Keep it fresh
Jerky, freezing, smoking and canning, done the tested way.
Canning
Use a tested recipe that matches the exact food, jar size, pressure and your altitude. Don't guess or adjust times.
- Meat Strips, Cubes or Chunks (canning) National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia)
Deer bone broth: there's no tested home canning process for it, so keep it in the fridge or freezer.
Jerky
Heat the strips to 160°F before drying them. Skip jerky if the meat touched gut contents in the field; cook that meat fully in other dishes.
- Jerky National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia)
Smoking
Smoked isn't the same as preserved. Keep smoked fish in the fridge, and follow a tested brine and heating schedule.
- Smoking Fish at Home, Safely Oregon Sea Grant (Oregon State University)
Freezing and thawing
Chill game fast. Freezing slows spoilage but doesn't kill bacteria. Thaw in the fridge and plan for the time it takes.
- Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures FoodSafety.gov (U.S. HHS / USDA)
Chronic wasting disease
Think about testing your deer before you eat it, and don't eat meat from a deer that tests positive. Rules differ by state.
- About Chronic Wasting Disease U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Sick or Dead Wildlife Reporting Indiana DNR, Fish & Wildlife
Morels
Only eat morels that someone experienced has identified in person. Always cook them through; never eat them raw.
- Investigation of Illnesses: Morel Mushrooms (May 2023) U.S. Food and Drug Administration