I have a habit of putting my bow on the ground while I get into my topper and take my pack off etc. I didn't picky bow up this time and I think I ran it over three times while flipping a U on the little road.
I set a pack down by the bumper, outside a buddies house. It was full of fishing gear. We drove away leaving it there. It of course was long gone by the time we realized it.
Buddy put his A-Bolt through his radiator. I flung my revolver off the roof of the truck at a high rate of speed. Thankfully holstered and visible as it flew past. I think most of us have learned the hard way. Sorry about your bow. If you need a loaner I'll send you one.
If it were not for my backup camera, I'd drive away at least 3 times a week with my tailgate open. I have a terrible habit of moving so fast and not paying attention that I set crap everywhere and leave/forget it. Ive had to consciously make an effort to avoid thigs like this by deliberately placing items down certain places. Sucks this happened to you.
If it makes you feel better when I was 17 my buddy and I drove 30 minutes to hunt and realized when we got there the tailgate was down and 2 bows 2 treestands and 2 backpacks were loooog gone...
Left a 35mm film camera (some of you may not know what that is!) on the bumper with several pictures of a successful turkey hunt. Got to town and realized what we had done. Went back and found it, but it was busted open and the film was exposed. No pictures of that hunt!
Duck hunting in N. Dakota years ago, driving down the road and realized my shotgun wasn't in the truck. Drove back to the pothole I was hunting, and found it with a tire track over the barrel. Snow and soft ground prevented any serious damage!
When hunting, my routine is pretty well set so I've never done that before.....even though I always lean my bow against the rear passenger tire along with my binos, bugle tube, release, and gloves. Then I put the pack on the hood to get my keys out.
However, 2 years ago I was at the range and set my bow against the rear tire but then got distracted by a conversation with another guy in the parking lot and took off. 2 miles down the road and realized the bow wasn't in the back seat. Drove back and there it was.......still laying in the parking lot. Have no idea how it didn't get run over.........or picked up by someone.