A young boy saves his father from a black bear attack using a rifle: 'A hero'

A Minnesota father is expressing gratitude to his 12-year-old son for saving his life during a black bear attack. On September 6, while on a hunting trip at their cabin in western Wisconsin, Owen shot the bear, which was later found to be wounded. When the bear attacked Ryan, Owen stepped in and saved his father's life with a 350 Legend hunting rifle. Beierman, a business agent for the Teamsters Local 120 in Blaine, Minnesota, praised his son's quick thinking and bravery.

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. He shot the bear and killed it on top of him, making him a hero.

The father and son, with their extensive hunting experience, planned their weekend around obtaining a Wisconsin license to track and hunt black bears in the legal zones during September and October, as per the DNR.

Beierman recounted to the Minnesota Star Tribune how he and Owen were looking in opposite directions when Owen whispered: "Dad. Bear, bear, bear." Owen was armed with a 350 Legend hunting rifle, and they 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.

"Ryan stated, "I aimed to scare the bear away with a warning shot, but he was only 5 or 6 feet away, point blank. As he charged, I shot to kill. I fired eight times but missed. I had no time and I couldn't get the gun high enough to use the sights.""

Beierman recounted to the Minnesota Star Tribune how he saw a flash from Owen's rifle, which caused the bear's weight to shift and allowed him to push it off. They heard the bear's final moans, but Beierman cannot recall if they fired another round.

After Owen's quick shot defeated the bear, Ryan's neighbors assisted in cleaning it. They also attempted to drive Ryan to the emergency room, but an ambulance intercepted to examine his injuries.

Ryan told the Minnesota Star Tribune that he was proud of Owen when they returned home to River Falls. He said, "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." The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources did not immediately respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.