Since we still don't have a food forum, I will ask here. Do I need to adjust the dehydrating time if using the oven rather than a dehydrator?

If you can get the temp right, no. If you have to go warmer in the oven, it should take less time, but the texture may suffer.

Dehydrator is 160* or 165* I can get the oven down to 170*. I didn't know if it makes a difference because the dehydrator has a fan.

Put a toothpick in the oven door to let the moisture out. will drop the temp a few degrees too.

Electric or gas? Moisture's a little more of an issue with gas. I have gas and stick a spoon in the door for drying fruit and sweet potatoes. It drops temp by about 10 degrees. I'd try that if I were you, and open a little more/less based on what the meat does. If it goes grey, open the door a little more. If it goes too slow, close it.

Electric or gas? Moisture's a little more of an issue with gas. I have gas and stick a spoon in the door for drying fruit and sweet potatoes. It drops temp by about 10 degrees. I'd try that if I were you, and open a little more/less based on what the meat does. If it goes grey, open the door a little more. If it goes too slow, close it.

Gas. We just finished butchering the deer and I have (2) 1gal bags full of meat sliced for jerky. I bought some oven jerky racks from Cabelas and my buddy has the dehydrator.   

Put a fork or spoon in the in the oven door, so it keeps it cracked slightly and you'll be golden. This is what I do, I'd rather use my oven then a dehydrator. I like the finished product better.

I've never tried to keep the oven door cracked but my dad would use aluminum foil over the oven racks and put it in the oven. I didn't like it in the oven so I bought him a dehydrator and he never looked back. $.02

In the fridge marinating. I'm making a hot pepper batch, black pepper batch, and a plain batch. 

Thanks for the help guys. First batch turned out good. Working on batch #2

What? No deer scrapple.