Two flavors of grouse

[sjemac]

There are 5 species of huntable grouse in Alberta with Ruffed Grouse and Spruce Grouse being the most common (the other 3 are Blue Grouse, Sharptailed Grouse, and Ptarmigan). I was lucky enough this fall to pick up a brace each of ruffed grouse and spruce grouse on the same day and decided to do a taste test. All the birds were hung for a week before gutting and cleaning.

Ruffed grouse in foreground.

Spruce Grouse

Ruffed grouse breasts on the right, spruce grouse on the left.

The crop of the ruffed grouse full of rosehips.

That of the spruce grouse gives rise to its name: spruce needles and kinnickinnick berries.

Breast fillets simply seasoned with salt, pepper and a little Szechuan peppercorns.

Sauteed in butter for a couple of minutes a side and served with roasted carrots and parsnips and a simple vinagrette slaw. Ruffed grouse at the bottom of the pic and spruce grouse above it.

Tasting notes:

Ruffed grouse is definitely the milder of the two and the most like chicken (a chickenier, tangy chicken) that could easily go into just about any dish that features chicken breast. In fact a good chicken dish would be elevated into something great simply by substituting ruffed grouse for the chicken (much shorter cooking time though). I would rate it as superior to pheasant.

Spruce grouse is often maligned around here as being "bad" tasting. It does not taste like ruffed grouse but is not gamey in any way. It has undercurrents of juniper berry in it (makes sense with the diet) and is more like a cross between chicken and duck in flavour. I served it on the med-rare side and that seems to be the perfect doneness for this bird. It would hold up quite well to sauces featuring juniper berries, rosemary and/or red wine.

Ruffed grouse is usually the first game meat I introduce people to and then gradually move them on to birds and critters with more flavour.

[Snadra]

I love the simple preparation you've done with the birds. They look delicious. When you write 'picked up' are these birds you shot yourself? Have you hunted the other species? Where I grew up on the other side of the Rockies most hunters focussed on elk and deer rather than game birds (at least in my memory!) and it's interesting to see this.

I'm curious about the different contents in the birds' crops - are they from different areas or do they have quite distinct diets? (And I haven't thought of knick knick berries in years!)

[Peter the eater]

The difference in breast colour is dramatic, I've never seen the meat side by side like that. We get those birds here in Nova Scotia along with partridge and pheasant. You have to go to Newfoundland for ptarmigan.

What usually happens to the rest of the bird?

[sjemac]

I love the simple preparation you've done with the birds. They look delicious. When you write 'picked up' are these birds you shot yourself? Have you hunted the other species? Where I grew up on the other side of the Rockies most hunters focussed on elk and deer rather than game birds (at least in my memory!) and it's interesting to see this.

I'm curious about the different contents in the birds' crops - are they from different areas or do they have quite distinct diets? (And I haven't thought of knick knick berries in years!)

I shot these myself while deer hunting (I carry a little shotgun in a backpack for such targets of opportunity). Usually we go after them seriously using dogs and better shotguns. I've hunted them all and bagged all of them but Blue Grouse who live quite high up in the mountains and are difficult get a bead on. After Ruffed grouse, ptarmigan are my favorite to eat (the famed Red Grouse of Scotland are simply a sub-species of willow ptarmigan that don't turn white in winter).

The birds pictured are different species who can exist in the same area because they exploit different food supplies. The crop of nearly every spruce grouse this time of year will look the same as the one pictured. Same goes for the ruffed grouse.

The difference in breast colour is dramatic, I've never seen the meat side by side like that. We get those birds here in Nova Scotia along with partridge and pheasant. You have to go to Newfoundland for ptarmigan.

What usually happens to the rest of the bird?

The legs and keel bone go into a stock pot (the tendons in the legs are so tough they are essentially bones). The innards, head, wings and back go to the cats. We also have partridge, pheasant and wild turkey but they are all non-native birds.

[Snadra]

Thanks so much for posting this and your replies. The pictures are great and I can't believe how full the birds' crops are.

I had always thought that the ptarmigan lived quite high up as well, but I guess not as high as the blue grouse!

[janeer]

Fascinating photo essay, thank you. You are an accomplished butcher as well as hunter!