9 Year Old Girl Takes Record Book Brown Bear

[MarvB]

Given the date, this may have been around already- sometimes I's jus too fuggin lazy to look!

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.

 

[carbonarcher]

Thats one heck of a bear, congrats to her!

 

[mtmiller]

Very awesome.

 

[Oak]

A nine year old shooting a .375 H&H....I'm impressed.

 

[Ithaca 37]

Notice the recil pad on her shoulder? That's a great idea. I have one like that I use when target shooting.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

WOW!!! Notice how putting a 9 year old at the end of a bear makes it look BIG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! John

 

[Dangerous Dave]

Marv, this article settles the question about where the REAL women live... Alaska!!

 

[MarvB]

No kidding there DoubleD...you think she has any problems cutting in line on the playground?

 

[Dangerous Dave]

Aww... don't mind my sour, rotten attitude. There are some decent ladies in California. It's the ones I seem to attract I have a problem with... if she's hangin' around me it means she's up to no good.
The little gal in your post obviously knows what's up and what she's all about.

 

[mattobertin]

That is awesome! She has accomplished more than I have that's for damn sure!

 

[1_pointer]

NICE! It's pretty cool that she takes that much of an interest in hunting! Kudos to the parents! She's got more cajones than I do!

 

[BRWNBR]

shes the daughter of larry rivers the master guide who retired a few years back, still has all his planes and one of his lodges, larry took some monster bears off the ak peninsula, took his girl back for this one, i saw the pics at his hanger a few months back. big bear, 11 foot seven is what larry told me it squared.
this girl has hunted all over the place, hand loads all her own ammo and has a 400 yard range behind the house, shoots about 200 rounds a week if i remember correctly. larry showed me some pics of her standing on a milk crate loadin' her own.
pretty dang cool.

 

[LILIDAHO]

WOW!! That is one big bear and one inspiring young lady!! LIL

 

[Moosie]

I'm not buying for a secord it Squares 11'7" but it's a Cool deal to have your daughter or kids along on a hunt I'm sure !!!! Kudos !!

 

[BRWNBR]

moosie come on man....always someone a non beliver .
larry took quiet a few bears from his ak peninsula area, where she shot this thing, i guided there one fall for him. probalby evey other year or so they took a honest 11 foot bear from there. i've no doubt this one was well over 11 foot. i've only ever seen one in the wild, it was on kodiak, the guide over the pass from us shot one the next week that was eleven foot four. it happens man.

 

[Moosie]

Call me the doubter

I don't have to Believe that it's a 11'7" bear to still be impressed. Still Kudos goes out to the Dad and girl from me

 

[cabbagehead]

lucky kid, wish I had gotten that chance when younger, good that the young ones are involved!

 

[GFHunter]

How I missed this????? Awesome looking Bear. Now thats one lucky young lady to experience this hunt at such a young age. Im jealous!!!

 

[Curly]

I missed this post too. I'm glad you brought it up to the top, GF.

That is a great story and very cool pics.