A wonderful and scary report.

Congratulations, You fully deserve your splendid bear. That’s a real adventure, the epitome of a hunting life in my opinion.
Not sure I’d have had the nerves and not flinched. Lucky the arrow made the bear change his mind. How strong these beasts are, so as to be capable of running more than 100 yds away when perfectly hit in the chest. An epic experience.

I suggest to You that you should read the 2 outstanding books of Lary Kaniut “ Alaska bear tales and More Alaska bear tales”(ie on Amazon.com) , there You find lots of close shaves with black and brown bears, some humorous, some gory and many hints about bear comportment . You are bang right about flight and fight zones.
I couldn’t imagine the US are wild and preserved to the point of still harbouring bears in CocaCola state.??????????
And what a fantastic region, Your pics are giving a violent desire to visit it.

I am a Great Plains user too : Rio Bravo take down 60#, and I am using it without sightings for snap (instinctive) shooting at running boar or roe deer.

More congratulations
jb