Storage life can be affected by humidity and temperature of the storage area. I have kept jerky in a jar on the counter for several months. It doesn't taste as fresh as when I keep it in the refrigerator or freezer. This is especially true for thicker pieces of jerky. When jerky contains fat, it has more potential to turn rancid and shouldn't be stored at room temperature.
Moisture content is jerky's biggest contamination factor.
There's greater surface contamination with poor packaging. Botulism is very rare, although it's found in fish once in awhile, says Maurer. However, botulism only grows in the absence of air. Many commercial jerkies are vacuum packed. When making jerky, it's always a good idea to label jerky packages with name and date of drying process.