G E A R G U I D ED I Y D E E R P R O C E S S O R S

K N I V E S D I Y D E E R P R O C E S S O R S G E A R G U I D E

Open Season Folding Skinner Knife and Boning KnifeA who takes his deer to a processor likely already has the tools needed to field dress a deer, but if they want to get into home processing, they will need a skinning and boning knife.

The tip of a Buck Knife designed for skinning is narrow, while the wide curved belly gives a nice skinning sweep that aids in getting through thick layers. The downward angled, more blunt point makes it harder to make an accidental slice through the hide.

Learn more here.

VA C U U M S E A L E RD I Y D E E R P R O C E S S O R S G E A R G U I D E

REALTREE OUTFITTERS® SPORTSMAN'S ADVANTAGEViars loves this Weston model because of its cooling fan, which prevents overheating for repetitive use and consistent, reliable sealing when processing large amounts of food.

“The two things that people really screw up on with having delicious, awesome venison is overcooking and poor storage,” said Viars. “Vacuuming reduces air, which reduces the risk of freezer burn and keeps the meat fresh for a longer period of time”

Learn more here.

G R I N D E RD I Y D E E R P R O C E S S O R S G E A R G U I D E

ELECTRIC MEAT GRINDER & SAUSAGE STUFFER

The powerful 650 watt motor makes short work of grinding meat. It also includes a sausage stuffer attachment. Learn more here.

Pro Tip: Before grinding meat, freeze everything, including the parts of a grinder (housing, lug and grinding plate.

D E H Y D R AT O RD I Y D E E R P R O C E S S O R S G E A R G U I D E

WESTON FOOD DEHYDRATORS

Everybody loves jerky. A dehydrator allows you make large batches without taking up oven space.

“I like to cook and use my oven,” said Viars. “I can set up my dehydrator in my garage and leave it until it’s ready. And I always love multi-tools. I also use a dehydrator to make pork rinds and dehydrated fruit for trail mix to take into the field on hunts.”

Learn more here.

O T H E R I T E M SD I Y D E E R P R O C E S S O R S G E A R G U I D E

Recipe Books

The previous items are really the “must-haves,” but as your craft of processing game evolves, there are other awesome products to add to you collection.

One Viars' favorite books is Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman.

Slicer

A leftover venison roast, sliced up the next day for sandwich meat make for great lunches.

Meat Thermometer

Don’t be a hero! Use a thermometer to cook venison to the perfect and safe temp. This one here is a good one.