Wisconsin Hunter's Safety Practice Exam

Retracing your steps is the most effective first action to take if you lose your hunting gear in the field. This approach allows you to revisit the exact path you took, which increases the likelihood of spotting the misplaced item. By going back along your route, you can recall where you last had your gear and identify any specific locations you might have stopped or interacted with that could provide clues as to where it may have been left or dropped.

Other options, while they might seem plausible, are generally less effective. Asking other hunters for help could potentially be useful, but it may not yield immediate assistance or information. Leaving the area would mean abandoning any chance of recovering your gear, and marking the spot to return later is also risky, as there's no guarantee that the gear will still be in that location when you come back. Therefore, retracing your steps is the most logical and practical first step in this situation.