Mountain Chickens
The Other (Other) White Meat
When I first moved out west several years ago I had no idea of the true variety of wild game that was available in pretty wide abundance beyond your typical ‘big game’ animals. The thoughts of a bear, elk, antelope, or deer steak dominated the bulwark of my brain space, which meant that as a new Idahoan I gave little thought to the avian species that surrounded us in the deep back woods. This ignorance lived on for only a short time though as I was introduced to what is now one of my favorite species to bow-hunt... The Ruffed Grouse.
These birds favor high elevation sagebrush and mountain shrub areas for nesting, springs and stream banks for rearing young, and rely heavily on Douglas fir for fall and winter food and cover. For my area of Idaho, the hunting season for grouse usually opens in late August and goes through late December, which aligns perfectly with fall hunts, including deer, elk, and bear.
As I learned on my first elk hunt (where I first was introduced to grouse hunting) these birds are blast to try and hunt down with a sharp stick and bow. They are a little slow, loud, and resemble an oversized New York pigeon. Often times while you are trouncing through the woods you will inadvertently spook one or two grouse and send them into a loud flying frenzy towards the relative safety of the low branches of a nearby ponderosa pine or Douglas fir tree.
Once they are nestled on the branches, you get to play Mr. Magoo by walking around the tree trying to see where they landed — If you can spot one, they make for a pretty easy shot (I say easy, but shooting a small bird out of a tree at thirty yards with a bow is not non-trivial).
The grouse, also known as “the mountain chicken,” also happens to be very easy to field dress. With a few quick tactical pulls from behind the wings you can have a beautiful white-meat chicken-like breast, heart, and liver ready for cooking up over an open fire. Or, if you are near your home or a cabin you can make a pretty great little dinner-in-one tin foil packet on your grill.
Yes — the ruffed grouse — a renewable, delicious, and challenging game bird to hunt, and is another reason why I love getting to live where I do. A place where a small animal can provide challenge, nutrition, and fun stories for my family!
I do not want this my next visit! 😳
Where was this meat last time I visited?!