Most expensive piece of gear you've lost on a hunt?

PNWGATOR

WKR
Shoot2HuntU
Joined
Oct 14, 2014
Messages
2,753
Location
USA
Brand new Leica 1600b...it was in its pouch on my waist belt and like a fool, I didn’t have it dummy corded to anything but the pouch. The loop on the pouch must have failed in the N Idaho brush as it was gone. Brand new, first trip ever used and my wife is still pissed!
 

Jskaanland

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 19, 2016
Messages
1,818
Location
Washington
While not one thing, this year I lost the most items I've ever lost in one season. 2 external reeds, 2 wind checkers, a headlamp and to top it all off a Jim White Plate and an outdoorsman post.
 

FLAK

WKR
Joined
Jan 22, 2014
Messages
2,287
Location
Gulf Coast
A Schrade LB7 at a kill site. Processed countless deer with that
thing. I still have the sheath that came with it and an identical
replacement knife but somehow it's not the same.
 

johnsd16

WKR
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
Messages
384
Location
North Idaho
the liner jacket to a browning 4 in 1 duck parka. It got hot and I took it off in the tall grass we were hiding in next to a pothole. Shot a 3 man limit of ducks and picked up. Didn’t realize it was missing until that evening and went back. For the life of me couldn’t find it.

A bugle tube on the top of a steep section of mountain in SW MT last year. Took off some layers and forgot to sling the tube back over my shoulder.

The worst close call was my buddy’s GPS on our first trip out west. We had filled our deer tags and were bird hunting. We were younger and a GPS was a cost relevant piece of gear. I kept putting it in the front access area of my upland vest and one time it went one layer too deep and ended up inside the vest and above my shirt. It stayed there for a while as it didn’t fall through right away. Realized it and started to backtrack without any GPS and fortunately found it where I jumped across some big rocks. Was a miracle. I was so relieved.
 

Fatcamp

WKR
Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
5,844
Location
Sodak
The first deadhead I ever found. We were mushroom hunting and found a bunch of shads and a really nice whitetail deadhead. Strapped it to my pack but apparently not well enough. So sad.

Desert spot and stalk mule deer hunting has my self confidence hanging on by a thread, but I still have it for now. 😁
 

Aces11

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 19, 2018
Messages
135
Location
North Dakota
I lost a rangefinder. It was on its last leg, so I wasn’t to disappointed. Lost two nice Pelican flashlights, and a zebra head lamp.
 

Mk44

WKR
Joined
Aug 21, 2020
Messages
416
A friend lost a very nice vtg hunting knife that was given to him by his dad just before he passed. We searched the woods for hours, but could not find the knife. He was pretty bummed out. I felt bad for the guy.

Hence why I won't carry my vtg Puma hunting knife that I inherited from my dad (I don't think I could cope with loosing it. The memories are worth more than money.)
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2018
Messages
1,149
Location
Alaska
Ouch, not only the cost of the 43, but were you worried at all about legal stuff? I'd hate to report anything gun related to authorities, but I wouldn't want the cops showing up at my door cause whoever found it used it for a crime.
Yeah it sucked but being as where I was and following my gps to back track I'm about 99.9% sure no one is going to find it. I'm pretty certain of the hill side I lost it on and it full of knee high sage and grass.. definitely sucks.
 
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Messages
1,810
Location
Colorado
My two biggies are from theft. Full Kifaru pack stolen out of my truck through a window they broke this fall, and a pair of Swarovski 8x binos a long time ago. I left them in camp to help my Dad haul some elk meat and when I came back, they were gone. The dude that was “too sore” to help pack meat was in camp the whole time, and said nobody else came into camp. I couldn’t prove anything, but he doesn’t hunt with us anymore.
 

Roger17

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 14, 2020
Messages
161
Camo Garmin GPS. Guy at Bass Pro, when buying it, said "you'll lay that down and lose it somewhere with the camo." Nonsense. Who loses their gps? Set it beside me on a big blowdown tree in NM while taking a snack break. Walked about 50 yards linear (prob a 100 actual zigging through all the blowdown), noticed it gone and went back to grab it. Two of us never found that thing. Bought a small one at a WalMart to get through the rest of the hunt. It was bright yellow!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

peterk123

WKR
Joined
Sep 7, 2020
Messages
458
Location
Montana
My pocket knife, like every other time I go out. Honestly, I think somebody follows me around and steals it just to screw with me. I have resorted to a spending limit of twenty bucks on pocket knives as a result.
 

TFrank

WKR
Joined
Dec 9, 2020
Messages
324
My dad had lost a pair of sunglasses once. I found them on the butte 2 years later.
 

JoshB94

FNG
Joined
Dec 30, 2020
Messages
32
drowned a DSLR when my tent flooded in NZ.
Have you hunted in NZ much? I'm planning a summer 2022 trip with a buddy. Has been my dream location for a few years now and looking for any resources I can find
 

EastMT

WKR
Joined
Dec 19, 2016
Messages
2,872
Location
Eastern Montana
Changing location for a better angle on a goat with my dad 2 years ago. Dropped a $500 range finder, stuffed it in my puffy pocket real fast while grabbing the spotter, it took of down the hill about 40mph. She gone!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

280Ackley

WKR
Joined
Jun 4, 2014
Messages
860
Location
Idaho
Being a nice husband helping get the little ones out their car seats. I set my brand new Vortex Viper Hd’s on the roof of the van. Remembered after she had left to go get the older kids. Only found one lense cover when I went to go look. She even heard them sliding but didn’t realize what it was!!
 

Jimbob

WKR
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
1,408
Location
Smithers, BC
Lost a Garmin gps but backtracked and found it 2 hours later.

Lost my sunglasses on the hike in for a goat hunt, picked them up on the hike out.

This year I lost my merino buff on a sheep hunt and I'm still bummed about it. I bought a new one but it's not the same.

So I'm fairly lucky.
 
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