I think I would ditch the bird shot in bear country! You might be lucky to just get one shot off.

http://juneauempire.com/news/2...-party-charging-bear



Quick action from a Hoonah boy saved a fishing party from a charging brown bear on June 18, the Empire has learned through Alaska State Troopers and family members.



It was the first Defense of Life or Property (DLP) killing in the Hoonah area this year, according to trooper spokesperson Megan Peters.

When the attack occurred, Elliot Clark, then 11 years old, was walking through the woods near Game Creek in Port Frederick several miles south of Hoonah. The young outdoorsman was heading to a nearby fishing hole with his uncle, Craig Stoltzfus, Stoltzfus’ father, a cousin and three dogs.

Stoltzfus and Elliot Clark were armed when a brown bear came out of the woods, charging the group head on. The other members of the party were not armed.

Lucas Clark, Elliot’s father and himself a bear hunting guide, told the story in a Tuesday phone interview with the Empire. Elliot Clark declined to be interviewed at this time.

Lucas Clark was in Washington state at the time of the attack, but his account squares with that from Alaska State Troopers, who investigate DLP killings in Alaska. Stoltzfus couldn’t be reached for this story.

“There was four of them in a line … my son was third,” Clark said. “The bear came down the trail at them, fella in the front, who was his uncle, the bear was on him so quickly that he didn’t have time to take his rifle off his shoulder.”

The bear ran through the first two men, who were pushed to the side of the trail, leaving Elliot Clark in front of his unarmed cousin. The boy raised his pump action shotgun and shot the sow, hitting it with birdshot, which is often used just to scare bears off, Lucas Clark said.

“His first shot was a light load of birdshot. That first shot hit him in the shoulder and did absolutely nothing. The next shot hit him in the nose and traveled down through the neck,” Lucas Clark said.

The third shot went into the bear’s shoulder and his back, dropping it to the ground. The bear was so close when Elliot hit it with his third shot, there were powder burns on the bear’s mouth. Still alive, the bear then slid by Elliot’s feet.

“As the bear slid past him and came to a stop, he put a kill shot it him,” Lucas Clark said.

Stoltzfus finished it off with another round.

The moment could have turned out differently. Lucas Clark hadn’t gotten around to putting a sling on his son’s shotgun, leaving the 11-year-old to carry it in his hands. He credits this and a lot of shooting practice with preparing Elliot for the moment.

“He was carrying it in his hands rather than on his shoulder. That was the problem with the other ones, when the bear came at his uncle, he had his rifle on his shoulder and the bear was very close, so he couldn’t get it off in time,” Lucas Clark said.

Just the day before, Elliot still had a plug in his shotgun, meaning his gun only carried three rounds: the “topround” of birdshot and two slugs. He had taken the plug out the day before, Lucas Clark said, after calling his father to ask permission to do so.

The family had seen bear in the area for a few days, and had been carrying guns for protection.

Between Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Hoonah Police Department, three brown bears were killed in DLP in the Hoonah area last summer and fall. In one of those killings, Hoonah man Josh Dybdahl was bitten in the leg and almost killed before his hunting partner was able to shoot the bear.

Lucas Clark said the family practices caution and safety when it comes to living in bear country. But nobody can control mother nature, and no amount of preparedness can guarantee safety.

“It’s not just a matter of skill or preparedness. It can happen to anybody and it can go wrongly, especially a kid,” Lucas Clark said. “We pray for our kids every day and in my mind that’s the biggest factor right there.”

Quite a story. Even if'in I'm a bhar, I don't want to meet any bird shot up close in the face.

Use what you got.

Impressive.

Good shooting young man! Got the job done under pressure!

quote:

the “top round” of birdshot and two slugs

hitting it with birdshot, which is often used just to scare bears off

quote:

Originally posted by braillediver:

quote:

the “top round” of birdshot and two slugs

hitting it with birdshot, which is often used just to scare bears off

I missed that. I guess he got a slug in the face, then the shoulder/back.

As I read it, the first round was birdshot, next two (three?) from the kid were slugs. Another guy finished off the bear with one more shot. Apparently the kid was the "scare it away" shooter, hence the birdshot loaded first. My guess is he'll get all slugs in the future.

Shot loads are pretty effective at close range. If you get the chance, try them on logs or old railroad ties. The shot column holds together and acts like a solid. Double O shot is similar. You can look at them as .35 caliber BBs, but they act as one.

We didn't hear the gauge of the shotgun. I'm guessing it wasn't a .410. With repeat shots, heavy magnum will just make the next shot harder. Standard loads will do just fine if you aim and hit the right places. The kid did good.

Good on you, Boy! The makings of a good one!

My son was 3 years older when he dove over my shoulder to kill a ground fighter at my feet that I hadn't stopped with my empty .44!

The olden days members here might remember that one.

Nice shooting, kid.

Pretty impressive nerves on that boy. Don't mess with Alaskans. lol.

Good shooting kid!

A Doctor friend of mine said the wound that he hated the most was a bird shot wound. He said with a bird shot wound there would be a bunch of holes all over that you had to plug, and a lot of the time they would bleed out before you could plug them all.

Very impressive 11 year-old.

BTW, a few years back when I lived in Alaska an Alaska Dept Fish & Game (ADF&G) employee was duck hunting in a boat in shallow water with 2 friends. They noticed a moose walking through the water, and suddenly heard splashing from 180 deg opposite direction. Turns out a brown bear was tracking a moose and the moose had maneuvered putting the hunters between it and the bear. The bear charged and the hunters emptied their bird shot into the brown bear. It died with its chin on the edge of the boat. Turns out one or more of the pellets went through the eye and penetrated the brain sufficiently. ADF&G put out a PowerPoint and it was pretty interesting (included pic of the dead bear on the rail of the boat).

I'd be buying that kid a pretty badass shot gun for his next birthday. Damn lucky that he had more than bird shot in that gun after the first one

Fantastic nerves on that kid. Impressive all around.

quote:

Originally posted by limblessbiff:
I'd be buying that kid a pretty badass shot gun for his next birthday. Damn lucky that he had more than bird shot in that gun after the first one

What shotgun is more badass than one used to stop a charging brown bear?

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by limblessbiff:
I'd be buying that kid a pretty badass shot gun for his next birthday. Damn lucky that he had more than bird shot in that gun after the first one

What shotgun is more badass than one used to stop a charging brown bear?

I don't know the answer to that, but whatever it is, I'd buy him it.

Impressive use of the 12ga trombone.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by limblessbiff:
I'd be buying that kid a pretty badass shot gun for his next birthday. Damn lucky that he had more than bird shot in that gun after the first one

What shotgun is more badass than one used to stop a charging brown bear?

An equally capable free one?