



WONEWS ON THE SPOT FEATURE





CODY, Wyo. CODY, Wyo.



Turning, he was confronted by a big grizzly bear only 15 feet away. He attempted to scare it, unsuccessfully, then ducked behind a tree, but the grizzly kept coming. The only thing left was to take the "death run", downhill, towards his dad, 62-year-old Ron G. Leming, who was 40 yards below him.



He was running full speed with the grizzly just feet behind when he saw an arrow fly by his legs, but he was way too preoccupied to wonder whether it hit its target or not.



Moments later, he was on his back and the grizzly was on top of him! With his arms shielding his head, Ron kicked and punched the bear with all he had. He couldn't feel any pain at the time--it was all too quick, and he was full of adrenaline. But the bear was doing damage.



Ron Sr. saw the bear was bleeding badly and began beating it over the head with his bow. Archery hunters aren't allowed to carry guns in Wyoming during bow season, so they were both armed only with bows. The bear continued to attack Ron, biting clear through his left hand and glove, and down to the bone of his right arm just below the elbow.



Then, suddenly, the bear stopped. It looked at Ron's dad, walked several yards away and rolled over dead. The grizzly was 11 years old and weighed 500 pounds—more than most grizzlies in that area—and was in its prime.



The autopsy showed that the path of the arrow hit a main artery, bent, then hit the heart! And that was after Ron Sr. had missed two standing elk the day before, his aim effected by having undergone arm surgery himself the year before.



That morning, before the hunt, Ron Sr. had prayed: "God, please guide my arrow today."



Little did the two of them know that the arrow he shot was to be guided towards the only two spots in a grizzly bear that could have saved his son's life, in the time it did.



Ron Jr. was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for wounds, scratches and numerous puncture wounds—but he was released the following day. To have a lifelong a story that few have survived to tell.

—It was Sept. 12, elk archery season in northwestern Wyoming, and Ron J. Leming, 37 years old, was trying to work a bull elk into archery range for his father—again--since Ron Sr. had already missed two shots—when the elk spooked, and he was startled by a sound behind him.Turning, he was confronted by a big grizzly bear only 15 feet away. He attempted to scare it, unsuccessfully, then ducked behind a tree, but the grizzly kept coming. The only thing left was to take the "death run", downhill, towards his dad, 62-year-old Ron G. Leming, who was 40 yards below him.He was running full speed with the grizzly just feet behind when he saw an arrow fly by his legs, but he was way too preoccupied to wonder whether it hit its target or not.Moments later, he was on his back and the grizzly was on top of him! With his arms shielding his head, Ron kicked and punched the bear with all he had. He couldn't feel any pain at the time--it was all too quick, and he was full of adrenaline. But the bear was doing damage.Ron Sr. saw the bear was bleeding badly and began beating it over the head with his bow. Archery hunters aren't allowed to carry guns in Wyoming during bow season, so they were both armed only with bows. The bear continued to attack Ron, biting clear through his left hand and glove, and down to the bone of his right arm just below the elbow.Then, suddenly, the bear stopped. It looked at Ron's dad, walked several yards away and rolled over dead. The grizzly was 11 years old and weighed 500 pounds—more than most grizzlies in that area—and was in its prime.The autopsy showed that the path of the arrow hit a main artery, bent, then hit the heart! And that was after Ron Sr. had missed two standing elk the day before, his aim effected by having undergone arm surgery himself the year before.That morning, before the hunt, Ron Sr. had prayed: "God, please guide my arrow today."Little did the two of them know that the arrow he shot was to be guided towards the only two spots in a grizzly bear that could have saved his son's life, in the time it did.Ron Jr. was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for wounds, scratches and numerous puncture wounds—but he was released the following day. To have a lifelong a story that few have survived to tell.





















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