A 12-year-old is a hero in his father's eyes. The young boy confronted an angry black bear that was attacking his father and saved the hunter in the process. The hunting incident happened on September 6 in Burnett County, Wisconsin.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a black bear attacked a father and son. But the 12-year-old's quick thinking saved the day. 43-year-old Ryan Beierman took his son, Owen, hunting near Siren. They had a tree stand in the area and a bait station. That's when Owen spotted a black bear headed their way.
Owen shot at the animal with his rifle. He ended up injuring but not killing the bear. It ran away from them. Father and son then began to track the wounded bear using a neighbor's tracking dog. "We were sort of hung up in a thicket when we heard the dog yelp and sprint past us in retreat," the father recounted. "Just then, I stepped into a semi-clearing. I said, 'There he is, Owen.'' '
The animal was about five or six feet away. Beierman tried to pull his sidearm to scare the bear away from them. But the animal ended up charging him. The hunter missed all eight of his shots. Suddenly, the predator became the prey with Beierman now on his back.
12-Year-Old Shoots Bear
"He was in a stance like a cat about to pounce,'' Beierman told the Star Tribune. "The next thing I know he was on me. He charged and knocked me down.''
"I looked down and I see teeth and claws coming at my face," Beierman later added. The hunter attempted to pistol whip the animal. But his son came to his aid and fired upon the creature.
"I was flat on my back and could feel the bullet going through the bear,'' the father said, per the newspaper. "Owen was a hero. He shot that bear and killed it on top of me.''
"I didn't think twice. I just shot it," Owen said, per KARE, while his father added, "He performed under pressure that a lot of people wouldn't perform."
Beierman praised his son for saving his life. "I was proud of Owen," he said, per the Star Tribune. "He really held it together. But after it was all over, you could tell he was pretty shaken."
The Wisconsin DNR confirmed that the father and son had bear hunting permits.
