Some people think that having money is a main concern, and I'm not disputing that money is important. But, I am saying I think having a friend or friends who care is the gold standard.
I have been waiting 24 years to have a chance to get to hunt deer again. Where I live, if one doesn't either own their own timber or have a family member who does, you will be paying at least $1500 to hunt for a weekend. (3 days) I have been talking deer hunting, among other subjects, for years with our best friends who live in Missouri just 10 miles from us. A couple weeks ago my friend asked if I had actually served in the Army, to which I replied yes. Understand that this guy is a real jokester. He and his family offered me not only a spot to hunt this year but to pay the non-resident cost for the tags to thank me for my service, something we can't afford due to rising cost of living. This almost brought tears to my eyes. I'm not one to take advantage of friendship so it took some consideration, but after talking further with him he convinced me to take advantage of the opportunity.
So, for the first time in 24 years I have the opportunity to harvest possibly 3 deer and fill our freezer. In Illinois, up until this year we could only hunt with shotgun during IL firearm season. So for the first time I will get to use one of my rifles for deer, and after zeroing I'll be using my own reloads. 180 grain Hornady Interlock round soft points with 48 grains of Reloader 17 behind them.
I thank God for the best friend I have ever had on this earth. I just wanted to share, he's the type who would be offended if I shared with someone who knows us so I wouldn't do that.