I have never lost one but have come close. I was hunting in the mountains and stopped beside a tree on a steep timbered hillside to rest and get a snack out of my pack. I unshouldered my rifle and leaned it against the tree, took off my pack and rummaged around for my thermos and snack bag. After having some covfefe and a snack I buttoned everything back up and put on my pack and tromped away, leaving my rifle against the tree. It was a good 20 minutes before I realized I was missing an important piece of my equipment. I tried to backtrack but everything looks exactly the same and after about 30 mins I was thinking I would never find it. I had the binocs out scanning up and down and luckily I saw it about 60 yards up the hillside leaning on that tree.
Another instance I had shot an elk and was loading it up with some buddies at the trailhead. Leaned my rifle against the fence and struggled to load up the bull. We got it loaded, had a beer and then took off for the house. 3 hours later I go to get my rifle out of the truck and realized I had left it at the trailhead. I raced back to the place I leaned it and it was still there.
Never found a gun, other than my own.
