Venison Jerky

Venison, done properly

Deer meat has a reputation for being tough and overly gamey, and that reputation comes almost entirely from bad processing. Done right — cut clean, seasoned properly, smoked slow over hardwood — venison is deeper and richer than beef without being heavy.

This is the biggest wild game category we carry, and it's the one hunters buy. That's a useful signal. People who process their own deer are the harshest critics of anyone else's venison, and they reorder these.

Sticks vs ropes. The sticks are one ounce, individually wrapped, built for a truck console or a lunchbox. The smoked ropes are twelve ounces of coarse-ground sausage meant to be sliced — they belong on a cutting board with cheese and mustard, not in your pocket. Different products for different jobs.

Where to start. Peppered is the classic and our steadiest seller. Teriyaki is the one that converts people who think they don't like venison. Venison Fire if you want real heat. Venison with Pork is a touch richer, since the pork adds back the fat that deer naturally lacks.

All of it is hardwood smoked in small batches at Zick's Specialty Meats, a family smokehouse in Michigan running the same recipes for over forty years. No MSG. No fillers. USDA inspected every production day.

Headed out for the season? The wild game bundles pack venison alongside elk, buffalo and alligator, and they travel well.