Haven't read the responses but the title sounds like it could be a song title "lost my pick in the soundhole"

Hmmm

Try turning dulcimer over (strings facing your legs-assuming you are seated) and giving it a couple of shakes. You may hear the pick fall from base to top. Return to usual position and jiggle the darned thing to try to move pick someplace where it could be seen . A small flashlight or bright light is necessary. Then try the varied retrieval tools which have been shared by those of us who have also dropped our picks...

Monday morning here. Have you retrieved your pick yet?

By the way, what is the allure of the V picks?

I too use the tape on the end of a pencil. Just like Joe said, ". . . works like a charm."

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Psychology!

Funny remarks in the answers means everybody feel him/herself silly when it happens. Just like being angry with myself when cutting my fingers during cooking.

tape on the end of a pencil works like a charm. iv'e used it for years. once the evil forces realize they no longer irritate you the problem stops :)

It happens to the best of us. Just tell people it's a rattlesnake rattle given to you by a blind shaman when you played a rendition of Shady Grove that cured him of gout during the blizzard of '78. Hey, it's a better story than "I dropped my pick."

A knitting needle with some chewing gum?

(When the dulciner when moved makes a rattling sound: it's made by balls of hard chewing gum)

Playing the guitar it happened a lot to me, but not anymore. One is able to grow over it...

About loosing picks, in my case placing them on hidden spots in the house. I bought a 72 pieces bag, which makes them much more cheaper. I thought I had enough for the next two years. Wrong! I found them againover time, so the bag has a stable amout of 63 picksover theyears!

There is such a tool - a long handled hemostat. Use tiny flashlight to locate the blasted pick and shake pick until it is under a sound hole. Use hemostat. Viola, the errant has returned.