Matt_B_Good

What campgrounds, where? Lots of assumptions you are making...... That is not an assumption it is an observation of the caches I have done around campgrounds. Also I used the phrase seems to be that way.

Have you never been to Wisconsin? There are many swamps in Wisconsin. Nothing huge like the everglades and the cold winters keeps the alligators away. Still plenty of frogs in spring though. Forgetting to swap is a little different than intentionally just taking stuff like some seem to. I wonder if it is always people that are registered users of the site that just take stuff? From what I have seen tourist areas seem to be the worst for just taking stuff. Ever find any caches around a campground? I never saw any good trade items in them.

20 feet is not considered off. It would be nice if everyone was dead on but unless it is more than 30 feet off it is still close enough to count. Unless you feel it is off for reasons such as getting around the 528 feet from another cache guideline or some other type of deliberate deceiving going on. Then again your GPS device could be faulting. Do you have more than one to test it out or a friend's you can test it on? They are not perfect. I use a Garmin 205 a friend of mine I go caching with uses an older model Magellan. Sometimes mine gets it closer and sometimes his. Sometimes they both lead us correctly and a few but rarely we are both off. My theory is it makes a difference the type of GPS unit used for the hide. The person hiding these probably has a different unit than you do.

I try to live by the mantra "Be the kind of cacher you want other to be". I don't usually trade, but I frequently will leave an item or two without taking anything if the cache is sparse. How wheels, arrowheads, key chains, carabiners, playing cards, flashlights... you know, that kind of thing. You get an A+ in my book.

Absolutely! I know when I prep for a challenging cache, I tend to bring my best swag to leave. Judging by what I've found in my difficult hides, others have similar ideas. I think it has more to do with the mentality of those folks who specifically target P&Gs. The regular sized P&Gs around here suffer the same fate as the ones up there. Try this as a test: Hide a regular with standard swag in Wisconsin. Make it at least a 2 mile hike through a swamp. Go back in a couple years and see how your swag fares. This is the kind of advice I am looking for. I am planning a difficulty 4.5 terrain 3-3.5 Three stage multi stage cache. It is a walk through a swamp but not 2 miles more like a Half mile to mile walk depending on the route taken. It will be on private land and contain a sheet stating site policy on swag and TB and the value will be stated on the items. That way at least if someone trades down or simply takes and leaves nothing I know they did it fully intentionally. They will not be able blame it on ignorance. I'm hoping I can get at least one cache to stay they way it was intended to be. If the thing just gets muggled I am not going to restock it though. I do intend on checking the cache often though to see how it is doing but mostly to see that it is where I left it.

Your in Florida. 90% of the population is old people and their parents. In all seriousness though from what I have observed the largest grabbers of Swag are children under 16. The cache that was reduced to two small items is near where many children that age are near and it is a park and grab. I have simply decided to let it be as is. I am not going to restock it. There are cachers who leave things and don't take anything. it is not really fair to them either but they choose to do it and from what I find are usually of retirement age and just feel good about contributing. That is great that they do that but if more people followed the guidelines what they left would stay longer and better. So with these things combined it makes sense that Florida caches are better swag wise than say up here in Northeast Wisconsin. I am not planning to plant a bunch of micros. My caches tend to be smalls. I am planning a regular and large. I am planning one Micro but it is on the larger side and don't have much choice either the micro or nothing. For the most part I plan on having it be just the container and the logbook and maybe some real cheap items. That way if people want to leave something they can but at least it won't erode so badly.

I understand your frustration, but believe me, it's everywhere. I'm not the oldest of the old school (but pretty old), and it was happening when most caches were regulars in the woods. TWU's theorem: The longer a cache sits in the woods, the more the value of it's contents approach zero. and when you factor in distance to a populated area and population size,the speed to Ø increases. Matt_B_Good, Mind if I ask your age? You first

How disappointing to learn about this. I first noticed this happening it the caches around areas where people camp. It is just plain dirty pool to just take things and leave nothing especially how it gets depleted so very fast. Swag is not my biggest concern. I rarely trade but when I do it is always according to guidelines. It is a dirty shame so many don't.

I checked one of my caches today. Now the swag was nothing big just a few cheap things but we left 4 or 5 small things. there were only 2 of them left. I'm not going to replace those things, sooner or later I guess it will just be the log. The items were not worth much at all but gee you think they could have left something in place of what they took. Is this just by me or is this everywhere people do this? There were only 5 logs on this cache. Kind of takes the joy out of it a little. I know, there is nothing I can do about it but considering that people just simply take stuff I'm leaning more and more toward making my future hides just a container and logbook. It is just not worth it if the swag gets reduced so quickly. I'm starting to understand why there are so many micros out there.

Maybe the bomb squad should start checking the site before blowing up random stuff?

I don't see an issue but the reviewer decides and I am not a reviewer. Get permission from the museum manager or if the case be owner and state that you do have permission. As long as it is outside and no money is required to be spent and is not in essence an ad for the museum it should be accepted. I have found caches in many business parking lots and the like. While it does bring them more business people can look for and find the cache without spending one red cent. Just don't call the cache Come on into the Museum

It is a challenge to figure out where the line is when it comes to the Oneida nation of Wisconsin. it kind of blends in with the rest of Green Bay. You have to look for tell tale signs such as fire numbers and places that allow casino style gambling. I think a number of the Green bay area caches are on the Reservation but likely placed by tribal members. I know specifically two caches that are on reservation land and the owners are not tribal members. The others....I'm not sure. As for where the tribal land is and is not - it's confusing . Our one cache if looked at from a distance on map shows it to be on tribal land, but is in a park where the land is owned by the city not the tribe. As for having a Walmart on the tribal land - nope. I got the in for the event as it was going to highlight the tribal history and contributions and I was working through govt channels. It wouldn't hurt to approach them and see if they have changed they mind. There are some beautiful areas and some great history to showcase if it would be allowed. The Walmart west in Green Bay is on the Oneida reservation. People of the tribe can use a tax exempt card there. I talked with someone of the Menominee tribe. he said the reason it is so hard to get something like a physical Geocache placed there is that it falls under on of those issues that need the approval of the tribal council. All nine members of the council have to agree to it. If even one says no the answer is no. I am not going to even try. I will try and get one published very close to the line though. I have two spots in mind both are in Oconto county and you can see the reservation from them. I just need to get out there and do it. It might be awhile. I decided to still do the coin but change the goal just a tad to either visit or get as close as it can to those nations. If you would be as kind as to private message me some caches that are at least the size of a film canister that I can find I would appreciate it. Thanks

It is a challenge to figure out where the line is when it comes to the Oneida nation of Wisconsin. it kind of blends in with the rest of Green Bay. You have to look for tell tale signs such as fire numbers and places that allow casino style gambling. I think a number of the Green bay area caches are on the Reservation but likely placed by tribal members.

I have to admit when it comes to the terms your using I am a bit ignorant of their meaning. First Nations? band? Council? The last one I kind of think I know what your talking about. I'm not even sure HOW to get ahold of the tribal council? Oh boy, I might have to scratch this idea. The main reason I would like to place a cache on the Reservation other than because there are so few there is I would like to start a geocoin in a cache on that Reservation with the goal of visiting as many reservations or as I intend to put it native nations as possible. Kind of a way to recognize these nations within a nation. I guess what I am looking for is advice from those of you who have caches placed on Reservations especially those who are not of the tribe and were still able to get a cache published that was located on a Reservation. I want to know what steps you took to get it published besides the obvious normal stuff. I think the best advice on this thread was to ask those who placed caches on this same Reservation. There are so few caches on this reservation and the geocache maps do not show where the borders are. It is hard for me to tell for certain if any caches are on this particular Reservation with the exception of a virtual cache located at rock that is sacred to many of that nation. Some of caches from the Wisconsin Spirit quest series I think are on the Reservation but not much else. Sorry to confuse you Matt, just using the terms used in Canada. First Nations = Native Peoples. Band = Tribe. Council = same as in your town and mine. Go to the reservation and ask to be shown to the Band/Tribe Office and someone will help you. I would love to learn more about the First Nations, and I am lucky in that we can ask those questions of the band members from the reservation near us. Oh yes the subtle differences between American and Canadian English. It seems that caching on Reservations is a more touchy issue than I thought. Seems like it can be done but it is just a real pain in the rear end and will likely not get approved unless you are actually of that particular tribe. I think there are 7 Nations within the state of Wisconsin itself it looks like it takes alot of effort to get caches placed there so I guess I will scratch my idea of getting a geocoin to travel to them at least for now. Perhaps as the years go by there will be more caches on Reservations most likely placed by members of the tribe but for now the idea just won't work out. One reservation near me and Astro D team has a Walmart on it. So does the largest Navaho Reservation out in the western United States where the native language is still widely spoken. You would think placing geocaches would be a breeze.

Ticks sure but don't mistake wood ticks that are almost harmless for deer ticks. The species are very different and only the deer ticks carry Lyme's disease. Here is how you tell Wood ticks are brown and are usually pretty big and also very common. Deer ticks are little red things that look like they are from the bowels of hell. (if it existed) I see Wood ticks all the time. I have only seen a deer tick to times in my entire life. There is info at many doctors and online references to back up what I am saying just google deer tick and wood tick. I do feel your paranoid. I am cautious of Lyme's disease but do not worry about it. The chances of dying from it are slim. It is a valid fear but you don't want to dwell on it. Don't let it take more joy out of your life than it has to. If a deer tick does bite you though head straight for the hospital. Don't chance it. If all else don't go for caches in the woods.

You don't have to put anything in there for a FTF prize. All that is required it a container and a log. I plan on doing that for most of my caches from now on or maybe some real cheap swag items worth almost nothing. As far as the ones that do have FTF prizes I have seen caches that had everything from a quarter to a $50.00 bill. So if you choose to have a FTF prize it can be anything. I am planning one cache that is kind of hard to find with a FTF prize being the choice of one of the trade items trade free. I will be loading it with $20-$50 worth of trade items with a paper stating the site policy on trade items and stating the value on each item with a paper stating that value. That way there is no guessing what value of an item I expected traded for that item. It will be in a rather secure area since it will be on private land but if the quality of swag still erodes after all that I will not be replenishing it.

It gets better as time goes on but yes there is still a good level of animosity between native and non native peoples. For the most part it seems everyone gets along. Some people though and this is on both sides still have a high amount of animosity toward the other. I find this odd considering every single person of this particular tribe has a European ancestor and many people considered non native have a native ancestor and yes I have relatives that are of Native American decent. Anyway, about the cache I took a look again to see if there are any caches on the Reservation near me. There are a few where I can't tell because they are kind of near the line but only one for certain however it is a virtual. The owner of the cache does appear to be Native American. I sent him a message asking about it. I told him about the Geocoin I would like to start off. I may just have to wait until a member of the tribe gets one published. Geocaching is still relatively new so it just might take time.

I have to admit when it comes to the terms your using I am a bit ignorant of their meaning. First Nations? band? Council? The last one I kind of think I know what your talking about. I'm not even sure HOW to get ahold of the tribal council? Oh boy, I might have to scratch this idea. The main reason I would like to place a cache on the Reservation other than because there are so few there is I would like to start a geocoin in a cache on that Reservation with the goal of visiting as many reservations or as I intend to put it native nations as possible. Kind of a way to recognize these nations within a nation. I guess what I am looking for is advice from those of you who have caches placed on Reservations especially those who are not of the tribe and were still able to get a cache published that was located on a Reservation. I want to know what steps you took to get it published besides the obvious normal stuff. I think the best advice on this thread was to ask those who placed caches on this same Reservation. There are so few caches on this reservation and the geocache maps do not show where the borders are. It is hard for me to tell for certain if any caches are on this particular Reservation with the exception of a virtual cache located at rock that is sacred to many of that nation. Some of caches from the Wisconsin Spirit quest series I think are on the Reservation but not much else.

It's like anywhere else. Permission where needed. On a reservation the land is normally owned by a person or business who in turn can give permission for a cache. Some land is owned by the tribal government same as some land is owned by city, state, county, federal governments. Nothing changes on who you to go for permission. It's who ownes (or controls via a lease etc.) the ground. Some tribes choose to be politically hostile. Those tribes may impose an access fee for non members, wishing to be on the reservation without any particular reason. That's got nothing to do with you getting permission to place a cache. However you may be subject to it in order to wander about and place the cache yourself. No offense but I'm not sure that information is correct? Do you know this? Are you of a tribe or at least real familiar with the government structure? It does get a bit complicated. I'm not saying your wrong I'm just saying it doesn't sound right to me. I have been on several reservation lands and was never charged for it. Marinette county WI on the other hand they charge you an absorbent fee of $5.00 to park your car at the county park. Sure I've paid as high as $30.00 in Hollywood but parking was scarce. This county is not a reservation.

Which of your cache hides are on reservation lands? As of yet none. I am not Native American but I live less than a mile from a reservation. There are some pretty strange laws when you start talking treaties and compacts and the like they made with the United States. Certain things such as hunt and fish you can only do on tribal land if you are part of the tribe.

I live near a Native Nation. I want to place a cache there but I'm not sure how to place one that gets published. The tribe owns all the land. Would I have to write the tribal councel and if so how would I ask in a way that they know what i am talking about? I'm just not sure how to go about this? There are caches on reservations but they are far and few between.

I'm curious if you just dropped the bug in the cache or if you put a note with it stating one that it was not a trade item and two the mission. I do this in hopes it will reduce the number that come up missing. I see some that contain such a message but more that do not.

All you can do is wait and hope for the best. They said they would place it out again that makes it hopeful. Unfortunately some people don't understand how to treat them and yes they get lost and stolen. Some people think they are trade items. That is why I am putting a note with each one of mine in hopes it will better the chance of it not disappearing.

Has anyone here ever found an unpublished cache while doing a hide. I'm sure it happens. Hasn't to me yet but you could go to do a hide and maybe stumble across somebody's second stage or mystery cache or one they had just placed. I did meet up with an archived cache during an event. Funny thing was the same user that hid the archived one hid the new one and never came to remove the old one. Sad.