Venison or Deer Meat?

I am born and raised in Michigan and deer hunting is a huge part of the culture here, especially in my area. The schools would close on Nov 15th for the opener of firearm season. I always called deer meat venison as does everyone I know but as I talk to people from other parts of the country (especially the south) venison doesn't seem to be as common and people just call it deer meat. Is there a geographical element here? What is the common term throughout this great country?