I know their are all kinds a POSSIBLE parasites in meat but, and no offense meant. Sounds like there was something particularly wrong with that bear.

When I was a little kid, I was ground hog hunting on my grandparents farmI spotted one (ground hog)that was acting wierd rolling around, acting like he was getting bee stung over and over. I shot him and when I got up to him there were worms crawling out of the bullethole. I shot the carcass several time (just to see), and worms immediately began coming everywhere...poor thing was being eaten alive ( one of those things you see that you never forget).

I'm not saying your fathers bear was floundering like the groundhog, but perhaps he was in the first stages of something.

don't mean to be off topic.