Stuff You Want: Gearing Up in the Off Season

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posted on February 4, 2014
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Game Saver Titanium G800
Food Saver has been the go-to vacuum sealing system for hunters for years and the Game Saver Titanium G800 was designed with the outdoorsman in mind. Its dual pump puts out more power for continuous use on larger jobs and the dual sealing strips create a seal you’ll need a blade to open. This bad boy will seal bags up to 15 inches—perfect for large roasts, whole ducks or that hind quarter you’ve been slacking on. MSRP $450

Real Avid Knife
Packing light can sometimes make the difference between misery and success, and the Viscera from Real Avid is one knife that will take the place of three. With the push of a button, the 440 stainless steel blade flips from a skinner to a gut hook and bone saw. The lock is strong and tight and the rubber grip gives purchase when blood enters the game. The hunter orange accents also make losing this blade a bit tougher while field-dressing. MSRP $50

Grizzly 75 Cooler
While it may not keep its namesake from eating what’s inside, you can be pretty sure the bear-resistant Grizzly 75 from Grizzly Coolers will at least survive the encounter. Its tough roto-molded construction will stand up to years of abuse. It has a large, 2-inch drain plug and its non-slip rubber feet and tie-down slots make it perfect for the pickup truck. The pressure-injected insulation will keep ice and your game cool and it’s plenty large enough to haul the protein of a whole deer. MSRP $430

Cabela’s Meat Grinder
No more hand crankin’ grandma’s old countertop meat grinder. With Cabela’s Commercial Grade 1hp Electric Meat Grinder, you can turn your quarry into sausage and hamburger without breaking a sweat. Its housing, base and grind plates are stainless steel for easy cleaning. Complete with sausage stuffing accessories, this workhorse will chomp through 9-12 pounds of meat per minute. MSRP $550

Super Mag 6:1 Ratio Lift System
No more questioning whether your dinky hoist and gambrel will lift that big ol’ buck: The Super Mag 6:1 Ratio Lift System from Hunters Specialties will lift that deer, and any elk or moose you may get your hands on, too. This beefed-up system, rated to 1,500 pounds, comes with a Magnum Gambrel and 55 feet of rot-resistant nylon rope. Hanging the big boys just got a whole lot easier. MSRP $55

PaperStone 5-Piece Kitchen Set
The PaperStone 5-Piece Kitchen Set from Buck Knives is just what you need to cut that backstrap into family-size portions. It includes an 8-inch chef’s knife, 8-inch serrated slicer, serrated spreader and a paring knife. The cutlery is dishwasher safe, and the sleek wooden block looks so good your wife might finally let you keep your Buck Knives on the kitchen counter.  MSRP $175

Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener
Oregon-based Darex, a 40-year-old family-owned maker of industrial tool sharpeners, knows a thing or two about how to put a keen edge on steel. Through its Work Sharp brand, the company has partnered with knife designer Ken Onion to produce a powered tabletop knife and implement sharpener for outdoorsmen. The U.S.-assembled device features a variable-speed 1.5–amp motor that drives flexible 3/4-inch-by-12-inch abrasive belts of the same type used by professional knife makers to create blades from scratch. Additionally, the motor’s variable control—6,112 to 14,261 rpm—allows optimal belt speeds for a particular task and steel. A contoured, non-slip handle and rubberized feet allow the user’s weak hand to anchor the 10-by-6-by-51/2-inch unit to a tabletop while the strong hand simply draws the knife blade across its blade guides, which are adjustable in 1-degree increments from 15-30 degrees. The unit can sharpen hunting and kitchen knives, including gut hooks and serrated edges, hatchets and even lawn mower blades. The sharpener comes with a five-piece abrasive belt kit with P120 extra coarse, X65 coarse, X22 medium, X4 fine and 6000 extra fine grits along with an instructional DVD. MSRP $150

-Brian C. Sheetz, Senior Executive Editor, American Rifleman

Cape Keeper Big Game Cooler Pack
The Cape Keeper Big Game Cooler Pack helps guarantee the trophy you shot makes it to your wall. It’s made of durable denier and extends to almost 30 inches, providing room for larger game. It’s waterproof inside and out and touts closed-cell foam insulation to keep your cape cool and prevent hair slippage. The incorporated antler straps provide a great method for hauling an otherwise awkward trophy. MSRP $200

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Rethinking Ragù: Venison Ragù Bianco

In Italy, ragù simply refers to a slow-cooked meat sauce. Bolognese—ragù alla Bolognese—is just one regional variation that originated in Bologna and traditionally incorporates tomatoes, wine, milk, and finely minced meat simmered low and slow until deeply rich and complex. But some of the most beautiful ragù dishes in Italy contain little or no tomato at all. This version uses axis deer simply because that’s what I happened to have in the freezer, but this sauce works beautifully with almost any species of venison.

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President Trump Defends Hunters and Thanks the NRA

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