Maui Nui Venison

The Axis deer have become a unique problem in Hawaii. Wait—you’re thinking, deer? Hawaii? These fourlegged lawn mowers are not generally associated with tropical isles, so you might be wondering how in the world they got here. Arriving as a gift to King Kamehameha V from India in 1867, the animals would become particularly problematic on Maui after being released into the wild nearly a century later and doing what deer do. Devoid of any natural predators, the animals have overpopulated and pose an ongoing threat to the lowlands ecosystem. Enter Maui Nui Venison. Unlike the great majority of venison available for purchase in the U.S., this meat is truly wild, not farmed. It’s also carefully managed under a humane harvest plan that involves nighttime hunting and infrared scope technology to avoid stressing out the animals. Not only is this technique more ethical, it results in meat with better taste and texture— which you can sample for yourself by ordering from Maui Nui’s virtual butcher shop. From tenderloin to soup bones, chops to osso buco shanks, they ship across the country. mauinuivenison.com