I'm sure a lot of guys have done this one. I've dropped my release after getting set up in my climber. So back down the tree, out of the stand, to retrieve the release. Sigh. I started carrying a backup after that (thumb release). Now that I use a strap-on release it's not such an issue.

Another blunder/learning opportunity earlier in my hunting career...the first buck that I managed to call in stayed just out of bow range and backed off into some thick cover. I kept a close watch on that patch of cover for over a half hour...only to be surprised by having the buck come back in behind me. The sneaky bugger managed to circle back around me without my seeing him. I've since learned to maintain good observation of the entire area around my stand even if I've already had a buck in one area of the woods. In other words, don't get so focused on one buck (or an area where you have seen him) that you miss something coming in from a different direction.