# Alaska boy, 11, shoots bear charging fishing party



## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

*This could have been posted under news but I thought is was a clear case of survival. THEY GROW EM TOUGH IN ALASKA.
*

*Alaska boy, 11, shoots bear charging fishing party*

The quick thinking of a young boy saved a fishing party from a charging brown bear, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Elliot Clark, 11, was walking through the woods near Game Creek last week with his three family members and three dogs when the bear came out and charged them, The Juneau Empire reported.

The bear ran through two of the men, pushing them to the side of the trail, leaving Elliot and his cousin left in its path, Elliot's father, Lucas, said.

"There was four of them in a line. My son was third," Elliot's father 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 boy then raised his pump action shotgun and shot the bear with birdshot.

His father said the first shot did nothing, but two more downed the bear and finishing shots by the boy and his uncle killed it.

"That first shot hit him in the shoulder and did absolutely nothing," he said. "The next shot hit him in the nose and traveled down through the neck."

Elliot's father said not getting around to putting a sling on his son's gun might have saved their lives, as he was able to quickly ready himself.

"He was carrying it in his hands rather than on his shoulder," he said. "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."

The incident was the first Defense of Life or Property killing in the Hoonah area this year, Alaska State Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said.

*article link:* *CLICK HERE*


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

A little knowledge goes a long way, the same boy is probably accountable for his actions every day too.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Good kid....keeps his head under pressure. He will do well in life, I predict. For an 11-year-old to do what he did, I can tell you there ain't much that is gonna rattle him, and he has been *raised well!*
:2thumb:


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

Brown bear.....that's a polite way of saying Grizzly, isn't it?

Good kid.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Starcreek said:


> Brown bear.....that's a polite way of saying Grizzly, isn't it?
> 
> Good kid.


They are a grizzly but bigger.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Caribou said:


> This is big bear country.


Is Starcreek talking about a Kodiak?


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Starcreek said:


> Brown bear.....that's a polite way of saying Grizzly, isn't it? Good kid.


You talking about a Kodiak?


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I am really surprised that birdshot has any affect at all. I have been to a few calls where humans were shot with birdshot and it didn't even knock them down. Once the guy was just standing their waiting for the ambulance with a full load of 7 shot in his chest.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Sentry18 said:


> I am really surprised that birdshot has any affect at all. I have been to a few calls where humans were shot with birdshot and it didn't even knock them down. Once the guy was just standing their waiting for the ambulance with a full load of 7 shot in his chest.


Maybe it just distracted the bear long enough for someone to get a larger round in him?:dunno:


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

terri9630 said:


> Maybe it just distracted the bear long enough for someone to get a larger round in him?:dunno:


True. The article did say the Uncle was also shooting.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

If he had a pretty tight choke in it the pattern wouldn't be very big, and if he racked it fast enough the chances of an eye penetration are pretty good at close range, might be pretty hot loads too


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

All I know is he stood his ground, got off a couple of shots and is still alive. Weather his shots were kill shots, I don't know but his a young man with steel nerves. I hope he ended up with a new bear rug.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Caribou said:


> The immediate loss of smell, probably eyesight, and possibly some hearing, added to the pain would probably be totally disorienting to the bear. Where do you attack when you can't see or smell your quarry?


So the best defense against a bear would be Nancy Pelosi's underwear? 

(The mere thought of that should have made you shudder)


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

Sentry18 said:


> So the best defense against a bear would be Nancy Pelosi's underwear?
> 
> (The mere thought of that should have made you shudder)


uke:uke:

made me more than shudder...

Jim


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Sentry18 said:


> So the best defense against a bear would be Nancy Pelosi's underwear?


Jeeeez, Sentry, you just trying to run it off, or KILL IT?? :scratch


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

Pelozi undies would run it off.....

Maxi Waters drawers would do the killin...:wave:




Jim


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## sgtusmc98 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sentry18 said:


> I am really surprised that birdshot has any affect at all. I have been to a few calls where humans were shot with birdshot and it didn't even knock them down. Once the guy was just standing their waiting for the ambulance with a full load of 7 shot in his chest.


Read a story by Peter Hathaway Capstick, he was a professional hunter, gun tester, writer for Guns and Ammo, and world traveler (to hunt). He was bird hunting and had a lion charge him, if I remember correctly a load of 7 1/2 bird shot to the face killed the lion pretty instantly but I think he still got hit by the lion because of its momentum.


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

phideaux said:


> Pelozi undies would run it off.....
> 
> Maxi Waters drawers would do the killin...:wave:
> 
> Jim


But who wants to go hiking wearing a HAZMAT suit. No way I get near them without all the PPE possible and then I want a 10 foot pole.


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

sgtusmc98 said:


> Read a story by Peter Hathaway Capstick, he was a professional hunter, gun tester, writer for Guns and Ammo, and world traveler (to hunt). He was bird hunting and had a lion charge him, if I remember correctly a load of 7 1/2 bird shot to the face killed the lion pretty instantly but I think he still got hit by the lion because of its momentum.


Yup and a cut shell will act just like a slug. Done it many times.


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