i use any of my deer steaks if i butcher the deer my self i like to use the hams it makes alot of jerkey and all and its good meat if i have it butchered ill use a back strap the backstrap is usually the best because theres almost no fat in it but as far as seasoning it depends what ive got in the fridge my #1 fav. is to soak it in italian dressing ill slice up all my meat to the desired sizes/thicknesses and soak them in a bucket of dressing for a few hours to all day depending on my mood then ill put it in the dehydrator the italian dressing makes the jerkey kinda oily but its really a good flavor and then my other marinade i dont measure so i cant give exact numbers but ill use worstechire sauce, a small amount of soy sauce, and lots of spices i use alot of tony cacheres( http://www.cajunspice.com/ )creole seasoning i love that stuff but i think its a southern thing i dont know if its something they sell up north or out west but its really good and it makes it a little spicey if they sell it where you live get it i use it on fish, steaks, turkeys, everything i cook gets some and its awesome stuff and i use some tabasco but with jerky you can mix in about anything under the sun and it`ll turn out good but theres what i use good luck,sean