Hello from New York. Im 38 with 2 kids and also wife is a teacher.
Hunting is hard these days, but I just bought my son a lifetime license so hopefully we will get out soon enough.
Crossbows for handicapped hunters should be considered. But that would open the door unless regulated. we always see handicapped parking placards, when people are fully capable.
There are so much black bear in my town, I'm in a lower suburban county just outside nyc. Never had the calling to hunt bear, although that may change as it seems the bear sightings are more and more every year.
Listened to a podcast recently where they tested whitetail blood samples dating back from 2020 to 1990s I believe and they didn't find any traces of antibodies.