Carrying a folding bone saw?

[FEENIX]

I own one of these and love it but it was the first thing I took out when I decided to lighten up my pack.

Believe it or not, the heaviest part of my pack is water and I can go with a lot less but I haul it just in case because I am normally out ~ 5-7 miles deep into the Montana wilderness.

One thing where I saved weight is in knives; I now carry Havalon Piranta-Bolt Hunting & Skinning Knife in Blaze Orange with refills.

In addition, I work out all year so I can deal with the extra weight I have to carry with me and get where my hunting buddy and I hunts. Last year, we hunted a gulch and it took us 3.5 hours to get to the top. Without year around conditioning, I would have not made it up there ... not getting any younger.

 

[Litehiker]

FEENIX,

I looked at that knife on the link you provided. What I really liked was the Baracutta knife B/Cit had an option of a bone saw blade.

Thanks for the link. I've bookmarked it and may get the Baracutta version with the saw blade and some spare knife blades.

Eric B.

 

[Bravo 4]

My wife had bought me the Piranta a couple years back. I didn't know they had bone saw blades available. I think the mounting bracket is the same for both the Piranta and Baracuda. I'm going to order a packet of the bone saw blades and keep them in my pack instead of the larger saw I carry and try them out. The problem is they are quite a bit smaller than a "real" bone saw and may be flimsy. We shall see.
The Havalon has only skinned one elk, but I felt I needed a real knife in some places, and a saw. I believe the Havalon with hunter and saw blades will be fine for deer.
I have used a disposable razor knife to skin deer for a long time (the kind that has a blade a few inches long that you break the tip section off when it gets dull). These are great until you get in a tight spot and need to dig into something, that's where a good knife comes in as the razor knifes are easy to break.

 

[Wyodog]

Believe it or not, the heaviest part of my pack is water and I can go with a lot less but I haul it just in case because I am normally out ~ 5-7 miles deep into the Montana wilderness.

One thing where I saved weight is in knives; I now carry Havalon Piranta-Bolt Hunting & Skinning Knife in Blaze Orange with refills.

In addition, I work out all year so I can deal with the extra weight I have to carry with me and get where my hunting buddy and I hunts. Last year, we hunted a gulch and it took us 3.5 hours to get to the top. Without year around conditioning, I would have not made it up there ... not getting any younger.

Fenix, id don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this topic I just cannot justify 20+ oz of weight that I can do without. I also work out to be able to hunt the backcountry but 23 oz is better spent on water as you pointed out above. The absolutely only need I have for a saw is to remove antlers from a skull. I can do this with a much lighter saw.

I have been using havalon knives for years now including this year but I'm going to look for something else to use. Is have several Piranta and I believe they are dangerous because the blades break off easily and sometimes inside of animal I still need to field dress. I will likely try the barracuda as the blades are thicker and I do I will try the saw blades as well.

 

[bigngreen]

I start every year with my Wyoming saw in my pack and end every year with it under the seat of the truck, just can't justify the weight. If I need the horns I skin out the skull and knock the lower jaw of or tell one of my horn hunting buddies where to find it and let them pack it out in the spring
Side note, the Havelon's are banned from our camps, seen way to many ER runs because of them and while I like the idea their just to easy to get hurt with when in the back country to make them worth it for me.

 

[Timber338]

Side note, the Havelon's are banned from our camps, seen way to many ER runs because of them and while I like the idea their just to easy to get hurt with when in the back country to make them worth it for me.

The first time I used a havalon on a backpack hunt, I got the knife out to skin a bull and it scared me how razor sharp and small it was. I just had an intuition that it could cut me very badly very easily. I've gotten more comfortable using it and all of my knives are sharp, but something about that little piranta made me think if I really wanted to use it. Cutting yourself in the backcountry with any knife could be devastating, but the havalon is sharper than any knife I have ever used on an elk. I still plan on using my havalon but good lord I'm careful.

I also just skin out the head and remove the jaw to save weight. And I also do European mounts with most of the Bulls i shoot. On a regular basis I just don't want the weight of a saw. I also remind myself how the Indians used to skin and butcher animals with very few tools. Simple is good and makes for a lightweight setup.

 

[Antonio m]

I carry a high grade pruners saw like this:Professional Arborist's Cutoff Saw, Pruning Saw - Garrett Wade

They cut better than any "sportsman's" saw you can find, weigh next to nothing, cut thru elk like you wouldn't believe, and you can build a fort with them.

I looked at this and it looks much like the Fiskers saw I have.Extraordinarily sharp,sharpened with a chain saw file and cuts best on the draw.Very useful.Cleaned up a trail the other day and in this case didn't even dismount from the pony.Goes through bone like butter too

 

[FEENIX]

Fenix, id don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this topic I just cannot justify 20+ oz of weight that I can do without. I also work out to be able to hunt the backcountry but 23 oz is better spent on water as you pointed out above. The absolutely only need I have for a saw is to remove antlers from a skull. I can do this with a much lighter saw.

I have been using havalon knives for years now including this year but I'm going to look for something else to use. Is have several Piranta and I believe they are dangerous because the blades break off easily and sometimes inside of animal I still need to field dress. I will likely try the barracuda as the blades are thicker and I do I will try the saw blades as well.

I agree, it boils down to personal choice/preference.

 

[Antonio m]

An axe or saw can save you life or locate your game when you come back for the second load..following your fresh blazes.I never carry water,I can find water when I need it . I do like to hear what others have to say

 

[Triple BB]

When I shot my moose a mile plus from the road, we rolled the guts out of it and showed back up with a Milwaukee Sazall. It was one of my faster field butcher jobs...

 

[FEENIX]

When I shot my moose a mile plus from the road, we rolled the guts out of it and showed back up with a Milwaukee Sazall. It was one of my faster field butcher jobs...

Funny you mentioned that, not sure if it's a sawzall but a friend carries one in his pack and swears by it.

 

[Antonio m]

I have a Dewalt 36 volt reciprocating saw (sawsall type)with 2 batteries and use it sometimes as well for trailer cutting .It can be handy at times.We have cut up game with a chain saw with vegetable oil too.A good hatchet or saw is still indispensable in the pack.It can be a lifesaver.A survival tool imo

 

[Wedgy]

I sometimes carry one of the Outdoor Edge folding saws, the 4.5" one is only 2.5oz but it seems all their saws I have tried don't have enough kerf to the blade so the deeper you go the blade gets pinched and also fills up with cuttings. They are handy for cutting limbs around tree stands and such but a lot of work to cut ribs. Also the back side of the blade is sharp enough that I cut my hand while pushing down on the back of it to get more pressure sawing some mule deer ribs last week. I prefer a cleaver for ribs but I'm not hauling it in a pack.
https://www.outdooredge.com/search?type=product&q=saw

 

[Litehiker]

Well I appreciate all the replies on this thread. They have given me some good alternative bone saws to my Gerber Switchblade folder.

Wedgy, that's a nice looking rack. Hope I get one like it.

For now I'll stick with the Gerber. I still have to cut off the head or I wouldn't take one at all because I'm boning out the rest of the animal to make packing out easier. I don't know if it will be a deer or elk B/C I have tags for both. If it's a cow elk I'm just sawing off the top of the head. If it's a nice buck mulie I'll take the entire head.

Maybe Santa will bring me a new bone saw. ;o)

Eric B.