I took one on Sept 10th here in Michigan. It was sentimental to me as my dad was a bear hunter using a recurve so I put it on my bucket list. It took me 8 years to draw a tag for the area that my dad hunted in. My son, cousin and myself all drew tags on the buddy system and we all took bear with a bow the first week.
I used a Bear Kodiak Hunter recurve that my dad saved for me in 1969 after he closed the archery shop. He gave it to me when I got back from the Marines. I used that recurve, an aluminum arrow and Black diamond broad head that my dad killed a big game animal with and I put my ladder stand in the same tree that dad took bear out of. It was a great evening with a lot of sun and the colors starting to turn. I got settled in the ladder stand, noticed the great weather and looked up and asked dad for some help. I saw three bear that night and shot the 3rd one that came in. it was a 6 yard lung shot and he went about 40 yards. I looked up and said, "thanks pop" as I knew he was with me. it was probably the most calm I had ever been when hunting and shooting an animal.