pa257.... I'll put up with the smoke... NOTHING sears meat like cast iron...It's been my favorite way to do venison ( or elk or caribou or moose) for years...In my opinion a cast iron pan sears the meat much more efficiently than doing it on the grill..

I have a skillet that I bought in 1971 that is myfavorite ..It's done a lot of game meat and fried a lot of fish over the years...I've never put it in the oven before..That's a great idea...

So many people overcook venison.. It is at it's very best seared to seal in the juices and then served medium rare...So many people ruin the flavor by overcooking it or soaking it in some marinade, which is fine if you prefer the flavor of the marinade, rather than the flavor of the meat...