In my case I was following a blood trail through heavy brush and pushing the brush out with the butt of the rifle which I think, allows the brush to grab the power handle on the ramrod which apparently pulled it out without dropping it so it was not apparent until I got to the animal. No amount of backtracking was successful in finding the ramrod. Besides that I had an elk to process and get out and it was getting dark and combined rain and snow had started. Took over an hour to get the elk down the hill and close enough to the trailer to get it loaded.