Deer Processing Test
I was fortunate to go deer hunting with some good friends over New Year’s weekend 2009/2010. I was fortunate to harvest a nice Texas hill country buck, as well as a doe. Naturally, all field dressing, skinning, and quartering was done with one of my knives. The knife used for the task this year was #50, a Spicewood Special in 1080. Prior to the test, I had sharpened it to shaving sharp on a Lansky system at 25 degrees inclusive.
I field dressed the buck first. I split the sternum, but I do not split the pelvis. I skinned the buck, quartered it, and deboned the hams. I did not steel the knife throughout the first deer. After the buck, the knife would still shave hair on 2/3 of the blade.
I helped my friend skin and quarter a doe that he shot, and then I field dressed, skinned and quartered my doe in the same way I did the buck. At this point, the knife would not shave hair, but was still cutting well. No steeling had been done at this point.
(I also intend to use the same knife, with steeling, to process the two deer into roasts, steaks, and grinding meat.)