This 12-year-old kid saved his dad's life from an attacking black bear.
It's currently bear hunting season in Wisconsin, so Ryan Beierman and his son Owen set out for the woods in Northwestern Wisconsin to bag themselves a bear.
They were up in the stand when they spotted a black bear within range. Dad gave 12-year-old Owen the shot since it was his tag, and he hit the bear, but only wounded it. The bear ran off, and the pair waited about 20 minutes before climbing down and investigating the scene. They used a neighbor's dog who would do some tracking of the bear for them.
‘We were sort of hung up in a thicket when we heard the dog yelp and sprint past us in retreat,' Beierman told the newspaper. ‘Just then, I stepped into a semi-clearing. I said, "There he is, Owen."'
The bear charged from about 6 feet (1.8 meters) away. Beierman said he fired eight shots at the animal with his pistol, but all missed.
‘Before I knew it, I was flat on my back,' he recounted. ‘I started pistol-whipping him and it felt like I was striking a brick wall. I tried hitting him between the ear and mouth with a blunt edge of the pistol.'
The bear then lunged at Beierman's head.
‘All I could see were his claws and teeth,' he said. ‘I lifted my right arm to block him. I remember the first bite. I heard a crunch. The bear was still attacking. He wasn't going to leave me.'
Ryan continued to punch and kick the 200-pound animal — about 45 seconds total — until he heard a loud "bang" as the muzzle of his son's rifle flashed, killing the bear.
Kid saved his dad's life with one single shot!
Ryan was able to push the bear off of him and would eventually be driven to a hospital by a neighbor. His face would require 23 stitches, and he had seven puncture wounds along with a cut on his arm.
When all was said and done, this was considered a legal hunt by the DNR, and the neighbors would clean and hang the bear for the hunters.
And to that I say,
What a way to bag a black bear!
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