On Wednesday, May 25th, we stopped by the Ft. Pierre Game, Fish, & Parks licensing office. Betsy and I were on the way to visit rancher friends where I have hunted for the past 53 years. I told the Game & Fish people that I was a technological klutz, and that I was having trouble submitting my deer license application on my computer. They told me that the system was broken down and gave me a hard copy application. One thing I read on that application really bothered me and I’ll quote it. “NOTE: In 2023, all applications must be submitted on line.”

We older generation folks are not ready for this. Many of us don’t have computers, and we certainly aren’t “on line” yet. I receive a good deal of mail with regard to my column, and much of it is written in longhand and sent through the regular mail. If these good people had computers and were on line, they would be sending me emails. While there is much technology in today’s world, perhaps too much, SDGF&P is rushing it! They need to back off!

With regard to deer hunting licenses, I suspect that with today’s inflated meat prices (there’s way too much of a gap between what producers are paid and what merchants are charging), there will be an increased interest in deer tags. Just how good is venison? Is it a healthy food? In the Summer 2022 issue of Deer & Deer Hunting magazine, I found the story, “9 Things You Might Not Have Known About Venison” by Dan E. Schmidt. Here’s what he had to say.

He begins with a tip. For the difference between good venison and the best you’ve ever eaten, “Flash Freeze” your venison by placing it in a freezer set at minus 15 degrees. The freezer should be at this setting for several hours before putting in the packaged venison. I didn’t know that. He also advises using food-grade freezer paper rather than plastic bags that retain moisture and possible toxins.

What about vitamins? Riboflavin, also known as Vitamin B-2, attaches to protein enzymes to help boost energy. A four ounce cut of venison steak, roast, or loin includes about .68 milligrams of riboflavin which is 40% of our recommended daily requirement. Schmidt doesn’t go on to say how this compares to beef, pork, or chicken.

Ever notice how the color of fresh venison varies from bright red to purple? The dark red or purple color comes from deer that have been pushed hard or had run long distances before dying. Other than meat color, venison from stressed deer tends to be less tender than the venison from cleanly killed deer. I’ve been to locker processing facilities where skinned carcasses were piled and customers were given so much random venison. If your deer dropped in his/her own tracks, make certain you get your own deer.

Is venison heathier than chicken? I’m no dietician, so I don’t know if the following is significant. Other than commercially grown chicken being pumped full of antibiotics and growth steroids, a three-ounce cut of venison contains 135 calories, 26 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fat. A like piece of chicken breast contains 120 calories, 24 gram of protein, and 1.5 grams of fat. The chicken is leaner but contains more cholesterol. That same piece of chicken contains only one mg of iron whereas the venison contains eight mg of iron.

What about beef ? Schmidt compares a 3.5 ounce serving of ground beef to a 3.5 ounce serving of ground venison. The beef has 40% more calories, 223% more fat, and 125% more cholesterol. This may be true, but, Betsy and I have our ground venison mixed with 5-10% beef tallow (fat), and this certainly throws off these statistics.

The application deadline for SDGF&P deer license tags is Monday, June 13th. In looking at the different units, especially West River, it appears that many units including Gregory, Lyman, and Tripp Counties offer an “Antlerless Whitetail” tag along with the “Any Whitetail” tag. If I see a doe before a mature buck comes along, I’ll probably put it in our freezer.

Concerning our previously mentioned trip, Betsy and I spent a half day in Lemmon. The Grand River Museum is one of our state’s finest, and it’s free! John Lopez, the renowned artist and a personal friend, has his personal studio, “Kokomo,” on Main Street. Don’t miss it. Another thing. Lemmon’s Powder Horn serves South Dakota’s best pizza.

See you next week.