Whether you’ve just hunted down a deer or just purchased some fresh deer meat at your local grocery store, turning it into jerky is one of the best ways to enjoy its flavor.

A lot can go wrong throughout the jerky making process however, especially if you’re just trying it out for the first time. I know that’s how it went for me. Luckily, with a little practice and a whole lot of patience, I was able to learn the ropes and discover all the details on preparing this delicious treat.

So if you’re interested in learning how to prepare for the jerky process or how long to dehydrate deer jerky, this comprehensive guide should teach you everything you need to know.

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How Long to Dehydrate Deer Jerky – A Beginner’s Ultimate GuidePreparing the Deer MeatSet Up Your StoveHow Long to Dehydrate Deer Jerky?After DehydrationThe Wrap Up

Preparing the Deer Meat

The first step of preparing your deer meat for drying is cutting it up. It’s ideal to keep the meat at less than a half-inch in thickness to make sure they effectively absorb your flavorings.

Once you’ve achieved the right cut sizes and thickness, it would be best to soak your deer meat in a salt bath. This step helps drain out any residual blood, and also helps clean the meat to make it safe for consumption.

The next step involves seasoning your meat to appeal to your taste. This part of the process will help guarantee great tasting jerky once you’re done.

Depending on your preferences, you can choose from a vast variety of different deer jerky recipes. These often involve rubbing the meat with different herbs and spices, and marinating it for extended periods of time to really infuse it with flavor.

Set Up Your Stove

When drying your meat, one of the most important factors to take into consideration is the temperature setting on your stove. Set it too high and you’ve burnt your meat, set it too low and you risk uncooked jerky.

The ideal temperature setting for deer meat is at 200 degrees Celsius. But before you can pop your dear meat into the oven, it’s important to first heat the strips at 160 degrees Celcius to eliminate the chances of salmonella.

Once your meat has been pre-heated to 160 degrees, take it out of the oven and pat it down with a paper towel. Removing the excess oil will ensure a longer shelf-life.

Pre-heat your oven to the standard 200 degrees, and then place your meat into the oven for dehydration. Make sure to place it on a tray with drainage holes and position a tray beneath to catch the drippings.

How Long to Dehydrate Deer Jerky?

This is the main question on the mind of many people who want to prepare deer jerky. When it comes to dehydrating, time is of the essence. That’s why it’s imperative to make sure that your deer meat has been dehydrated long enough to ensure a lengthy shelf life and proper taste.

The most ideal time to dry out deer meat is 5 hours at 200 degrees Celcius. This length of time guarantees that all moisture will be removed from the meat without overcooking it. But to make sure that each side is properly dehydrated, it would be ideal to flip the strips once at the 2 and a half hour mark.

If you’re not too keen on slaving over a hot oven, a food dehydrator might be a better option. Personally, I can’t get enough of the Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator which easily dries out jerky to the perfect texture.

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Check you jerky after 5 hours and determine whether or not it’s been dehydrated well enough. Because stove temperatures may vary even when set at a specific heat, it’s possible that some jerky may not yet be ready for cooling.

The best indicator of properly dried deer jerky is the inability to poke through the meat with any sort of prod or fork. Once you’ve reached this texture, your deer meat is likely ready to be taken out of the stove. If not, leave it in the heat making sure to check for doneness every 10 minutes.

After Dehydration

Now that your deer meat has been properly dehydrated, it’s time to take it out of the stove and cool it down for storage. Remember – don’t get too excited when packing up your deer jerky. If it’s too hot when you place it in those vacuum sealed plastic bags, they can eat through the material and compromise the quality of the jerky.

As a general rule, you will want to set your jerky to cool for around an hour. This will ensure that the meat would have cooled to room temperature all the way through the center.

Once the meat jerky has cooled, you can pat it dry with a paper towel to remove any residual oil. This usually accumulates on the surface of the jerky, and can decrease shelf-life. Removing as much of it as possible will help guarantee a long lasting deer jerky.

Storing your deer jerky is best done with vacuum sealed food-grade plastic bags. This prevents any airborne contaminants from making contact with the meat, thus allowing you to store it for much longer.

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In the absence of vacuum sealed plastic bags, a standard food container should do. But keep in mind that these containers can reduce jerky shelf-life to just around 2 or 3 months, if placed inside a refrigerator.

If you feel like taking out and eating some of your dried jerky, simply take it out and cut it up to be added into stews, sandwiches, or of course, to be eaten as-is.

The Wrap Up

It can be confusing to turn deer meat into jerky, but once you’ve got all the dirty details down, it’ll be as easy as pie.

Again, if you don’t want to have to go through with all the tedious details, using a standard countertop dehydrator may be a much easier and faster method to get the job done.

How do you prepare your deer jerky? Do you have any other strategies when it comes to whipping up this tasty meaty treat? Are there any other things you’d want to know about my jerky preparation process? Let me know in the comments section and let’s start a conversation!

The thrill that you feel while tracking down your prey during a deer hunt is something you can only experience firsthand and anyone who has been on such an expedition, whether a veteran or a newbie will be able to identify with that feeling.

However, there is so much more to just an emotional experience while deer hunting. Everyone likes to be good at the things they do, and you may ask yourself these questions: “What don’t I know about deer hunting? What are the common mistakes that I could make? What are the best practices that I could follow?”

You will be surprised to know that many veterans still ask themselves these questions – every deer hunt brings in new challenges and there is learning in each one. We must always remember that we are dealing with wild animals which can be unpredictable at the best of times, so, expect the unexpected.

Despite the element of the unknown while hunting wild animals, in this case deer, we can make some generalizations. I have considered these generalizations as common ground to prepare some useful deer hunting tips and tricks. Here are 21 deer hunting tips and tricks that will make you an expert hunter.

Preparing for the Hunt

This activity is almost as important as actually going for the hunt. A good hunter will always have a well-planned stock of supplies and a plan of action that will make the actual expedition fun, adventurous and fruitful. You will be surprised at the most obvious things that you can overlook if you do not have a proper list in place. Here is a list of what you should be ready with:

•     Stock up your Gear and Check it

Make a list of things you will need. Not only obvious things like weapons, ammo, food, and water but think about less obvious items that could come in handy like a first-aid box or a compass.

•  Permits and licenses

Ensure that you have all the licenses at hand. Each state has varying local hunting licenses, so you need to be sure to have the right ones for the region that you are visiting. A friend of mine reports that once when he was out on a deer hunt with an office colleague, his partner happened to ask him about a particular permit which to his dismay he didn’t have. He just needed to pay $25 at the local hunting authority’s office but what a sad difference that would have made if forest department had stopped him!

• Local Laws and Regulations

Get familiar with the local laws and regulations because these also can vary from state to state. You need to know about the opening and closing dates as well because you wouldn’t want to be caught unawares by starting a day early and paying the price, literally!

• Sighting your Weapons

If you want to make a good, clean shot during the hunt, your gun needs to be accurate. For that, you will have to sight it. Sighting a weapon is relatively straightforward, although maybe a mildly tedious job but believe me, it will make a world of difference in the way you shoot.

• Interact with the Locals

Getting information from locals is a good way of finding out about the movement of deer. The local farmers and inhabitants will have a good idea with regards to where the deer are and what they are doing. You can pay a few visits to the hunting sites a few weeks before, to plan out your strategy by inputs you get from the locals.

• Keep Fit

Hunting is a strenuous activity, whether you are wielding a bow or just traipsing through the woods for hours on end. During the off-season, it is possible to get out of shape. You need to sleep well, eat well and keep fit by working out regularly so that you are in prime form for the forthcoming hunting season.

See Also: How to Be a Better Bowhunter- Bow Hunting Tips

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the tips that will help you become a better hunter:

• Tip # 1: Deer have a surprisingly strong sense of smell and can detect a human a mile away. Before going on a hunt, bathe with an odor-free soap. Pack your hunting clothes in a sealed plastic bag along with a bit of dirt, leaves, and twigs and wear them only on reaching the site. This process should somewhat disguise the human scent.
• Tip # 2: Use doe estrous as bait for attracting the buck. Although you shouldn’t rely on this alone, it is a great tool for attracting the big buck. You can try dragging along a rag soaked in doe estrous which works quite well. However, you should use estrous judiciously. Do not use it at a time that does are not likely to be in season.
• Tip # 3:Odor eliminator is also a useful thing to use. However, don’t just spray before you leave for the hunt. Take it with you and spray it on yourself once you reach the site, paying particular emphasis to your hat and hair.
• Tip # 4: Well before the season, make sure that your tree stand is well-set up. Practice assembling and dismantling it and a good tip is to set it up low in the tree to give you quick access to it when required, with the least possibility of making any noise.
• Tip # 5: Google Maps is a great tool to check out the terrain with an aerial view of the site. Make good use of Google Maps to plot your route, making notes as you go along.
• Tip # 6: While hunting in wet weather, tape the end of the muzzle of your gun with a bit of electrical insulation tape. The tape will keep the inside of the barrel dry, and you will be able to shoot through the covering when required.
• Tip # 7: If you need to remove your intended route of obstacles like branches and fallen logs, do so well before the hunting season starts. Deer will get the scent of freshly-cut timber and foliage and associate it with the movement of humans and get spooked.
• Tip # 8: Do not underestimate the advantage of tree stand blinds,however much a seasoned hunter you may be.Tree stand blinds serve the dual purpose of hiding you from your prey and protecting you from the elements during rain or extreme weather.
• Tip # 9: Keep a deer decoy handy and practice deer calls which can come in handy if you spot deer on adjacent land to which you do not have permission or access.
• Tip # 10: Carry a sufficient stock of insect repellant with you. Bugs can not only be irritating but can cause disease, and you don’t want your hunting season to end abruptly due to sickness caused by insect bites.
• Tip # 11: When you get back home after your hunt, or even at the site if you are to wash any of your clothes, ensure to use non-scented detergent.
• Tip # 12: You may not be an excellent tracker but here’s a good tracking tip: If there is snow on the ground, look out for leaves scattered around where deer may have pawed for mast. If you see traces of mast still in the field, there is a possibility of the deer returning to the spot.
• Tip # 13: You have made a hit. Your buck is down. What next? Check the blood pattern. Frothy blood will indicate a good shot to the lungs or heart, but watery blood mixed with stomach matter show a weak shot. Be wary in such a case because it is common for a partially-wounded buck to charge and the consequences can be fatal.
• Tip # 14: Maintain tree stand safety at all times. No matter how low your tree stand may be, you don’t want a sprained ankle, broken leg or worse. Statistically, most falls from tree stands occur while climbing in or out of the tree stand. Use appropriate safety gear.

• Tip # 15: While moving on foot, you need to go slowly. Try using your watch to time the periods of standing still (up to even five minutes!). Use this time to listen hard for any movement in the foliage.
• Tip # 16: If you make the slightest of noise, even the snapping of a small twig, STOP! You may not think much of it, but that is likely to prick up the ears of your unseen quarry. Even the slightest noise again, and you will probably have to kiss your shot goodbye for the day.
• Tip # 17: This is a rare trick and totally off-the-track. Rather than walking naturally, try using light, quick steps in short bursts. You may feel dumb doing this, but to a buck, you will sound less like a human and more like just another wild animal scampering across the woods.
• Tip # 18: Game trail cameras are a good way to track down deer movements if you are willing to invest in a bit of time and money. Today, you can even get digital cameras which send a message to your mobile phone when movement is detected.
• Tip # 19: Keep all your stuff, especially your weapon at hand’s reach if you are going to have a snooze or even if you are just hiding, waiting and watching. Deer hunting is usually good on rainy days, so have enough waterproofing for yourself and your gear to last out the wet days.
• Tip # 20: While calling a buck, a snort wheeze is usually quite useful. However, avoid calling too frequently, as bucks do not sound so regularly. When a buck is heading towards you, avoid calling the buck – just let the deer move in your direction, and you can get a shot in when the time is right.
• Tip # 21: Above all, ensure that you follow all regular safety procedures as follows:

1.     Be aware of the location of other hunters in the vicinity.

2.     Make ample use of ‘hunter’s orange’ to mark your location.

3.     Treat all weapons as if they are loaded at all times.

4.     Familiarize yourself with the weapon that you are using.

5.     Clean and maintain your weapon regularly and use it at least once on a practice range before the hunt.

6.     Carry all possible first-aid gear and keep a stock of general medication as well.

7.     Keep your family informed of your movements and location at all times.

8.     Before you pull the trigger, be sure you are shooting at a deer and be sure of what is behind your target as well.

9.     Keep track of the daily weather forecast.

10. Avoid hunting alone.

11. Check all your hunting equipment and accessories including tree stands if any, before hunting and after the hunt as well.

Expert Deer Hunting is Easier than you ever imagined!

The essence to successful deer hunting is being prepared, organized and using common sense which, unfortunately, is uncommon most of the time.

Because it is so easy to be led off-track and miss out on some standard best practices, I have gone into depth with some of the simplest things that we commonly overlook during a deer hunt. It is so easy to enthusiastically set out on a hunting expedition but fail miserably or worse, meet with an unfortunate accident that could have you could have avoided.

To ensure that your deer hunt is an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, follow these deer hunting tips and tricks that can make you an expert hunter. We hope you have enjoyed reading about these basic deer hunting tips which should make all the difference during your next hunt. If you have enjoyed reading this article, please communicate to us with your valuable comments and feedback. We will be happy to clarify any points that you may have. Do enjoy your next deer hunt!

Deer hunting is one of the most popular types of hunting sports, and it involves using a lot of gear for a successful hunt. An All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) is a critical part of a hunter’s gear, and if you own one, you will appreciate the convenience that it brings with it. However, your ATV can also be counter-productive, and one of the biggest problems that can arise is that your ATV may spook deer. Here we discuss how to stop spooking deer with your ATV.

You have probably experienced this but were either unaware of it or unable to avoid it from occurring. The problem is very real, and the solution is quite simple, so I feel that it is important to know what to do to avoid spooking deer with your ATV. Here are a few simple steps that should put you in the right direction:

Let me start by first saying that if you use an ATV, spooking deer with it is not going to disappear entirely. What you need to know is to what extent you will or won’t spook them. So, here goes!

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Quick NavigationNoise FactorPro Tips On Reducing Your ATV’s Noise1. Tighten And Pack2. Check Your Exhaust Lines3. Wheel Bearing Noise4. An Extra Muffler5. Check Your BrakesFuel And Exhaust SmellGetting Them Used To ItA Better Hunting Experience with your ATV

Noise Factor

Not all ATVs are the same so that the noise level may vary from one vehicle to another. Even electric ATVs can be pretty noisy. Ensure that you use a silent electric ATV, if you use electric. However, through regular maintenance, you will be able to keep the noise from your ATV down to the minimum.

You will need to check your car auto parts list and ensure that the parts used will help to keep the noise level down. Use an effective silencer on your ATV, which will contribute to reducing the engine noise.

Pro Tips OnReducing Your ATV’s Noise

1. Tighten And Pack

Make sure that all metal and hard parts are firmly secured to each other, to eliminate rattling. You can use padding material like rubber, foam or paper to deaden any noise. Ensure that no loose nuts and bolts are knocking around the vehicle.

2. Check Your Exhaust Lines

Cracks or fissures in exhaust lines can result in increased noise levels and can even cause the engine to backfire. All flanged and bolted joints should be inspected to ensure that there are no leaks. Check the exhaust lines for holes and replace any damaged parts.

3. Wheel Bearing Noise

If water or mud enters the wheel bearings, it could result in increased vibration due to friction and cause screeching noises. Clean and grease wheel bearings on a regular basis and especially before storage.

4. An Extra Muffler

Consider installing a second muffler. You can easily procure one from the net like ‘Silent Rider.’ This muffler will contribute to reducing the overall noise level of the vehicle.

5. Check Your Brakes

If the brake calipers get contaminated with moisture, mud or dust, it could result in screeching noises. Clean the brake assembly regularly and replace worn brake liners.

Fuel And Exhaust Smell

All wild animals have an extremely well-developed sense of smell and deer are no exception. If you are using petrol or diesel-powered ATV, the smell of the fuel can be overpowering to deer and can be sensed by them miles away from the vehicle.

Here are a few tips that should reduce the smell factor:

• Keep all fuel pipes, and fuel caps sealed tightly to eliminate fuel spills
• Avoid filling your tank in the field – ensure that you have a full tank when you set out
• Keep the engine well-tuned to reduce emission as far as possible
• Ensure that the fuel and air filters of your vehicle are not blocked
• As far as possible, do not carry loose fuel on a hunting trip, or at least keep it to a minimum.

Getting Them Used To It

Getting deer used to your continued presence is by far the most effective means of reducing chances of spooking a deer that I have seen. Just follow these steps, and you will meet with a better success rate at actually coming into close contact with deer and other game.

1

Move around Well in Advance: Take regular drives into the hunting location up to a month before the season starts. These drives will make the deer herds familiar with the appearance and smell of you and your vehicle.

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It is particularly important if you use a gasoline powered ATV. Preferably, you should make 2 or 3 trips about once a week through the hunting location up to a month before the hunting season begins.

2

Non-Threatening Stance: The deer should not associate your ATV with any form danger to them. So, in these pre-hunt forays, make sure that you don’t engage in any hunting-related activity like setting up a stand or engaging in target practice.

3

Just drive up to a particular location, kill the engine and wait for a period, say 10 to 15 minutes without exiting the vehicle. Then, move to another location and do the same thing. You could carry a book or some magazines with you to keep yourself occupied in the waiting periods.

4

Never Park and Walk: Parking your ATV at a distant point from the hunt site and walking for a long distance is not advisable. You are not only making it difficult for yourself, but you are also creating a trail that could result in deer getting spooked.

A Better Hunting Experience With Your ATV

Once you have read and understood these simple steps, you are already well on the way to use your ATV in a more efficient way, to integrate it into the hunting process. Your ATV should serve as a convenience and not a nuisance while hunting for deer. There is no point of investing in expensive equipment and even more on an ATV if you are going to spook deer with your vehicle.

Once you start following the procedure outlined here, you will probably get some new ideas of your own as well. After all, hunting is all about understanding your prey, to be able to hunt it more efficiently.

We hope you have enjoyed reading this and found the tips useful in how to stop spooking deer with your ATV. Please don’t forget to leave your valuable feedback and comments and if you have any questions, we will be happy to get back to you.