GREAT BEND – Hunter Sporn, freshman at Great Bend High School, hunts deer every fall so he can make deer jerky.

He and his father, Rusty Sporn, enjoy being outdoors and like the challenge of the hunt. “It’s a challenge because you don’t want to miss, if you miss they run off and you have to wait a couple of hours and try again,” said Sporn.

After making the kill “you must wait.” Sporn dresses and hangs the carcass so nothing can get to it. He lets the deer hang for a couple of days before making jerky.

Sporn uses the backstraps. “I put the slices into a bowl and marinate them,” said Sporn. “I mix it up and let it set for 24 hours.” After dehydrating the meat for seven hours, Sporn lets it cool and then freezes it.