16ga.com ~ View topic

*Last edited by onefunzr2 on Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:57 am; edited 6 times in total*

Thread hyjacked.

Guest

Looks great!!! What do we have to do to get our own knife??

thanks

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3439 Location: Illinois

Looking foward to the details on ordering Cool

Yup, that's the one I like. I already own a couple or three of the same model including a first run edition. Could I send one of the others in for the engraving only?

Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 446 Location: Wisconsin

That's the prefect knife!
Now get Case to make a run of them.-Dick

Guest

I think the whole setup is perfect from the handle to the engraving. My vote is for that knife and if so, you can put me down for two...

I've used one frequently in the past during the first 1/2 of our bird season. It is usually still fairly warm and insects are still active then. Properly used, a drawing hook (not gut hook) allows the user to remove the entrails without opening a large hole in the bird. This can be very prudent to do when a fellow plans to be in the field all day. The hunter can then hang his birds from a carry strap or thong and not have to carry them in his vest where they might stay too hot and spoil.

It is easy to do. Insert the hook an inch or so into the bird's cloaca. How deep in depends on the size of the bird. Then rotate the handle in a circular rotory motion to hook the end of the big intestine or bowel near the vent. Once the bowel is well hooked, a smooth steady pull will pop the end of the bowel out of the cloaca and the big and small intestines can be removed without cutting the bird open. It is best to then stuff a plug of sweet grass into the hole and hang the bird from a carrying strap or thong. this helps keep the bird fresh until it can be opened and cooled better without insects and other contaminants from getting into the cavity. another suggestion is try to draw your birds where there is water and some fine sand available. I carry a small towel with me as well to clean my hands after. Prepackaged handiwipes work well too, but water from a pond or brook and some sand has always worked best for me and does not produce more litter to carry or get lost along the way.

Drawing birds and small game to be carried on a strap is an anceint practice. Drawing hooks probably evolved from a simple backwards cut forked stick (which also still works quite well in a pinch) and have been around since before the Romans in all likelihood. Drawing hooks were popular among American bird hunters before WWII, especially in the South. Most knowledgable quail hunters had one. An old disgarded button hook often served for the purpose. A firm piece of small gauge wire could be bent into a good drawing hook as well. I've made several out of stainless steel, .110"diameter annealed drill rod.

Bird knifes with drawing hooks have been around since the earliest days of wingshooting and probably predate that time back into the middle ages when hawking and hunting ground birds with cast nets and dogs were both popular. What well heeled lord or aristocrat would not want a bejeweled bird and small game knife to show off to his peers. Landed commoners probably used a piece of wire. Serfs used forked sticks and prayed they did not get caught poaching or they'd get drawn first, then quartered--and now you know the true meaning of the term to be drawn and quartered. Laughing

OK. I'll admit I am not too computer savy. So where there are supposed to be pictures of the knife, I only see three X's. I tried to double click on them, but nothing opens up. How do I get the pictures to show. Hopefully it isn't too complicated.

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

In regard to gut hooks: I've used two knives that had the gut hook--a Remington Upland/bird knife that I bought for about $15 in 1992, and the blade is worn down to a fine point through many sharpenings/surgeries; and a Case bird knife, amber bone with the gut hook. I use the hook on quail, grouse, teal and woodies to really clean out the innards because then I don't have to mess up my pants pockets with blood and offal when I'm searching for truck keys, shells, reaching in the lunchbox for my sandwich, reaching in my shellbox for miscellaneous items, etc.

I've also used it when I'm on the move and I want to just open the bird up and get rid of a major portion of the entrails but don't want to do major surgery--on a warm day I find it keeps spoilage to a minimum. On the big birds like roosters, mallards, geese, etc. the hook is generally not long enough to accomplish the job so I gotta reach in and take matters into my own hands, so to speak...This is really a rather personal preference but that's how I've used mine, anyway.

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 602 Location: western pa

I've had Remington gut hook knives for years and only used the blade . Thanks for shedding some light on the use of the hook. I'll be giving that a try next season. I hate to admit that I've only ever used it as a back scratcher. Embarassed

That Case is a beauty.

Member Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 76

I agree that is a fine looking and practical knive and i would diffently want one

Bruce

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

I have tried hooks before-many times. I don't like the results. It ends up pulling only a portion of a quail's intestine out and leaves a large portion inside the bird.

Most hooks I've seen are too sharp around the end- they tear the delicate entrails. I've had better success with a modified spoon ground down to a smaller size. On larger birds, I draw them with a blade and stuff grass in the cavity. Messy, but I have learned to carry disposable vinyl gloves for this chore.

I have a Buck bird knife and if I took the knife or any other knife to an engraver, could I not have "16 Ga. Society" engraved on the blade?
Please tell me what I'm missing