What was the diet of the mountain men?

January 4, 2026 •

4 min read

Mountain men often consumed between 5 to 7 pounds of meat a day to sustain their strenuous lifestyle, a key part of what was the diet of the mountain men. This meat-heavy intake was essential for survival in the rugged, unpredictable wilderness of the American West, where food sources could be abundant or perilously scarce.

Quick Summary

The mountain man diet was largely a subsistence affair, centered on hunted wild game and foraged plants, with Native American-inspired pemmican and survival fare like rawhide providing sustenance during periods of scarcity.

Key Points

Meat was paramount: The diet centered heavily on hunted large game like buffalo, elk, and deer to meet the high caloric demands of their rugged lifestyle.
Pemmican for survival: They adopted the Native American technique of making pemmican—a durable mix of dried meat, rendered fat, and berries—as a calorie-dense, portable food source.
Foraging for vitamins: Wild plants, berries, roots, and grasses were crucial supplements that provided vitamins, which helped prevent deficiency diseases like scurvy.
No waste philosophy: In a survival environment, every part of a killed animal was used, including offal like organ meats and intestines.
Rawhide and moccasins during scarcity: During "starving times," mountain men would resort to eating their own rawhide gear, such as moccasins and saddles, to stay alive.
Rendezvous for supplies: Annual rendezvous offered the opportunity to replenish basic supplies like flour, coffee, and salt, which added variety to an otherwise monotonous diet.

The Meat-Centric Mainstay

For the 19th-century mountain men, meat was the undisputed king of their diet. As professional fur trappers living in the remote Rocky Mountains, they required a high-calorie diet to fuel their physically demanding lifestyle, and game animals were the most reliable source of energy. Their philosophy was simple: if it moved and you could kill it, you ate it. This included large game like buffalo, elk, and deer, but also smaller animals such as beaver, fish, and bear. Buffalo was a particular favorite, with choice cuts from the fat cow being highly prized. In leaner times, even the meat of a "poor bull" was considered a welcome meal.

Specialty Meat Dishes and Delicacies

Not all meat was created equal, and some dishes were considered special treats for a weary trapper. Beaver tail, known for its fatty, gelatinous quality, was considered a particular delicacy and was often boiled or roasted. Other resourceful creations included:

Boudins: A type of sausage made by filling sections of buffalo intestine with meat, wild onions, and herbs, which were then tied and roasted. This was a favored dish and also provided a rare source of vitamins and nutrients.
French dumplings: A rich, hearty meal made by mincing buffalo hump and marrow, rolling it into balls, and boiling them in a flour dough.

The Importance of Offal

In a survival setting, no part of a kill was wasted. Mountain men consumed organ meats, intestines, and marrow, which were nutrient-dense and provided vital sustenance. The intestines of freshly killed animals, sometimes eaten with their undigested contents, were likely a critical source of vitamins and minerals, potentially helping to prevent scurvy.

The Role of Preservation and Foraging

Since they lacked modern refrigeration and large quantities of salt, mountain men relied on traditional methods to preserve meat for the long journeys. This often involved drying or smoking the meat to create jerky. However, the most ingenious and calorie-dense preserved food was pemmican.

A Wilderness Power Bar: Pemmican

Adapted from Native American techniques, pemmican was a staple of the mountain man's diet and a marvel of calorie-dense survival food. It was made by a process involving:

Drying and pounding lean meat into a meal-like consistency.
Mixing the pounded meat with melted animal fat, typically buffalo tallow.
Adding dried berries (like saskatoons or blueberries) for flavor and vitamins.
Packing the mixture into a rawhide bag called a parfleche, where it would last for months without spoiling.

Supplementing with Wild Plants

While meat was the primary source of calories, mountain men did supplement their diet by foraging for wild plants. Berries, roots, wild onions, and greens provided much-needed vitamins that were lacking in an all-meat diet. The knowledge of edible plants was crucial to survival, especially during times of scarcity, and was often learned from Native American peoples.

Supply Chain: The Rendezvous and Trading Posts

For a brief period each year, mountain men would gather at a rendezvous to trade furs, resupply, and socialize. This was their opportunity to obtain "civilized" goods that were otherwise unavailable in the wilderness. Supplies included:

Breadstuffs: Flour for making biscuits or flapjacks, and durable hardtack crackers.
Staples: Beans, rice, and coffee, though coffee was limited due to its weight.
Luxuries: Items like sugar, salt, and spices were highly prized for making bland food more palatable.

Comparison of Diet During Abundance vs. Scarcity


Feature	Period of Abundance (After a successful hunt)	Period of Scarcity (Lean times or winter)
Primary Food	Large game (buffalo, elk, deer), sometimes choice cuts	Small game (rabbits), beaver, sometimes pack animals
Supplemental Food	Foraged berries, wild greens, special delicacies like beaver tail	Moccasins, rawhide straps, saddles, insects
Preserved Food	Ample pemmican and jerky for the coming months	Consumed all stored pemmican and jerky, if any remained
Seasoning	Spices, salt, sugar from rendezvous	None, most food eaten without seasoning
Hydration	Coffee and tea when available, fresh water	Mostly fresh water from streams; desperate times led to drinking urine
Nutritional Status	High caloric intake, moderate vitamins from forage	Calorie-deficient, high risk of vitamin deficiency and starvation

The Harsh Reality of Starvation

Not every day was filled with a bounty of buffalo. Mountain men faced regular periods of extreme hunger, known as "starving times," when game was scarce due to weather or seasonal migration. Diaries and historical accounts paint a stark picture of their resilience during these times, highlighting the ultimate improvisation of their survival diet.

Rawhide: When food ran out, they would boil or chew on their own rawhide gear, including moccasins, saddles, and straps, to soften them and extract any possible nutrients.
Insects: One account tells of a trapper so desperate for food that he gathered ants on his hand and licked them off.
Pack Animals: In the most dire circumstances, trappers would be forced to eat their own horses or mules to survive.

Conclusion: A Testament to Resilience

The diet of the mountain men was a direct reflection of their harsh, independent existence in the American wilderness. Driven by necessity, their culinary world ranged from the hearty bounty of a buffalo hunt to the desperate measures of chewing rawhide to survive. This resourcefulness, combining skillful hunting with an adaptation of Native American foodways like pemmican, was not a matter of choice but a strict requirement for survival. The story of their diet is a testament to the incredible resilience and physical fortitude required to live on the frontier, where the line between a feast and starvation could be a matter of luck and perseverance. The details of their survival meals continue to fascinate and inform modern survivalists and historians alike, revealing a life lived by the unforgiving rhythm of the wilderness.

Learn more about the daily life of mountain men from the Grand County History Stories

Frequently Asked Questions

Mountain men primarily ate large game animals they hunted, such as buffalo, elk, and deer. When other options were scarce, they would also eat smaller animals like beaver, rabbit, and fish.

Yes, mountain men frequently faced periods of extreme hunger known as 'starving times,' often caused by harsh winters or scarcity of game. During these desperate times, they would eat whatever was available, including their own leather gear.

Pemmican is a nutritious, calorie-dense food made from a mixture of dried, pounded meat, rendered fat, and berries. It was vital for mountain men because it did not spoil and was easy to carry, providing crucial energy for long treks.

Since their diet was predominantly meat, mountain men got their vitamins by foraging for wild plants, berries, and roots. They also ate nutrient-dense organ meats and boudins (sausage with herbs).

Considered delicacies by mountain men included fatty beaver tail, often roasted or boiled, and 'French dumplings' made from buffalo hump meat and marrow boiled in a flour dough.

Limited imported foods were available at the annual rendezvous or trading posts. These included flour for bread, coffee, tea, and seasonings like salt and sugar, which were a welcome change to their daily fare.

During the most desperate periods of scarcity, mountain men would eat their own equipment, such as moccasins, saddles, and other rawhide items, to stay alive. Some resorted to eating their pack animals.