Dorothy Strain Kaufman grew up near Laramie, WY on her family's ranch. She wrote a memoir that recounts her life and hijinks as a young girl on the prairie in the 1930s.
In one memory she wrote, "I was out walking across the meadows when I came upon a flock of sage hens. They really are dumb birds and never seem to be afraid of anything. I had been dragging along about a 12-15 foot very flimsy willow limb. The gears began to grind- 'I wonder, if I could get close enough to get one.' I did, swung my limb around and in total shock I had clipped the head completely off of one. I felt bad as I never really expected to do that and immediately regretted what I had done. However, I couldn't waste the meat so took it home - mom cleaned and cooked it - and no one could believe how I got it"
Dorothy Strain Kaufman's memoir can be read at UW's American Heritage Center.