Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

Just got this through an e-mail. Sorry if repost. 8 year old girl I think, no other info. Beautiful bear.

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

Another

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

More info: shot by 9 yr old girl,... Alaskan Pennisula,...Skull was 33 1/16" ,... Lenght nose to tail 11.9 feet Wt was appox. 1800#


This just amazing and unbelievablefor her first bear

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

DANG

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

double dang

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She's shooting a 375 H&H by the way. The girl in the pictures is Larry River's daughter.

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

And she also reloads her own ammo.

The whole story
 

9 Yr Old Girl Takes Record Book Brown Bear
Gary Gustafson, Bear Hunting Magazine
01/14/2007






Fern Spaulding-Rivers With Her Trophy
An urban legend about a young lady and a world-record brown bear has been circulating on the internet. Here is one version:

"This 9 year old girl from the Yukon killed the new world record brown bear on the Alaskan Peninsula in October, 2006. Skull size 33 1/16", 11' 9" nose-to-tail. Estimated weight of 1,800 Lbs. No, this bear had not killed anyone. It was the girls first-ever bear hunt!"

No, she was not from the Yukon and no, it was not a world record, but the true story is just as fascinating:

From "Biggest Bears Of 2006" in the March/April 2007 issue of Bear Hunting Magazine, due on newsstands late February 2007:

If the "biggest bear" is determined as a ratio of the size of the bear to the size of the hunter, Fern Spaulding-Rivers is probably setting records that will never be broken. The 10 year-old from Talkeetna, Alaska has already harvested great trophies of most of Alaska's major game species, and she is a handloading fanatic as well. Fern's larger caliber rifles have a muzzle brake and a recoil pad and she also wears a custom-made padded shooting vest from McCoy Shooting Armor to help her withstand big bore recoil. Fern was carrying her Remington 700 Stainless chambered in .375 H&H while brown bear hunting on the Alaskan Peninsula with her father and mother on May 10th, 2006 (when she was 9 years old). As the day progressed she and her father saw 11 bears. At one point, they were charged by a pack of wolves, and they had to dispatch some with the nearest at only 8 paces! Later, they spotted a big bruin in a gully at 32 yards. With all the excitement of the day beginning to show, Fern asked Larry to hold her legs steady while she shot because her knees were shaking. Fern rolled the bear with her first shot, but the bruin regained it's footing and tore off across the tundra. Shooting again from a prone position, Fern dropped the behemoth for good with a second 270 grain Barnes Triple-shock at 112 yards. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service measured the bear's hide at 11'4" from nose to tail. The skull has been officially scored at 29 1/16" Boone and Crockett. What does Fern think of bear hunting? "Do you know how big an 11' bear looks at 30 yds? It's kinda scary! They are about the size of a Volkswagen bus and when they swing their head to look your way they remind you of a T-Rex in Jurassic Park!" Her trophy brown bear now puts her in an elite class. Fern is a tremendous example to young hunters everywhere, and she is a great hunter regardless of her age.

RE: The whole story
 

Man I'd be changing my boxers if I ever saw a bear that big

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That thing is HUGE!!!!!!

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It is a beautiful animal.

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Wow:)

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That is a beautiful bear. Good for her. Hope she keeps it up, we'll be reading about her for years to come.

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Beautiful bear!!!At 9, she has lived my dream. I need more money to afford that hunt. Congratulations little one!!!!

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

All you can say about this is congradulations to her and you have to give her credit for this.But how old was she cause it started out she was 8 than it went to 9 and than she was 10.How old was she.I get bear hunting mag and cant wait to read this story.

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

not to stir up anything, but isnt the legal hunting age 14 up there?

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

You can hunt at any age up here. See the regs for the specifics.
She used someone elses ticket for the Bear which is the only way she could have legallydone it up here forBrown/Grizz.

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

Nope, and if it was, do you think she would have shot that bear?

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

well most hunters are law abiding people, butsee alot here in Wyoming 8 & 10 year olds that have taken game and you must be 14 to hunt big game. I think that the age requirment is ridiculous but its still the law

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

I CAN HER HER TELLING THE JUDGE...."well yourrrrr honor, i was walking with my h&h 375, and as i was looking at this varmint in my scope at 1,000 yrds........" I SWEAR I THOUGHT IT WAS A RABBIT"........O WELL STILL A BIG A$$ BEAR, IN MY BOOKS.....

RE: The whole story
 

Hmm, firstthread I've seen come alongin a long whilethatwarranted a response.

First, what a great little trooper that young lady is.... definitely thinks and acts "outside the box."

Second, she's using a 375 H&H.... two quick shots from prone (not easy).... the"recoil sensitive crowd" is conspicuouslyabsent on this one... the silence is kindadeafening.... [Yeah I know, attackher use of a muzzlebrake and shoulder pad, etc. etc......] (I'm sure mom and dad can afford the "game ears" --- just using modern technology to get the job done.)

Third....
The last time that kind of phraseology was used on thisforum so manyhunters got their panties in such a knot over the impliedissues of "where you hunt---what you hunt/class warfare/social equality" that they could hardly see straight.

Ido agree with the above.... ah, er, argh, uhmm, gasp.... (chuckle) "quote" though.

What a great little gal, I'd say she's definitely got some temperto her steel.... the "right stuff." Ienjoyed her "30 yards.... Jurassic Park" comment. Seemingly genuine andmature and capable beyond her years.
Cool parents too, someone had some goals and a refusal to be relegated to the usual "conventional/provincial" thinking.

Thanks BuchHunter14, bearhuntr,and Montana Bob, your posts made my day.

EKM

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She has lived many dreams. Quite a little hunter!

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Just great now I'm jealous of a child! Aww hell now I have a adolecent female hero!:D She made a ethical shot sounds like...2 shots 2 hits!

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

Wow! This girl puts the HNI bear hunters to shame!:)

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NICE to see someone introducing the outdoors to our youth. I'm taking my son on his first turkey hunt in a couple of months.

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Wow, that is a monster.

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NICE JOB.....that just plain awesome!

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

Well,

I'm going to buck the trend here. I think its total BS! I don't think that a 8-10 YO has the mental capability to make an informed decision in this instance. There is no way that young lady knew the inherient dangers involved with that hunt. I would say that those parents are totally wrong for taking her on that kind of hunt. I think it would be a sad day if that sweet little girl was charged and injured because her folks thought it would be cool if their daughter hunted Brown Bears.

There is a reason why kids can't drink alchohol, smoke cigarettes, drive cars, vote etc.. I have a 8 yo and I can guarantee you that the fear never even enters his mind. He doesn't have the years of knowledge to form the proper state of mind. I think that this is border line child endangerment.

I am super happy that she killed the bear and nothing dangerous happened. But, I doubt that she even fully understands how big of a thing she did.

And another thing, What does she have to look forward too? When you start at the top there is no where to go but down.

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THAT IS AWSOME!!

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That little girls name is Fern... She is one heck of a shot! Her Dad takes great pride in his daughters... Fern also took a 39 inch DallRam the year before this.. Larry showed me the pictures of Fern and her bear..You should have seen the smile on his face... I'll always remember it.. Good Job Fern... I hope I get a bigger one in September..:)

Jerseyjoe

RE: The whole story
 

wow what a huge bear!
well i don't agree with SHATO on alot of post....but this one i agree 100% with him. and in wyoming there is good reason the law is 12 years old to hunt big game. it is very dangerous for all hunters, when a rookie hunter is in the woods. thats why i agree with the 12 year old for big game. if kids want to hunt before 12, theres rabbits, and birds all kinds of small game. they need lots of time in the woods before handing them over a high powered magnum rifle.
just my .02

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I think she will be hunting Marco Polo Sheep in a few years..

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Must be nice to be rich.

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that bear is amazing that girl is lucky to be able to go on hunts like that

RE: Possible New Record Bear (pics)
 

This is what puts the fear into me about the Big Bears!