We have skipped the whole muscle jerky the past couple of deer seasons, because of the low number of licenses and as a result the low number of deer that my family has harvested. But, with some new blood (my two boys) starting to hunt in the past couple of years we finally got a better lottery result this year which netted 3 deer (2 bucks and a really big doe). So, we finally had enough meat to make some whole muscle jerky and wow was it good! I too use the High Mountain and/or High Country seasonings and have always had good luck with them.
Honestly, I have tried brines including the equilibrium brine and for me, I still prefer the High Mountain/Country seasonings better. But, as with many things that we do in the smoking world, this is a pretty subjective thing, so I would still recommend that you try several methods until you find the one that you like best. This is just my opinion.
My venison jerky did not last long, so I am going to have to make some beef jerky this year too. I have also made Pheasant, Duck, and Goose jerky with excellent results.
Man, I love this stuff!!!