Gar or gare is old english for spear.
Another possibility is that it is the Great Auk, or some other similar seabirds, which are are called garefowl in some localities. Even today, growing chicks are harvested in some places. Here they are called mutton-birds, and they are boiled in jars and preserved in their own fat. A Maori delicacy.
Google gives lots of hits to while away a rainy day.