I saw the days of plenty 35+ years ago. Ranchers practically begged hunters to shoot antelope. Those days are long gone. IMO over hunting was the root cause of the drastic decline in numbers.
All our vehicles are paid for. Our house was paid for 30 plus years ago. I don't owe anybody anything, except local government who lets us stay here as long as we pay our property taxes.
I had a Remington BDL classic in .35 Whelen. Worked great on everything. After I got my .375 H&H, I didn't need it anymore. Mine had the BDL wood stock. That is a good price on your rifle. I got $850 for mine some time ago.
I wish I could share your optimism, I doubt things will get any better before hunting season (6 months) than they are now. There are other factors at play here in America. Canada and Europe aren't experiencing the ammo/component shortages that we are. JMO
The track record of the DOJ/FBI prosecuting felons in possession of guns isn't stellar either. How many get convicted? Have the Feds even charged the felon with a gun that was shot in Kenosha, Wisconsin by Kyle? They have video evidence in that case. The kid that was defending himself was...