Venison Jerky — Mild

Venison without the thing people are worried about. Mild, clean, and smoked slow — this is the one that proves deer meat doesn't have to taste like something you have to acquire.

Why venison gets a bad reputation

Almost all of it comes down to sourcing and handling. Deer that's been finished on grain, or handled poorly before processing, develops the strong livery edge people call gamey. Grass-fed and properly handled, venison is deeper and richer than beef without being heavy — closer to a good steak than to anything wild.

This is the version with nothing on top of it. No heat, no glaze, just the meat and hardwood smoke.

Where the venison comes from

Made with grass-fed, pasture-raised venison from Pāmu Farms of New Zealand — one of the most respected farming operations in the world. Pāmu has been farming New Zealand land since 1886 and runs over 100 farms under formal animal welfare and environmental stewardship commitments, protecting more than 10,000 hectares for biodiversity alongside its livestock operations.

New Zealand is the world's benchmark for farmed venison, and grass-fed makes a real difference you can taste: cleaner, less mineral-heavy, and more consistent than deer finished on grain.

Who it's for

Anyone who's had bad venison. This is the one that changes minds, and it's why we make a mild at all.

People buying for someone cautious. No acquired taste required.

Kids. Mild, no heat, and 1 oz individually wrapped.

Why it's blended

Like every wild game meat we carry, this is blended with other meats. There's a regulatory reason as well as a practical one — venison isn't covered by mandatory USDA inspection the way beef and pork are, so blending is what brings the whole product under the federal stamp. It also fixes a real problem: deer is extremely lean, and straight venison makes a dry, tough stick. The blend is what makes it good and what makes it inspected.

How it's made

Hardwood smoked in small batches at Zick's Specialty Meats in Michigan, a family smokehouse running the same recipes for over forty years. No MSG. No fillers. USDA inspected every production day. See exactly what's in it →

Want more from it? Try Peppered, Teriyaki, or Fire. See the full venison range.