Best Knives for Butchering Deer in 2023 | Buying Guide

Your friends and family were looking forward to flavorful venison hamburgers, hind roasts, and sirloin steaks when you got a little ahead of yourself. Having the quarry sit in your truck for so long, you now have to work on it and butcher it. A good butcher knife is essential for this. 

Check your kitchen for the right blade before the hunting season begins. It is good news for you that we have done all the research and found three great butchering models that deal with different aspects of the process of deer processing and butchering.

Can I butcher a deer with my home equipment?

A good knife, or even several knives, is an essential piece of equipment if you’re processing your deer yourself. Of course, the knife should be very sharp in order to separate the meat from the bone and connective tissue. 

At least four inches should be the blade’s length. A blade that has a shorter length, usually around six to eight inches, is better for skinning the deer and boning it, while a blade that has a longer length helps to actually cut the meat into steaks when it is actually cut. 

In order to be more convenient, you might consider owning a couple of knives. In our website, you may find that they are listed under categories such as boning knives and butcher knives for sale.

You can also butcher your quarry with the following equipment:

• Board for cutting
• Sharpener for knives
• Gloves made of leather
• An apron
• Sorting bowls and pans
• The scale
• For ground meat, you’ll need a meat processor
• Paper for the freezer and tape
• To mark freezer paper with a sharpie

To butcher a deer, what kind of knife do you use?

It should be a butcher’s knife that’s used for butchering a deer. As a general rule, a boning knife, about 3 inches long, is best for removing the skin from the meat and for separating the meat from the bone, while a long butcher knife, about 12 inches, is the best for actually cutting roasts and steaks. 

In addition to being exceptionally sharp, you should also look for these qualities in a knife:

• A slight curve (to apply leverage during cutting)
• (for corrosion resistance) High-carbon steel alloy
• Stable and ergonomic handle

How Do You Choose the Best Field Dressing Knife?

The field dressing knife, unlike its counterpart for butchering, is typically a bit shorter due to the need for making small details cuts, especially when cutting around anus in order to gut an animal. The knives that are used for field dressing are often equipped with hooks that facilitate the process.

Choosing between a fixed blade and folding knife is a major decision when it comes to field dressing knives. The huge advantage of folding knives is, moreover, their compactness and ease of transportation when going into the field, although they are also much more difficult to clean since bits of meat and blood can get caught up in the handle.

A full field dressing kit is also available for some hunters. The knives include different blades for gutting, removing organs, and opening ribs, among other uses. 

Is it Possible to Use a Fish Filet to Butcher a Deer?

It is actually possible for you to do so. Choosing filet knives as a method to skin and bone deer is a smart decision because they are thin and sharp, making it easy to get into the tougher areas of the deer’s body. Filet knives are great for filets, but they are not the best knives to use for butchering other parts of an animal, especially if they are too short or wobbly. 

Processing Tips

Wear Gloves

The benefits of using rubber or leather gloves are numerous. Their primary objective is to keep the process as clean and hygienic as possible. Furthermore, they help keep your hands firmly gripped even when the knives are wet with blood or juice.

Disinfect First

Both the meat cutting surface and the knives need to be cleaned before butchering. You can clean the knives by boiling them and using soap. Use bleaches or other chemical sanitizers on the cutting surface.

Don’t Saw Through Bone

Cutting through connective tissue like tendons and cartilage should be enough to remove all the meat from the bones if your knife is sharp. The bones themselves should never have to be cut. This only ends up dulling your knife.

Brain and spinal cord should be avoided

Infectious germs called prions can infect the brain and nervous system. When you’re processing your deer, keep a wide berth away from them.

A detailed look at our picks

1. TUO Scimitar Butcher Knife: Best Knife for Butchering Deer

With the TUO Scimitar knife, you’ll be able to process your deer easily at home, regardless of how big the animal is. With a blade measuring 14 inches and a curved tip, it makes for a great combination.

From the detailed cuts of the ribs to the deep cuts of the neck, it allows you to separate meat from fat and bone with ease. Furthermore, the blade is sharp enough to pierce tendons and other cartilage. 

In addition to its robust design, TUO’s Scimitar Butcher Knife is also made of high-carbon alloy with vacuum heat treatment in order to prevent corrosion and bacteria accumulation. Therefore, we would recommend it specifically for use in kitchens.

It takes a lot of effort and effort to maintain hygiene and cleanliness when you’re using your knife for multiple purposes and you’re butchering a variety of other meats along with your deer. 

I also think it’s great that you can use the Scimitar for such a wide range of different things; it’s really convenient. It is also used for cutting bread or slicing cooked meat in addition to butchering.

Pros:

• The blade is 14 inches long
• The tip is curved
• Suitable for all cuts
• Carbon alloy vacuum-treated
• Handle with ergonomics

Cons:

• The handle of a small size
• Wobbling can occur with long blades

2. Knife for boning deer: Victorinox Fibrox Pro Curved Boning Knife

Fibrox knives are shorter knives that are perfect for boning deer or as fillet knives for budget hunters. A particularly appealing feature is the ergonomic handle, which is easy to hold when blood or juices make it slippery.

This Fibrox Boning Knife is a great tool for boning meat due to its gradually curved blade shape. This shape allows you to cut as close to the bone as possible, for clean looks and maximum meat removal. In addition to using high-carbon steel, Victorinox made this knife corrosion resistant and stays sharp, though regular sharpening is still recommended.

Pros:

• Prices in the low range
• Ergonomic, stable handle
• Stainless steel blades

Cons:

• Sharpening is required regularly

3. Knine Outdoors Field Dressing Kit: The Best Kit for Processing Deer

Preparing your deer for home processing can be made easier by field-dressing it. A full kit, especially if you’re new to field dressing, makes things so much easier, especially when dressing your quarries. You wouldn’t want to ruin your kill with a simple mistake.

As shown in the picture above, the Knine kit consists of an 8-inch boning knife, as well as shorter knives that are perfectly suited for gutting, skinning and even separating ribs. Even a knife sharpener and a cutting board are included in the package.

In this way you can handle the organs that you want to remove, such as the kidneys and the liver, without having to worry about dirtying them up. If you want to ensure that you are making the best cuts for your deer, you should sharpen any blades that you’re using just before you dress it.

However, the longer blades tend to be wobbly. The steel blades in general are sharp. As for the handles, they can seem a bit flimsy, though we really like that they’re camouflage. Taking just a single knife out with you will not give you away if you decide not to use the entire kit.

Also, we like the fact that you can use the kit for home butchering as well as field dressing. There is such a wide variety of knives and tools that you can use it just about everywhere you go during the deer processing process.

Pros:

• Knives in a variety of shapes and sizes
• Knife sharpener and cutting board included
• Camouflage handles

Cons:

• Handles not made to last
• Knife blades can wobble when boning

Knives for butchering – How to keep them Sharp

There are times when even the best blades require a little touch-up. While a big job is underway, sharpening steel is one of the best ways to help you hone that edge. Here are a few tips.

1. As you begin, place the steel vertically against a table or another sturdy surface, so that the tip is pressed against it.
2. When the heel of the knife is pressed against the steel, it is angled at about a 20 degree angle so that the spine extends outward about 14 inches.
3. As you maintain an incline, lightly draw the edge of the blade down and across the steel as if you were slicing a micro-thin edge off of the sharpener.
4. Repeat this process on both sides of the blade for 8 to 10 strokes.

Conclusion

As you can see there are quite a few different knives that can be used for butchering. However, the TUO Scimitar Butcher Knife is our top pick because it was specifically designed for this purpose.

It is made of high-quality materials and is very sharp, making it perfect for Butchering Deer. If you are also looking for the best knife for butchering, then the TUO Scimitar Butcher Knife is for you!