I know they are probably about 2x more pricey than a gerber or buck comparable knife, but you won't find much better than a Benchmade if you field dress often. Sharpest knives I ever got from the factory, with excellent steel. My new one is sintered (not extruded) steel called s30v--awesome. For a reasonably priced model, look at the Griptilian, has a 440C blade. If you want to go a little more, look a model with 154CM steel. I used a Gerber pocketknife the other day, and it felt like a crappy toy knife after being used to my Benchmade Switchback. I also think Columbia River Knife and Tool makes some decent, more affordable blades for another option, but Benchmade (the ones in the blue boxes, anyway) is American made. Once it is dull (which takes a while), you can send it back for a factory edge for $5 (if you aren't a good sharpener).

As long as the steel is good, fixed blades can be sharpened and offer close to the same performance, no matter what the brand (as long as it is one-piece blade/handle) but sometimes you want grip comfort, so it is all in how much you want to spend.