Re: hunting knife blade length???
I agree with Texagator. I've got some big blades; my grandad's WW2 Kabar, a few 6-7" bladed Randalls, a RAT 7, and others, one of which I carry in my ruck when hunting, hiking, etc. for survival purposes if necessary.
When it comes to dressing deer, I use a 3-4" blade. I've used, among others, a Zero Tolerance 0200, Strider PT, Spyderco Endura, Benchmade CQC7, RAT 4, RAT 5, a Randall model 22, a Blind Horse Bushcrafter, a Buck Vanguard, and a few others I can't remember right now. My favorites have been the RAT4 and the Blind Horse Bushcrafter. The Randall 22 is nice, but $$$. The folders are a pain in the ass to clean afterward. They get too much gunk down in the liners, etc for me to fool with anymore.
Smaller blades are far handier for dressing deer than the bigger knives.
Several years ago, I bought a cheap hacksaw and a few extra blades from Home Depot that I use only for deer; cutting off legs and sawing through pelvis bones/spines.
I've hunted for more years than I care to remember in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. For the comparatively small bodied deer of the south, a 4-5" bladed knife and a hacksaw have worked out best for me.
Steve903
PS-Don't use that double edged blade to dress deer unless you like the smell of a freshly cut open deer stomach.
