tools
Not only are there many models of knives, but, ...have you noticed,..... most knives are cheaper than guns, take less space stored......one can buy more knives than guns!!!!!
I clean small game with any folding/pocketknife I might have chosen to carry that day. Truth is, I do very little small game hunting anymore. For deer I have the following preferences:
GP knife- I hunt primarily from climbing treestands, and I do not take a fixed blade knife aloft for fear of falling on the dang thing somehow. But a fella needs a knife on him when about, so my bowhunt/treestand GP knife is either a Buck 112 folding Ranger, or a vintage, bigger locking blade, Case Sodbuster. I've also toted a Gerber Gator a bit, and a orange handled Inox. All folding knives, stainless, with about 3-1/2" blades. But I do not like a folder for quartering or even gutting, as I find a fixed blade easier to clean later. As boyscout as it sounds, I often leave the big folders and just carry a Tinker model Swiss/Victrinox
Gutting-it is rare that I need to gut a deer on the spot. Normally I can get it home quickly or to a game pole, where disemboweling is easier and cleaner. Lots of folks disagree with this, and if too far from home, entrails have been pierced, or its particularly hot, I will gut on the spot, but that is not my norm. As wimpy as it sounds, I like the gut hook gadgets, and have a couple, all gifts. I looked at them as wussy 'till I used them, and now appreciate their handiness. A CRKT gut hook Ringer was the first, it combines a hook with a cutting blade, a combo I do not generally like, but the Ringer is so compact that I can tolerate it. Bamboy bought me a dedicated gut hook from Gerber, the Vital Zip, it is orange and takes utility knife blades. It is solely a hook, but works well at that task. Recently my sister gave me a Wyoming Knife, which has a hook and a separate knife blade. It is very unconventional, I have not used it on game, but the potential is there for a useful tool.
Skin and Quarter-normally, I hang the animal, skin, disembowel, and quarter/piece up for cooling. For skinning and quartering and piecing up, I like a fixed blade knife with about a 3-1/2" or so blade. For a long time I used a Buck Mini Mentor, but recently have switched to a Cold Steel, Canadian Belt Knife, which is a tad larger. I also have a couple of Schrade 154OT, drop point skinners, which I like alot as well. I had to add friction tape to the Cold Steel Canadian, as the plastic grips were to slick when bloody, but the longer length is appreciated when making big cuts.
Other Tools- I use a vintage Boy Scout (no kidding) hatchet to cut off the head, split the pelvis, take off ribs once boned and lop up the spine. Makes the carcass easier to dispose. I use a set of limb loppers , about 3 foot long, to cut off the legs, used to use a folding saw with bone blade, but a real pain to clean, and the bone saw 'bout wore me out cutting off skullcaps/antlers. I'm thinking about getting a cheap, cordless "reciprocating saw" just for antlers/skullcap
The folder of some type is in my pocket, everything else, he extra folders, fixed blades, hooks and hatchet, all live in drawstring GI stakebag hung in the Bronco 'till I need them.