All of this discussion of eating the woodcock and its "trail" on toast reminds me of the French writer Guy de Maupassant's "Woodcock Tales" in which the participants in a hunt hosted by a wealthy aristocrat would gather in the evening over dinner that included a plate of woodcock heads, spinning one impaled on a cork, that would point to one of the guests who then had to tell a story to entertain the dinner party. The French like their woodcock...all of it.

Garry, I've read that.

I'll stick to the breasts.





.

Awesome!
 

Deans way is great! We've always done them up that way, nice sear in hot butter, yum! We did the legs for the first time last weekend and yes they are very good, but tiny. Flights are coming!

That's one very happy dog!!

It was a good morning! He was was very pleased with the shooting this time around!

I captured a few birds up-country this week, and just prepared a couple of Ruffed Grouse breasts for the pot and wonder where the shot pellets have gone to. I followed the wound channels with my sharp-tipped mini-Sabattier knife and excised the bloody bits of flesh and the embedded fine feathers, but could not find any lead shot.


Will they be found only in the eating; where have they all gone?

Russ - if you can't find the shot pellets even by dissecting the wound channel they have obviously passed clean through.

You may find a pellet in the flesh but unless you're an extremely aggressive masticator, you shouldn't break a tooth on it.

PS..... How does one "capture" a grouse with a shotgun?

I just looked up the definition of "capture" and I see that it actually can be done...

"Capture: To take into one's possession by force..."

So I guess I won't 'kill' my grouse anymore. It seems so violent to do so and 'capture' seems so much more benevolent.... Hmm... maybe beneviolent fits even better, is that a word?

So, from now on I'll be capturing my gamebirds. Can't wait for deer season when I can try to capture a nice buck.





.

The natives up here use a similar term for everything they hunt. They "catch" caribou or moose or whatever.

Oh, in our kinder and gentler world “capture” just doesn’t have the same finality as “kill”. Like the valley girl -speak of saying that someone has “issues” and not “problems”.

Sort of like shoot and release.

Actually, I learned the term, as applied to a day’s take, from an old fishing friend who employed it when we had a couple of big Swordfish on deck. But, I veer off topic.

But, thanks Dean for your analysis, I like the idea that I “button-holed” those Ruffed Grouse with No. 8 shot. I will let you know about that theory after we sit down in a little while to eat what I have cooked up today.

Bon Apetit Russ. I hope they come out perfectly.

How do you cook them? I see your reference "for the pot" and realize that is a very generic term meaning 'for the table' or 'for cooking' but wonder what your method of cooking grouse breasts is.





.