Wild game chef, Tyler Viars, lists his favorite tools for processing venison.

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

2. 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 Knife
A 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.

3. VA C U U M S E A L E R
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
REALTREE OUTFITTERS® SPORTSMAN'S ADVANTAGE
Viars 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.

4. G R I N D E R
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
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.

5. D E H Y D R AT O R
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
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.

6. O T H E R I T E M 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
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.