bear is best in cured meats, sausage, jerky, even a corned beef style, myself i don't eat bear meat that has not been converted into a novelty meat of some sort. Many opinions of bear meat can be true, bears that have been in fish are horrible, and have the smell and taste of fish, berry bears in late summer and fall taste sweet and somewhat pungent from the berries, spring bears have the best meat becouse they are basicly on graze ( roots, grass tree sap ) and the lowest tallow mass of the year... thats my expirance anyway- good luck. oh, and your biggest threat with a parasite comes from if you have an open wound or cut when you field dress your quarry, not from eating it.