Is It Safe To Eat A Bobcat?

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of a hunt. Whether you are an avid hunter, a weekend warrior, or someone who enjoys the outdoors, the feeling of stalking your prey and bringing home a meal for the table is an exceptional experience.

For many, the thrill of the hunt is the ultimate reward. However, some take that thrill further and eat the game they have hunted.

While this may seem like a reasonably harmless hobby, many things can go wrong when you are eating wild game. For example, hunting a bobcat is fun, but does eating it safe?

It’s not uncommon to hear stories about people who have eaten bobcats. Some of them are even quite famous, such as the man who ate a bobcat in Florida and won the lottery.

He then used his winnings to build a restaurant that serves bobcat meat. In this article, we’ll tell you whether or not eating a bobcat is safe.

If you decide to eat one, it is best to know all the risks and benefits before you begin.

Can you eat a bobcat?

The answer would be: Yes, but it’s not a very good idea. Let me explain why. 

Bobcat meat has a texture and taste similar to pork and chicken. Surprising? Yeah! Because it is crisp and tender when it is cooked, it can be used to make a lot of tasty dishes.

Its nutritional value is one of the reasons why so many people love to eat it. It is a good protein, iron, and riboflavin source and is one of the leanest meats available.

However, the downside of eating a bobcat is the risk of multiple infections that can make you sick for a long time. This is a risk that is associated with eating a predator’s meat. 

Like a bobcat, big cats carry and spread Trichinella Spiralis, a parasite that causes trichinosis, a disease with a wide range of systemic symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low-grade fever, headache, fatigue, stomach cramps, and blurred vision.

It ultimately affects the muscles of the body, causing pain and weakness. 

Secondly, Urban bobcats risk carrying even life-threatening parasites like Toxoplasmosis Gondii, Giardia, or Cryptosporidium, which can involve your brain or gastrointestinal tract, leading to severe symptoms like seizures, severe dehydration due to bloody diarrhea, and even death.

How to eat bobcat meat?

1. Wash the meat thoroughly in cold and warm water. 
2. Clean the area and the utensils the meat has been in contact with to prevent spread. 
3. Try to get processed and frozen meat. If not, then at least freeze the meat for at least 20 days. 
4. Cook the meat slowly and thoroughly. The temperature of the meat should reach at least 165 F or higher to kill the parasites and bacteria. 

The meat can be brined as firm and, if not cooked properly, will make it tough and chewy. Brining will also let it release any blood within the meat, reducing the risk of germs being transmitted to the person who eats it later. 

Conclusion:

To conclude, we should make sure that we always cook meat thoroughly. The meat can contain several harmful bacteria and parasites if we don’t.

Bobcats are very rare to hunt and even rarer to consume. Therefore, we should be very cautious about how we prepare meat to make sure that we can enjoy its taste without any risks of getting sick from eating it.

You must also decide if the risks are worth taking before you finally take the first bite.