Bluehook

I don’t know how to completely prevent it but I think it can be drastically reduced if hiders use a little common sense. I also realize that common sense ain’t common to everyone and cannot be mandated… Some hiders, especially new hiders or those who lack the mental capacity of forethought, need to realize the ramifications of placing a cache with crappy hints and/or inaccurate coordinates. They need to know that these 2 components are gong to be significant ingredients in protecting “fragile” areas contiguous to any cache hide. New hiders or those that get bombarded by “inquisitive” emails within days of their cache being posted should have the good judgment to ask other, more experienced cachers for help. From my experience, there are many here that would gladly help a newbie/distressed cache hider. We’ve probably all done it: useless hints with ambiguous wording like, “near the big rock,” or “by a large tree.” In the excited-tunnel-vision of a first hide we perceive our clues to be oh-so-clever but in reality they’re just-plain-stupid. I have seen far too many “torn up” areas surrounding caches that were poorly written up by the hider. It is no coincidence that ALL of these caches had inaccurate coords and/or useless hints. This is undoubtedly hurting the game. Devoid of an eyewitness, it can’t be assumed that all of this damage was done by active gc.com members: when a cache is hidden and “broadcast” on the internet for all the world to see, the pool of possible perpetrators is boundless. That’s why (IMO) the burden of responsibility falls precisely back to the cache hider.

I was at this cache site last night as well and immediately emailed Saylor in reference to the damage. I was happy to see that he responded quickly, however, I do not believe that he has remedied the situation. JR is absolutely correct; this damage was not (in any way) caused by nature. Although, I disagree with JR’s OP when he states he doesn’t blame the hider for this destruction. This damage is the DIRECT result of Saylor’s thoughtless placement and/or not taking the time to provide either accurate coordinates and/or quality encrypted hints. Renegade Knight hit the nail right on the head in his post: “When people place a cache it's their responsibility to keep in mind the morons who use brute force to look instead of their brains. If you don't factor it in, you will get results exactly like you have seen.” Saylor’s remedy was to provide a diagram. The diagram is useless. It is merely a map of the damaged area and does nothing assist future seekers in any way. This cache needs to be archived until such time as the hider can provide both accurate coordinates AND a proper/revealing hint.

On the other hand, I have found far too many caches where a 70-foot radius surrounding the container has been completely tossed or turned over by previous seekers. The entire area looks as if it had been raked by the Yankees infield ground crew. This phenomenon could easily create a huge problem (if it hasn’t already) for the game of geocaching from irritated land managers or various local “tree-hugger” establishments. From my experience the reason is because the hider has posted bad clues, inaccurate coordinates or in many cases, both. It has been debated in the forums before, but for my money, the easiest solution would be to require quality/revealing encrypted hints. The players that like to “rummage” could carefully do so and the ones that don’t like to (which I suspect is the silent majority) could decrypt and go right to the box. Hiders should at least be aware that cache areas can be “damaged” due to their negligence.

Yeah, really Johnny, there's no need. I think you are a EDIT and a giant EDIT as well for name-calling in the forums. Your behavior only proves the fact that you are a colossal EDIT. Moderator note: Edited for cleanliness.

Congratulations to that big, fat, bald-headed, shiftless, chicken-hawk, fake republican, no-job-having, living-off-the taxpayer, don’t-know-the-issues, voted-for-the-wrong candidate, soup-stirring, non-conformist b*stard named Johnny Rotten on his slower-than-most, 50th find. Here’s to your next 50, old man.

buff

What? A small-town police department over-reacted to a report of a suspicious package in terrorist-rich, target-heavy, east-central Indiana? Say it ain’t so. These stories are becoming typical whether they involve geocaching or not. The responding officer's discretion (or lack thereof) should be the only thing in question here. In the end the reality is, this “event” is probably advantageous for geocaching. Exposure, good or bad, is still exposure…

kar·ma (kärma) n. 1) The total effect of a person's actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person's existence, regarded as determining the person's destiny. 2) Fate; destiny.

What for? That never worked for you.

Ooooo, scary. Of course, if you “drop a note to the property owner and/or controlling agency,” you had better have the backbone to at least sign your name and supply your address with your whine. If you send it anonymously, it generally isn’t taken seriously by anyone and no action will be taken. And writing the address on the envelope by hand in your own very familiar handwriting, doesn’t help much to keep your efforts clandestine anyway. It’s just a waste of a stamp, or in your case, two stamps. Asinine indeed. Nice try sad man.

I've seen some media on the coming of the cicadas. But, being that there are so many different broods, their emergence has become unsystematic, we experience cicadas every year at this time. Why such a big deal this year? Can anyone fill me in? Is it a particular subspecies or something? Any entomologists here?

Big ups to Helmut and The Crew!

This lazy oaf finally got his big butt off the couch to do something other than pick up his welfare check from the mailbox or wipe jelly off his chin. Keep up the good work JR, before you know it, you’ll break that 300 barrier….pounds that is, ya old, fat F! Good job, I hope you stay with it.

All the best my brother.

Thanks TS and EVERYONE for the well-wishes. It feels good and is much appreciated!

I don't think I've done anything 2500 times.... Congrats Floppy!

dadgum yer smooth, congrats!

Nice Harrald, congrats!

Congrats Tommy!

Of course, if you really “give a hoot” enough to “contact the property owner and/or controlling agency,” you had better have the backbone to at least sign your name and supply your address with your letter. If you send it anonymously, it generally isn’t taken seriously by anyone and no action will be taken. And writing the address on the envelope by hand in your own very familiar handwriting, doesn’t help much to keep your efforts clandestine anyway. It’s just a waste of a stamp, or in your case, two stamps. Nice try sad man.

aaaah, hahahahahaha!!!!!

The geocaching community is, for the most part, a spin-off from the hiking community. The hiking community is notorious in their consistently hypocritical efforts to segregate, exclude and prohibit. It’s no surprise to me that geocaching has now become dismembered and micro-managed by the system operators. The game is now inundated with a bunch of whiny and irritable ogres whose never-ending purpose seems to be forcing their ideologies upon others. I’m coming to realize that hiding a cache and the associated furnishing of relevant information may have a direct correlation to an individual’s intelligence quotient. There are far more stupid cachers today than ever before.

I don't bring a dog but for some reason, my brother is pretty good at sniffing out caches...

I’m not sure what is more out of line - his hysteria about a cache in a tick infested area or your portrayal of geocaching as a high-risk, extremist "sport" restricted to only "outdoors" daredevils?

aahahahaha! That is so cool! How 'bout a tupperware container on your forearm! hahahaha!