It was the first morning of the nine-day gun season in Wisconsin, and Michelle perched patiently in the deer stand, donning her blaze orange. Then, a doe walked right in front of her.
“I pulled up my gun and thought, ‘It’s the moment of truth, are you going to do it?’ I only had seconds to answer myself,” she said. “If she provided a good shot, I would take it. And I did.”
A lifelong athlete and nature lover, Michelle was encouraged to give hunting a try by her husband and son.
In the weeks leading up to her first deer season, Michelle dove headfirst into preparation. She purchased her first gun, learned to shoot, scouted land, bought her hunting license, read through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources hunting regulations and watched tutorial videos.
Michelle joins a growing community of people who are interested in becoming more involved in the process of putting meat on the table for their families.
“I’ve been cooking beef, pork and chicken day after day for 30 years. Now, I’m able to cook my own venison and share it with others.”
One of the best parts of hunting is getting outside and enjoying the beautiful views.
Getting outside in nature is good for your physical and mental health. Venison has health benefits for you, too. Venison is lower in saturated fat, unsaturated fat and calories than store-bought beef, according to nutrition experts. It’s also high in protein and contains essential nutrients.
Another perk of venison is that as a hunter and consumer you know exactly where it comes from. While meat at the store has labels, those labels don’t necessarily show all the ingredients.
Experts recommend using venison in place of store-bought meat for a healthier option with a variety of uses. Venison can easily be substituted as a leaner protein in spaghetti sauce, soups, chili, burgers and more.
“Sure, I could go grab a burger at a restaurant after a long day in the woods, but I wouldn’t know anything about where it was raised, how it was handled or the process it went through to get on my plate,” Michelle said.
“Instead, I know where the deer I harvested lived, and that it led a natural life. I feel satisfied and proud that I went out there and harvested it myself.”
To learn more about Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources outdoor skills learning opportunities, visit dnr.wisconsin.gov.
Note: The DNR reminds hunters to test their deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD) before eating venison, as advised by human health organizations. Click here to learn more.
Nutrition comparison
Here’s how venison compares to other meats per 3-ounce portion:
Grilled venison kebabs are among the meals you can prepare with fresh venison.
