Most expensive thing you lost while hunting

Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Messages
306
A rifle, special one at that.

Not really lost, but stolen.

Me and 2 pards were hunting a big wooded area in Va. We all 3 shot does. This was back in the 80s, no GPS, phones, nothing. Anyway, I had not been to this property and was dropped off a mile or so in the dark. No compass with me. So we all 3 shoot does, and our fearless leader, who supposedly knew the area starts supposedly leading us out. We are all dragging deer. We drag for 3hrs, and I could tell we were going in circles. So we decided to leave our rifles, and deer,and find the way out before it got dark on us.

Turns out, we weren't that far from where we parked. So we go back for the deer and our gear. All three rifles were gone. Someone had seen us stop, and waited for us to leave.

My father gave me that rifle when I turned 12.

Fn POS....
 
Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Messages
394
Location
Dawsonville, GA.
Well I get the Golden Dummy award this year!
Been out scouting and glassing on my dual sport. Stopped by a forest service restroom. Took my pack off and sat it next to building to use restroom and took off my coat. When i came out i put coat back on but left the pack. Being dark outside, tired and cold attributed to mistake. By the time i realized what i did next day it was gone.

What was my loss?

New Kifaru Hoolum pack = $900ish
SWAROVSKI 15X56 Binos $2600
Spotting Tripod $300

Ouch!! I have APB out with local forest service, game warden, and sherriff office.
 
Last edited:

onmyway

FNG
Joined
Nov 23, 2017
Messages
7
Location
IN
I left something expensive on the side of a mountain pass road onetime. Talked to the cops, they searched the pass and said it was gone. Gave it a week, talked to the cops again and filed a police report for the item as stolen (finder didn't turn it in was my rational). Claimed it on my home owners insurance. Other than the hassle I was able to replace and only out my deductible.
 

CREillY

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 26, 2018
Messages
257
Location
MN
I dropped my vortex rangefinder in an FHF case fall of 2021 in the woods at our hunting land, searched all over and couldn't find it. My grandpa just found it two weeks ago cutting wood. Still works awesome and surprising enough had near full battery.
 
Joined
Nov 14, 2020
Messages
1,183
Temporarily lost My horse, when I left him in camp with hobbles on. That boy could seriously travel in hobbles, but I didn’t know it until then. Got up in the side of the canyon and glassed him up about a mile down the trail towards the trail head. The only reason he stopped because he got a branch stuck in his hobbles.

Lost a really nice little 4 inch buck fixed blade with a Cocobolo handle. Fishing at June lake in California.

Hunting mule deer in Eastern Nevada I found a slightly rusted Cold Steel 4” Hunter nestled in the aspen leaves near our campfire. I cleaned it up. Bought a Kydex sheath For it, and it’s become my camp chore knife. A couple years after I found it we were camped in the same spot and became acquainted with the group camped next to us. Turns out one of them had lost the knife about five years ago. He saw the knife and asked where I got it. I told him I found it on the ground right over there. I asked him if he wanted it back and kind of insisted that he take it back. He would have none of it, and generously insisted that I keep it, so I did. I think it’s about $150 knife.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Messages
1,057
I left something expensive on the side of a mountain pass road onetime. Talked to the cops, they searched the pass and said it was gone. Gave it a week, talked to the cops again and filed a police report for the item as stolen (finder didn't turn it in was my rational). Claimed it on my home owners insurance. Other than the hassle I was able to replace and only out my deductible.

I think filing something as stolen is a bit of a reach
 

ksp7146

FNG
Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
10
Lost a pair of Swaros on a hunting trip while making a run into town to restock on food and caffeine. They were in the backseat and the only thing we can figure is they must have fallen out while unloading. Truck was locked and no forced entry. Didn't realize they were gone until it was too late. So if anyone found a pair in the grocery store parking lot of Springerville, AZ please let me know. This was 4-5 years ago
 

lhbackcountry

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
211
not sure if lost counts as stolen... But had someone decide they needed my bow more then me at the trailhead as I was taking a dump... Silly on me to leave it in the bed but oh well. Joke is on them I am a lefty
 

Kenny Hart

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 5, 2023
Messages
109
Surprisingly little while hunting. My Oakleys ended up at the bottom of a lake following a morning of bass fishing though.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
1,830
Location
Western Montana
Not really a lost but a found of someone else's lost. My father hunting in the Little Belt Mountains of Montana many years ago came across a 300 Weatherby leaning up against a tree. The owner a woman had stopped to go to the bathroom and had wondered off without her rifle! He figured it belonged to someone in a camp that was not too far from where he and his friends had theirs set up. She was one happy woman when he returned it!

My buddy lost a $500.00 Garmin GPS. I spent half a day looking for it with him. No luck. He also lost a pair of Swarovski binoculars one year. I lost my Elk Incorporated Elk bugle. After the ones I listed I should not complain!
 

Geewhiz

WKR
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
2,565
Location
SW MT
Lost a set of elk ivories the other day. Was cleaning the skull and like an idiot I set them on my tailgate. As I was setting them there I knew I should have been putting them somewhere else. Not heart broken but a bit bummed for sure.
 
Joined
Jan 16, 2018
Messages
1,034
Lost a bird dog worth about $5,000 in 2002 money. . . Well I didn't but the buddy I was hunting with did.

Was a all sorts of champion pedigree lab, had been professionally trained and won numerous awards/trials and was 5 or 6 years old at the time, earning nice stud fees. Dog was amazing whenever we hunted and was a retrieving machine. Shock collar on or off that dog listened to every command the first time. After a good day of goose hunting we walked to the truck with the dog. parked in the river bottom, miles from the nearest house, but at the regular hunting spot. Loaded up the gear and told the dog to "load up" dog took off on a dead run down the field towards the river. No bird. No squirrels, no deer, just a dog sprinting away on a line not listening to a word of recall and completely ignoring the shock collar getting dinged.

We jumped in the truck to chase and lost sight of him entering the trees. As we got down to the river edge by the blind we saw him swimming across, he hit the far bank and was right back into a sprint! He never turned up in the area and honestly the way he was going I think he may have run until his heart gave out! Damnedest think I've seen from a dog!

So that was a shitty day. He's still pretty bitter when I ask what he did to that dog to make him just run away that day.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
12
Well, the most expensive thing I’ve lost was a Garmin Rhino that the strap broke off when it was attached to my pack. The first thing I ever remember losing while hunting was my Dad’s
Marble hunting knife, the kind with the stacked leather washer handle. I was probably 12 when that happened and I still feel bad about it almost 40 years later. I’ve lost countless gloves chasing elk in the jungles of Western WA, as well as a couple of the small streamlight flashlights with the pocket clip, if you forget and leave them clipped to your pocket the brush just rips them right out.
 
Joined
Mar 20, 2019
Messages
369
Lost a bird dog worth about $5,000 in 2002 money. . . Well I didn't but the buddy I was hunting with did.

Was a all sorts of champion pedigree lab, had been professionally trained and won numerous awards/trials and was 5 or 6 years old at the time, earning nice stud fees. Dog was amazing whenever we hunted and was a retrieving machine. Shock collar on or off that dog listened to every command the first time. After a good day of goose hunting we walked to the truck with the dog. parked in the river bottom, miles from the nearest house, but at the regular hunting spot. Loaded up the gear and told the dog to "load up" dog took off on a dead run down the field towards the river. No bird. No squirrels, no deer, just a dog sprinting away on a line not listening to a word of recall and completely ignoring the shock collar getting dinged.

We jumped in the truck to chase and lost sight of him entering the trees. As we got down to the river edge by the blind we saw him swimming across, he hit the far bank and was right back into a sprint! He never turned up in the area and honestly the way he was going I think he may have run until his heart gave out! Damnedest think I've seen from a dog!

So that was a shitty day. He's still pretty bitter when I ask what he did to that dog to make him just run away that day.

Weird…how old was the dog?


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Joined
Mar 20, 2019
Messages
369
That’s crazy. I’m not a dog expert or anything but seems especially weird that he crossed the water then just kept on booking it. Crappy deal!


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