What to do, what to do?

[mjs1973]

My main wildife lens has a problem that I need to get fixed, but I hate to part with if for a couple weeks. The aperture on my 170-500mm lens sticks wide open from 400-500mm. From 170-400mm it works fine. If I set it between 170 & 400, and press the DOF preview button, then zoom out to 500mm, I can take one shot before the aperture sticks wide open. It's kind of like having to pump a shotgun between shots. If the lens wasn't so soft wide open, it wouldn't be a huge problem, but I hate using it wide open.
If it wasn't the fox and badger dens being so easy to see and take photos of, and the deer starting to have their fawns, I would send it in without question. I just hate the idea of being without a long lens right now...

So what would you do? Send it in now, or limp it along for a while and send it in later?