Ron ... I had very similar thoughts while sitting in my tree stand this late season. The majority of my gear had a Trad Gang connection. Some I bought in the classifieds, some came from my favorite event of the year .. the St Judes auction
, some I purchased from sponsors and some I purchased after reading recommendations here from fellow Trad Gangers and a few items were gifts from Trad Gangers I have had the pleasure of hunting with ... I didn't use any of that gear to kill a Washington whitetail this year but I sure scared a few, no shots fired but like Ron I'll be after them next year.
Trad Gang has truly been a treasure for me since I retired and I look forward to many more years spending time here and meeting more new friends.