The Mud Puppy, Bird dog, or Scrap Muk would all do fine. The old Buck 110 has been a favorite around here for years. The main thing is, they must be sharp.

I have seen deer skinned and butchered with everthing from a 7" butcher knife to a small pen knife. My favorite skinning knife for years was a Buck Lite folder. A 3" to 4" blade works fine. The Mud Puppy would be ideal with that mudder handle and short stainless steel blade. Easier to clean up than a folder. But a reprofiled edge on it would help a lot. But if I was to just use one SY knife to do camp chores and skin animals, it would be the Scrap Muk. The author obviously does not appreciate large bowies, but the Scrapper 6 can do it too. It's all about control. Use a knife you are confident and familiar with. Nowadays, I don't skin animals much, but I am sure that my EDC Rat Trap would work just fine.

I would go with the MUK also Vic <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />. I just did several deer and two elk and all the blade needed was a good stropping. I also like the BDLE and the S6- but I prefer the LE. I might even give the S5LE a try <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />. Good article- but I think a guy has many choices.I agree that the sharper you have the blade the better off you are <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />. Just my 2 cents-Thanks <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

SS4 would be my choice for the best SY Deer knife...ideally stripped and with a ghetto satin finish...

Well, of the ones I have I would think the MUK would be my first choice followed by the MPLE. Of course, no deer yet because I have not even got out this year.

my first thought at the sight of the title was of the MPLE. i've never skinned an animal, but i've done enough delicate work to know that a shorter blade is the easiest to handle.

i used to do 3D design and sculpture. my tools had blades less than an inch long for precision, like the exacto knife. look at a carving kit, wood burn iron, or even the way you hold a pen. you want to be close in.

that's one reason i never understood why soldering pens were so long. i use a junk tip on my wood burn iron when i solder instead.

Ive skinned and gutted several deer myself and during the gutting at least a short bladed knife is the order of the day. (We skinned ours after hanginging them in the gerage.) I used either a Boker or Buck folder for the field work and anything bigger would just get in the way. I think a mudpuppy or gamewarden are about perfect for that job.

Bah! Everyone knows the Regulator is the perfect deer hunting blade <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

It is if you forget the gun <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />