rope, and a pickup truck. Doesn't make my way of doing it wrong.

I have no need for a bird knife for upland game but I appreciate the aesthetic. Like a fine upland gun, I may not desire one but I take pleasure knowing others take pleasure in them.