Anything CASE XX, Oldtimer, Uncle Henry, Puma, Gerber, Solingen Steel. I have picked up some of my favorite skinning knives for $5 at garage sales. I have a Crown Royal bag full of them. Older ones are awsome as David points out. I like short blades for more control. My very favorite is a CaseXX straight blade. Barely longer than the palm of my hand...blade and handle. 3 or 4 strokes on a diamond carpet knife sharpener, and it will shave. No one needs a Bowie knife to skin a deer.

YES, channel cats are shallow on windy points and flats, crappie are 1-4 ft spawning. Most crappie are 1.5 ponders

Rattled-up the biggest buck in terms of mass I'd ever seen, late in the rut.  We'd been hunting him the last couple of years and knew he was still around because he was rubbing 6" diameter trees right by our camp. 

He came right in to the rattle, and I got a clear look at him at 75 yards...across a fence line of course.  He wasn't real wide but probably at least 22"-24" tall, 8" or so bases, and I'm not kidding.  But what really stood out was that he didn't have 'points' per se, he had what looked like rounded broomhandles (with a little less diameter) branching off his main beams - his G-2s and G-3s had that much mass.  He circled around to get downwind from us and came across the fence.  Unfortunately where he stopped was in a depression about 70 yards or so away, and all that I could see was the top of his neck and head, so with no brace-up I didn't want to shoot and possibly wound him...but boy I thought about it. 

My 12 year old son was with me and saw the whole thing.  When I looked over at him his jaw was about on the ground. 

Great discussion.Excellent points from all sides. I love the meat & I enjoy taking a good buck also.

IT's OK TO SAY "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!"

Points are more for pride these days.  Used to win gift cards each month but that was a few years ago.  Welcome to the site!