Why Are Hunting Knives Such Essential Pieces of Hunting Gear?

Any hunter, whether a beginner or a pro, knows the importance of having suitable equipment. When it comes to the versatility they offer and the protection they provide, certain pieces of equipment are more important than others. The hunting knife is one of the most basic tools to be equipped with.

To be well-prepared for a hunting trip in the wilderness, regardless of whether you’re hunting deer, hares, foxes or feral pigs, your best bet is to buy hunting equipment from a specialised store. You can either shop from your local store or choose a reliable online one – these shops abound in brands, different knife models, materials, sizes, and features, all at affordable prices.

So, the next time you’re preparing for your hunting adventure, besides making sure you have the right hunting clothes and supplies, ensure you also have the proper knife at hand.

Uses of Hunting Knives

As part of the essential hunting gear, you can use knives for setting traps as well as cleaning and preparing your catch later on. However, when out in the wilderness, carrying this kind of tool with you would certainly come in helpful in a range of other situations. In some cases, you might become the prey yourself and you’d definitely want to have a weapon with you to be able to defend yourself. So, you can think of hunting knives as self-defence tools as well.

Furthermore, it can be easy to get lost even when you’ve got some sort of navigation system with you when the weather is foggy or the night starts setting in. In such cases, you might have to make your way through the bushes or you may find yourself in need of creating an improvised shelter to make it through the night. This is where your hunting knife can come in helpful.

You can also use this tool to prepare wood for the shelter by making wood stakes from branches and sliced ropes. With it, you can cut wood for your campfire and then treat yourself to a hot snack, coffee or tea, for instance. Furthermore, speaking of ropes, when sustaining injuries in an emergency situation, having a knife at hand could be of great use in cauterizing wounds (with a heated knife) to prevent infection.

Don’t have an antiseptic with you? No worries, you can get sap from a tree with your knife. Best of all is it’s also useful as an anti-inflammatory agent as it can be turned into syrup, and even be used as glue. Furthermore, though it’s not the easiest thing, when you’ve got no other option of starting a fire, no fire starter or matches around, a knife and a rock would do to kindle a tinder.

How to Pick a Hunting Knife

Before you start shopping for hunting gear, it’s important to ask yourself how you’re going to use the knife, whether you prefer a specialty knife that’s great for specific hunting tasks or a multi-purpose alternative. You should also take into account the kind of game you plan on hunting.

Next up, the size. Naturally, many would prefer having a bigger knife, thinking it would be more useful than a smaller one but that’s far from the truth; if you want to make the right choice, you’ve got to be more practical! Smaller knives are easier to handle and are not less efficient than bigger ones – in fact, they’re even more efficient in skinning and other hunting tasks.

Last but not least, it’s necessary to consider the design, specifically whether you prefer a fixed or folded one. You should also consider its ease of cleaning and portability. And last but not least, when it comes to the blade, you can choose from three different styles: drop point, clip point and trailing point. Pick your knife wisely, and you’ll be halfway prepared for the hunt!