Yes, you can use deer bones to make a nutritious and flavorful soup broth, commonly known as venison bone broth. Roasting the bones before cooking enhances flavor, while simmering them with aromatics like onions, carrots, and celery extracts minerals and collagen to create a gelatinous, healthy base for your soup.

Venison bone broth is prized for its deep, rich flavor and nutritional value.

High in nutrients: Slow simmering extracts minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus from the bones.

Rich in collagen: Joint and knuckle bones are rich in collagen, which breaks down into gelatin during cooking. This creates a thick, gelatinous broth that is good for joints and skin.

Excellent flavor: Roasting the bones before simmering adds an even deeper, more complex flavor to the finished broth.

— Editor’s note: If CWD is something that concerns you, be sure to avoid the spinal column and other nervous tissues.

How to Make Venison Bone Broth

1. Prepare the Bones

Collect suitable bones, such as those from the legs or shoulders, along with any meat trimmings.

2. Roast the Bones

Arrange the bones in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast them in a 450°F (204°C) oven for 30-60 minutes until browned. Roasting caramelizes the marrow and adds depth of flavor to the broth.

3. Simmer

Transfer the roasted bones and trimmings to a large stockpot. Add aromatics such as onion, carrots, celery, and peppercorns.

4. Add Water and Simmer

Cover the ingredients with cold water. Bring the mixture to a very gentle simmer, then let it cook for at least 4 hours, or even overnight, to extract the nutrients and collagen from the bones.

5. Strain and Cool

After simmering, remove the large pieces of bone and vegetables. For a clear broth, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve.

6. Finish and Store

Let the broth cool completely. A layer of fat will solidify on top and can be skimmed off. The resulting broth can then be used as a flavorful base for your venison soup or other dishes.