I always thought the rule of thumb is don't eat predators or carrion feeders; eat animals that eat fruits or plants. The meat of the animal takes on the flavors of what it eats, and an animal that eats dead animals is going to taste like rotten flesh.
I remember reading in “A Cabin In The Woods” that pioneer settlers in the midwest savored the rare treat of black bear when one would wander into the area. I’m to understand that the meat was quite strongly flavored and greasy - a fatty treat, I suppose, after the drudgery of lean, stringy game or tough old turkeys. The book is a quasi-biography set in Indianapolis in the late 1800’s, I believe, so it’s not that far removed from modern times and customs.
Ironically, the bear hunt story took place near what is now the site of the current state fairgrounds, which is now probably the last place you’d expect to find a bear. Crack and heroin, sure, but bear? Nah.