Most expensive thing you lost while hunting

In 1986 my dad and I lost both of our Martin Lynx bows off the top of his 78 Firebird. We had sat in the car to warm up and decided to go into town to eat, after 4 miles of gravel roads we got on the HI way. Heard a heck of a racket and saw the bows bouncing down the pavement at over 60 miles an hour! Both bows survived the incident with just a couple bent pins. We still hunted the evening, I'll always wonder how they never slid off on the gravel road.
Also lost a blade from my American made Gerber bolt action exchange. left it on a cow hide up in the mountains. I could probably find it if I wanted to pack in a metal detector probably not legal on NF land though. I ended up getting a new old stock on Ebay so it's all good. It's mostly sentimental value but it's the best knife I've ever owned.
 
I'll start since my elk hunting trip just got cut short 3 days due to my loss. I had to run to town to get service and take care of some things as we're in the process of relocating homes. . . While I was on the phone for 3 hours in a parking lot, I set my boots out on the ground to "air" out. After 3 hours on the phone I had to take a serious piss and bolted. And that was the last I saw of my $550 kenetrek Mountain boots. Not only the cost, but broke in to fit like a glove. By the time I realized they were gone a few hours later and returned, somebody had already snatched them. I gave my info to several of the local authorities, but I don't plan on seeing those again.

So this one cost me $550, cut my trip short, and damn hard to replace that broke in comfort anytime soon.

Let's hear your worst, maybe it will make me feel a little better. I still want to puke thinking about it.

*Sidenote* Crocs aren't that bad of a backup shoe. I put 3 miles on in my crocs this morning to pull a camera before leaving. (y)
I'll start since my elk hunting trip just got cut short 3 days due to my loss. I had to run to town to get service and take care of some things as we're in the process of relocating homes. . . While I was on the phone for 3 hours in a parking lot, I set my boots out on the ground to "air" out. After 3 hours on the phone I had to take a serious piss and bolted. And that was the last I saw of my $550 kenetrek Mountain boots. Not only the cost, but broke in to fit like a glove. By the time I realized they were gone a few hours later and returned, somebody had already snatched them. I gave my info to several of the local authorities, but I don't plan on seeing those again.

So this one cost me $550, cut my trip short, and damn hard to replace that broke in comfort anytime soon.

Let's hear your worst, maybe it will make me feel a little better. I still want to puke thinking about it.

*Sidenote* Crocs aren't that bad of a backup shoe. I put 3 miles on in my crocs this morning to pull a camera before leaving. (y)
I left my Swarovski els on the trail, luckily they were still there the next day!
 
I lost a raft once on the way to go duck/goose hunting. Well, i guess i didnt lose it. Going down the freeway early in the morning i felt the trailer swerve a little. Thinking to myself huh that was weird, i look in the rearview mirror as i pass under some lights and the damn thing is gone. Thankfully i was close to an off ramp. I whipped around and started back the other way, crossed the burrow pit thinking i would find my raft in a crumpled heap, but there it was, sitting on the side of the road in one piece. My father in law was following behind me and he said that raft took off like kite 30 feet into the air.
 
I lost a raft once on the way to go duck/goose hunting. Well, i guess i didnt lose it. Going down the freeway early in the morning i felt the trailer swerve a little. Thinking to myself huh that was weird, i look in the rearview mirror as i pass under some lights and the damn thing is gone. Thankfully i was close to an off ramp. I whipped around and started back the other way, crossed the burrow pit thinking i would find my raft in a crumpled heap, but there it was, sitting on the side of the road in one piece. My father in law was following behind me and he said that raft took off like kite 30 feet into the air.
Had a buddy coming home from duck hunting once. He left the tailgate down on accident and stopped at a stop sign. Figured the dekes in the jet sled slid out the back. Got home (~10-15 minutes) and went back looking for them. Got back to the stop sign and someone had slid it to the side of the road for him. Lucky dude.

I didn’t lose my duck hunting stuff someone stole it.
 
Almost lost my truck in a river in southern Utah. Followed a dirt road that crossed a winding river every couple hundred yards or so. Each crossing got progressively worse until finally I got my truck into the river bed but couldn’t get up the other side. Tried backing out, no luck. Meanwhile rain clouds are gathering and this river is prone to flooding. Ended up driving up the river bed a short ways until I could get out but it was pretty sketchy. I didn’t need a seatbelt - I had pucker power keeping me glued to the seat.
 
Not hunting, but I lost my wallet out of the back pocket of my Wranglers while plowing in my watermelon patch. It had $2500 in it to pay for seed and fertilizer, my grandfather loaned me the money since I was a broke 17yr old. I worked my ass off to pay him back. Sold a metric ton of watermelons that year.

The next year while plowing I found the wallet and cash intact. It was equivalent to hitting the lottery and losing your virginity on the same night for an 18yr old.

Most expensive things I lost hunting were flashlights or headlamps.
 
I know how stupid it may sound, but I lost a 2k necklace which I simply forgot to take of before leaving the house.
 
I had my cooler full of food fall out of my truck at a stop light when my tailgate came unlatched in my old 77 Ford I had at the time. I saw it happen and went to turn around and some teenagers grabbed it and took off. I chased them and got their plate # but the cops said their mother stated they had been home all day.
I would see their vehicle around town afterwards. And considered getting revenge but decided not to. I hope they choked on the steaks that they stole. We ended up eating bologna sandwiches that fishing trip. Coolers were expensive back then and I was a college student with a part time job. I'm glad I didn't catch them that day, because I had a pistol on my belt and was mad enough to use it.
 
I had my cooler full of food fall out of my truck at a stop light when my tailgate came unlatched in my old 77 Ford I had at the time. I saw it happen and went to turn around and some teenagers grabbed it and took off. I chased them and got their plate # but the cops said their mother stated they had been home all day.

You went to the cops because of a cooler that fell out of your truck?

. I'm glad I didn't catch them that day, because I had a pistol on my belt and was mad enough to use it.

Jfc
 
In Colorado I came off the mountain after dark buddy told me keys were hidden under the bumper but I couldn’t find them. No problem took my pack off set it down and put my Leupold binoculars ( first decent quality binoculars I ever bought) on top of my pack. A while later my buddy came out and we loaded up , I thought in the back of my mind I had grabbed my pack but not the binos, brushed it off and thought I must have. It was our last day and we drive straight through 32 hours, kept thinking I must have grabbed them out of automation. Got home and unpacked, no binoculars. If your subconscious tell you something listen, on the upside I upgraded shortly after.
 
I had my cooler full of food fall out of my truck at a stop light when my tailgate came unlatched in my old 77 Ford I had at the time. I saw it happen and went to turn around and some teenagers grabbed it and took off. I chased them and got their plate # but the cops said their mother stated they had been home all day.
I would see their vehicle around town afterwards. And considered getting revenge but decided not to. I hope they choked on the steaks that they stole. We ended up eating bologna sandwiches that fishing trip. Coolers were expensive back then and I was a college student with a part time job. I'm glad I didn't catch them that day, because I had a pistol on my belt and was mad enough to use it.
I just want to qualify my previous statements with this: I used to have a really hot temper as a young man and I am not the same person I was at 20 years old. Although I still hate thieves I probably wouldn't shoot anybody for stealing my cooler. I would like to see some Singapore style caning applied.
 
I lost a $30ish knife once. I can't think of anything else I've ever lost hunting. Maybe my patience.
 
When I was 14 or 15 years old (circa 2004?) I saved a bunch of my lawn mowing money to buy some new hunting clothes. Went into the local sporting goods store and got a new hunting jacket and matching pants. I can’t remember exactly what brand they were but if I had to guess I’d say mossy oak.

I was so excited about them. They all matched and they all actually fit me! No more hand me downs of assorted different solids and camo patterns. The jacket was cutting age technology for the time (at least in my eyes) because the liner zipped into the jacket and the sleeves of the liner buttoned to the sleeves of the outer layer so it all stayed together. I believe the sleeves of the liner also zipped off so it could be a vest. This was a 3 in 1 jacket! Nearly unheard of for a freshman in high school in my tiny town!

Opening day the ol man drove me to the top of a mountain about 4 miles from the house and dropped me off just before the sun came up. It was a hunt I’d done a handful of times by just walking down to the house.

I remember it was warmer than usual that mid-October day but it was very lightly raining on and off. I stopped not long into my hike and removed the liner from my jacket. I’m sure I was louder than all get out but by golly, I felt like the real deal. I was using laying systems before I’d even heard that term!

I don’t remember anything memorable about that hunt, besides later that afternoon when the ol man told me to get my stuff ready so we could go back out. I unzipped my crummy little backpack and only saw a box of Remington core lokt’s and a half empty water bottle. No liner to my jacket…

I was so embarrassed and disappointed in myself I never did tell the old man so that he could’ve given me a ride back up the mountain. I know he wouldn’t have cared at all. I vividly remember lying to him when he asked why I was shivering on a hunt and where the liner to my jacket was. I told him I forgot it at home…

I bet that jacket only cost me $89 dollars at the time but I vividly remember losing that liner…


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Ah man lets see….Apparently I left a pair of black Diamond carbon trekking poles at a trail head. I looked back through some pics and saw them in the pics but haven’t seen them since then. I lost a Black Diamond headlamp a couple springs ago. While fishing I sat my Raybans in my hat on the front pedestal seat of a boat. Later I reached down and grabbed up my hat and slung my sunglasses into the river. Last year I leaned my shotgun up against a tree at the truck and didn’t realize I left it there until I got home an hour later. I went straight back and fortunately it was still there. I lost a pair of ez cut ratchet pruners while turkey hunting. No yelling what else. The most expensive thing is as about years ago I had just bought a new camera. It was about $450 which was a lot of money for me. Me and my girlfriend took off in my bass boat and I had the camera in a camera bag on the floor of the bait. I never saw it fly out but when we stopped the boat it was gone. That sucked. I think the lesson to be learned while hunting is don’t lean stuff against trees at the trailhead or set stuff on the ground. Don’t set stuff on the ground while hunting. And don’t trust other people not to steal your stuff.


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Ah man lets see….Apparently I left a pair of black Diamond carbon trekking poles at a trail head. I looked back through some pics and saw them in the pics but haven’t seen them since then. I lost a Black Diamond headlamp a couple springs ago. While fishing I sat my Raybans in my hat on the front pedestal seat of a boat. Later I reached down and grabbed up my hat and slung my sunglasses into the river. Last year I leaned my shotgun up against a tree at the truck and didn’t realize I left it there until I got home an hour later. I went straight back and fortunately it was still there. I lost a pair of ez cut ratchet pruners while turkey hunting. No yelling what else. The most expensive thing is as about years ago I had just bought a new camera. It was about $450 which was a lot of money for me. Me and my girlfriend took off in my bass boat and I had the camera in a camera bag on the floor of the bait. I never saw it fly out but when we stopped the boat it was gone. That sucked. I think the lesson to be learned while hunting is don’t lean stuff against trees at the trailhead or set stuff on the ground. Don’t set stuff on the ground while hunting. And don’t trust other people not to steal your stuff.


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Dude…you need to put all your stuff on a leash lashed to your wrist haha


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No doubt a few high school hunters lost their virginity in "backcountry" cabin, tent, truck or deer blind and probably never did try to find it again...
JL
 
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