Thanks everyone for the comments!
This story was almost too embarrassing to post but I've learned so much from forums like this I felt it was a chance to give back and have others learn from my boneheaded mistakes.
I also wanted to show that if I had not found my Phantom and been able to view the flight video I might be thinking this was a "Fly Away" situation but this was clearly not a "Fly Away" I just didn't know it until I watched the video.
So what exactly were my mistakes and what am I doing different now?
It's a long list, but let's start with the pilot errors first.
Not necessarily in order of importance.
1) Flying too far away. I was unable to see the orientation of the Phantom, I got over confident and did not keep it in sight.
2) I mixed up the "Home Lock" and "Course Lock" position switch. I had switched to "Course Lock" but though I was in "Home Lock"
3) Didn't engage GPS mode. I had been flying in Atti mode and forgot to switch back to GPS Mode.
4) Didn't engage the fail-safe Return to Home feature.
5) Kept doing the same thing but expected some different results (isn't that a definition for insanity?) :shock:
6) I panicked, which didn't allow me to keep a clear head.
7) Flew far beyond my abilities, I was trying to film a cinematic master piece when I really needed much more practice.
I'm sure there are several more mistakes I missed so post away, I won't be insulted.
Since the "Horse Play" flight I have taken several steps to prevent this from happing again.
Not necessarily in order of importance, but sort of.
1) Practice, practice practice.... lots!
2) I've started to prep my flights more like you would for a real airplane or helicopter. I have pre- flight check lists (written out) as well as an emergency check list that I have memorized.
3) Installed the Predator FPV system. No more orientation problems but you can still get you into trouble other ways. I sure love being able to see what I'm filming. Very impressed with the Predator system and their customer support (shameless plug)
4) Attached the Loc8tor tracking device to my Phantom. Not very long range but could help point out which tree you're in or behind. Loc8tor does not rely on cell networks and is very light weight. I use the Loc8tor Lite which was only about $70
http://www.loc8tor.com/
5) Added some highly reflective white tape to various places on the Phantom. While searching at night with a high intensity flash light I must have found every piece of trash in that **** field. With highly reflective tape on the quadcopter you are more likely to see it from a great distance. I used the same stuff you see on the back of semi tractor trailers, very reflective and would stand out in an open field or in some trees when hit with a flash light. Try it sometime it's quite amazing stuff. I bought the Blazer Automotive red and white stickers from Walmart and just used the white parts of the sticker. Honestly this might make it easier to search for in the dark than in the daylight.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Blazer-2-x-18-Reflective-Tape-4pk/16880523
6) Put your phone number along with a "Reward If Found" message on your Phantom somewhere. Hey as a last resort you might just get it back.
There's got to be some other great ideas out there so please share them.