RE: 100# doe on the hoof
Technically jerky is just dried meat. It is "raw" but dry. I do not like eating raw meat so I use a commercial kit that contains a "cure". It is still "raw" but the bugs in it are dead from the "cure". Curing the meat is something like pickling it. Anything that is pickled is still raw but is preserved never the less.
If you look at my posts (above) you can see that I do add flavors and spices to make the jerky my own even though I use a jerky kit.
I have read that freezing the meat for six months also renders it safe to make jerky from. In reality, if you actually were to eat your venison raw without any preparation what so ever, it is unlikely that any harm would come to you.
Dried cooked meat is not really jerky. Jerky really should be raw. To keep the chewy texture you just remove it at the right time. My first batch came out perfect as far as moisture content and the second and third batches a bit too dry.
You may want to put your jerky in the oven for just a bit at 190 to 200 degees towards the end of drying AND use a bit more spice. Both will make it taste a bit less "raw". Heat at the end of the process does not seem to cook the meat like the same heat would at the beginning.
Bob