Deer shanks smell like hell. Don't believe me, leave a few in the fridge for a day or so and see what happens.
Venison blood and bone and fat goes rancid very quickly. You could probably cook shanks Oso Bucco style within a day of it being buthcered, but not much longer than that.
Otherwise de-bone and use for stew or chopmeat. The rear shanks are usable, the front less so.