Young boy uses rifle to save his father from black bear attack: 'A hero'
One Minnesota father is thanking his son for saving his life after a black bear attack.
12-year-old Owen Beierman saved his father Ryan's life on September 6 when a black bear they were tracking "charged and knocked [him] down."
The father-son duo was visiting their cabin in western Wisconsin on a hunting trip when Owen first shot the bear, which was wounded when it attacked Ryan.
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"He was in a stance like a cat about to pounce,’’ Beierman told the Minnesota Star Tribune. "The next thing I know he was on me. He charged and knocked me down. The bear was fighting for its life, and I was fighting for mine,’’ added Beierman.
Beierman, a business agent for the Teamsters Local 120 in Blaine, Minnesota, credits his son Owen for stepping in and saving the day with a 350 Legend hunting rifle.
"I was flat on my back and could feel the bullet going through the bear,’’ Beierman shared with the Minnesota Star Tribune. "Owen was a hero. He shot that bear and killed it on top of me.’’
Ryan Beierman was left with various cuts, a gash on his left cheek, and puncture wounds from the bear's fangs on his forehead, arm and leg. His cheek was reattached with 23 stitches.
The father and son had extensive hunting experience and planned the weekend around using a Wisconsin license to track and hunt black bears. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), bear hunting is legal in certain zones during September and October.
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"The two of us were looking in opposite directions when Owen whispered: 'Dad. Bear, bear, bear," recalled Beierman to the Minnesota Star Tribune. "He was armed with a 350 Legend hunting rifle and we watched as the bear approached. Bang! Owen’s shot hit the bear, but missed the ideal kill zone. "
According to father Ryan, the two sat waiting for about twenty minutes after the bear was initially shot to let the animal bleed out before tracking it down for a kill shot.
"I reached for my sidearm initially hoping to scare the bear away with a warning shot," said Ryan. "He was only 5 or 6 feet away, point blank. As he charged, I shot to kill. I shot eight times but missed. I had no time and I never got the gun high enough to use the sights."
"…I saw a flash from the muzzle of Owen’s rifle. The bullet transferred the bear’s weight to one side and I pushed him off. We heard the bear’s final moans and I can’t recall if we fired another round or not," recalled Beierman to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Once the bear had finally been bested by 12-year-old Owen's quick shot, Ryan's neighbors helped to clean the bear. They also tried driving Ryan to the emergency room, but an ambulance intercepted to assess his wounds.
"I was proud of Owen… when we returned home to River Falls, I told my wife I was done bear hunting," said Ryan to the Minnesota Star Tribune. "Now, I don’t know, but she’ll have something to say. It was a wild ride. It was a hell of a night, to say the least."
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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.