That is one of the greatest advantages that hunters and self sustainers have over those who are completely at the mercy of the grocery supply chain: Knowing the quality and what processes have been involved in making your food, from the very beginning.
Tibetans and Lanzhou/Qinghairen have cured game and livestock meat by airing them out in cold, high wind, and sun for generations. The broad sloping roofs of their yurts sometimes serve this purpose too.
While living in Montana, I became a huge fan of the shoulder season on elk that can go well into February. Yes, the weather can be a bear in the winter but most of the real bears are in their dens, the flies are gone, and you can make jerky right in your backyard.
If you want to dry meat the old fashioned way, you need to start with a clean kill (no gut damage) that you quarter and cool down fast and clean. Then, use only the best, lean meat for drying, rest goes in the freezer. I pre-dry larger chunks in coarse salt slightly above freezing and then slice them into strips that I rub with dry (!) spices. The closer you cut with the grain, the tougher is the jerky. The more you cut across the grain, the easier it falls apart. That's a bit trial and error. Clean hands, clean tools, clean surfaces are a must.
The ambient air must be dry. Crisp winter days when the sun eats the snow away without visibly melting it are ideal. A little bit of cold smoke reduces the risk of bacteria growth even more.
If you harvest in the fall, you could freeze a selected piece of meat and start the process above when the weather is right. The overall goal is to dry the meat without giving bacteria a chance to grow on it. Bacteria do not like cold, dry, sun, salt, and smoke.
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