I was wondering if any of you carry or use a hawk/tomahawk (or small hatchet) while hunting?

I just discovered how efficient a hawk can be for chopping (building ground blinds or making a fire). And most hawks do not weight very much and can easily be carried.

What hawk/hatchet do you use? Manufacturer? Model?
What is your experience?

I often carry one with me as well as a pair of pruning scissors. I have a Marble Hatchet and love it.

I do not carry/use either one; however, as I am getting older and starting to hunt terra firma more the ground blind building idea appeals to me. Thanks for the idea.

I've gotta couple made by Craig Barr.  Found him on *Bay. I got one made from Damascus, and one plain.  He makes one with a blade and hammer ends, and one with a blade and point end.  I went with the hammer ends on both.
 They throw great, and are plenty hard. They work for clearing the brush, driving pegs, and whatever. Not to mention how good looking they are.  Check him out, Deer Mountain Forge Damascus.      

Have several and often carry one while hunting. Timberline makes a small "Bush Pilot" hatchet that is fantastic. Also have a couple of small older Marbles Safety axes, a Marbles Double Bit Hatchet, a small Ft Meigs style belt axe, and a couple of "Hawks". Can't replace a full size axe but if kept razor sharp it amazing what can be done with a small "belt axe/hatchet. I have made leather belt sheaths for all and have found them quite handy to carry.

I very often carry either a hawk (Shrew) or a Fiskars hatchet.  Nothing about the Fiskars is trad, but it is light and works !

The hawk also doubles as a skwerl "bonker" if I am using nutters.
ChuckC

I carried a small hatchet for years, then a ESTWING hatchet, then my Ft.Miegs. I love em for dressing game and working on blinds. I hunt mostly the same spots any more and have quit packing on with me a few years ago. I will be putting together a new "Hunting belt" for next season and will resume my hatchet use. I thought santa was gonna give me a new shrew hawk but the elfs didn't make enough(or I was naughty,NAH!) Lets have a look at your choppers!

I carry one on every hunt.  Look at my screen name and you will see who manufacturers them.  I produce and sell a lot of hawks out of my forge.  I love them.  Splitting a breast bone, or pelvis is really easy, even on large animals like elk. With a hammer poll hawk pounding in stakes or making a blind is light work.  I wouldn't be caught in the woods without one.  I consider them to be as important as my knife.

I want to add here that I hike long distances and hunt far from my vehicle.  I often end up camped next to a kill overnight, so the hawk is an important survival tool, and definately makes my life a lot easier when I have to put up a quick shelter or ground blind, gather firewood, clean an animal, etc...

QuoteOriginally posted by Ragnarok Forge:
I carry one on every hunt.  Look at my screen name and you will see who manufacturers them.  I produce and sell a lot of hawks out of my forge.  I love them.  Splitting a breast bone, or pelvis is really easy, even on large animals like elk. With a hammer poll hawk pounding in stakes or making a blind is light work.  I wouldn't be caught in the woods without one.  I consider them to be as important as my knife.


I want to add here that I hike long distances and hunt far from my vehicle.  I often end up camped next to a kill overnight, so the hawk is an important survival tool, and definately makes my life a lot easier when I have to put up a quick shelter or ground blind, gather firewood, clean an animal, etc...

Do you have a website?

I use the Estwing campers, its great because of the opposite hammer head , but I am willing to give Ragnorok forge a look?

I have a Gransfors Hunters Axe. VERY nict tool for blinds and cleaning game or .......
Would love to find a better way to carry. Any ideas? Photos?
Saw a guy make a Posssibles bag with a spot for his axe on the back. Looked great and functional.
Tim
DEATHMASTER

I made a possidles bag for a hawk I bought at crazycrows. Ill try to get a pic on here later.  Mark

I carry a mouse hawk. Its about 1/2 the size of a reg. hawk. comes in real handy when ground hunting.

great idea...usually have one along when camping, and always carried one trapping... never really thought to haul a small one on longer hunts--->i've always carried a folding saw in my pack, but a 'hawk seems better, especially since the idea of all the little shavings (after trimming with a toothed sawblade)always leaves me thinking about the concentration of the (new/unusual)odor in the area...Thanks!

I dont carry a hawk but I do carry a steadfast knife or my ka-bar they are both thick and heavy and can chop down a a 4-5" tree.

I carry one, a light hawk that Ron LaClair sells. I use it a lot, in treestands, and putting together ground blinds.

I got a pic of my hawk and sheath-bag.  Mark      markas4259.71420@uploads.photobucket.com

that didnt work, Ill be back.

Gerardo,

Keep your eyes out on the knifemakers forum.  I will post some of my work there for you to look at in the next day or two.

Clay