I shot my first cougar and plan to eat the meat. I have heard it is excellent and somewhat like pork. It is certainly light in color. What I wonder is if it can be safely eaten if it is only cooked to medium rare or if it should be cooked more thoroughly. I know that pork and bear should be cooked more due to the risk of trichinosis. What about cougar? Thanks, Brian.

Brian,

I personally love cougar meat.  One of the best meats in the woods.  You are right it cooks up much like lean pork, but with an altogether different flavor and texture.  Great stuff!

I've not heard anything about trichinosis risks in cougar meat, and I've eaten my share cooked on the barbeque to roughly medium-rare with no ill effects!

Congrats on the cougar!  Was it local?  Did you use your .45 on it?

God Bless,

Marshall

Boy MMMmmm Good, nope should be no problem...Bobcats aren't bad either, a little stronger tasing but real good, makes a great stew...Congradulations...And it don't taste like chicken either

Hilljack

I ate my first cougar at the annual Hospice Game Feed Benefit in St. Maries, Idaho many years ago.
It was served in chunks, in a barbecue sauce. It was very good. Mmmmmm.
And I'm a big-time cat-lover too! I wish more people would try eating cougar, rather than leaving the meat to rot. They'd be pleasantly surprised.
As I recall, it was like lean pork. In the barbecue sauce, It would easily have passed as pork to those unaware of its feline origin.
I have a strong ethic, dating my days as a survival instructor: "If you kill it, you eat it."
Would that more hunters had that ethic.