Thursday, Dec. 17, 1931: Bear steaks
Posted on March 5th, 2006 – 11:42 PMBy Ben Welter
Nearly 50 years before PETA was founded, Minnesota’s North Shore Game and Fish Club was preparing a feast for its annual dinner for about 250 people. The main course: bear steaks. The Minneapolis Star explained:
Bear Steaks Lure
250 to Dinner of
North Shore Club
Attracted by the lure of bear steaks, provided by Sam Rentenger, Deephaven garage owner, who sacrificed his pet bear to the feast, about 250 persons crowded the Odd Fellows hall at Long lake, for the annual dinner of the North Shore Game and Fish club.
“They were wonderful,” Louis Enstrom, deputy state game and fish commissioner, declared today, referring to the steaks. “There was plenty to go around because Sam’s bear had grown to about 300 pounds since Sam caught him as a cub. Some even had seconds.”
Several members and former members of the state legislature were numbered among the guests. William Munch, oldest game warden in the state in point of service; Mr. Enstrom, Henry Tiden of the state conservation commission, and E.R. Nordon, chief of the fourth state game and fish district, were among the speakers.
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| One hundred eighteen miles north of Deephaven, the bear cubs of Deerwood, Minn., appeared to have a friend in Ed Ruttger. (mnhs.org photo from about 1930) |
3 Responses to "Thursday, Dec. 17, 1931: Bear steaks"
I can outrightly say that I think this is disgusting that this person would eat his pet bear . Would he eat his pet cat and dog too . I mean ,be real !! Amy
I am an avid hunter and I am disgusted at the thought of serving a pet bear up for dinner to a group of people. I could understand this if say it was during the depression and people were in a situation say of starving. But you are only giving one side of this coin, could you give us the details that are on the flip side of this coin..
Dennis
I can’t say I would do the same– in serving my pet to a group of outdoorsmen. Still, has anyone eaten Kobe beef? Those cattle are raised as pets, much like the family dog, and then are sent to slaughter and fed to Americans with a thick wallets. Is there really any difference?
