Dumb Cacher Tricks....hehehehe

[+The Canning Clan]

a friend of mine that I introduced to caching came to see me this morning and we started talking about a particular cache that he couldn't find. Well turns out he found it after all.....and tossed it aside!!!! The container is well camoflaged as a birch log. (really a PB jar wrapped in birch rind with wood slabs glued to both ends) He found the log and it being in the way of his hunt he tossed it aside. I laughed myself right out of my chair.

He'll be making a trip back in tonight I'm sure.

Couldn't resist telling the world about this one

[+sept1c_tank]

While caching with a friend who is very talented at thinking out of the box, I discovered a cache hidden in a birdhouse. I backed off and let him search for twenty or thirty minutes before he leaned against the tree suporting the birdhouse and indicated he was spent. Only then did I tell him he was very warm so he looked at the birdhouse and touching it, he said they wouldn't put it in here would they (he is a birder, too)?

 

Only a few days later we were caching again and this time he found the cache (a different one) before me. So I looked and looked, and finally leaning against a tree, I gave up. The cache was in a hollow log attached realistically to the tree about 6 inches from my head!

[+StarBrand]

I once used a stick to pull back some branches and look under a bush for about 10 mins when the small pill bottle cache slid out of a hollow spot on the stick.

[+geospyder]

I about gave up on one last year and decided since I couldn't find it I'd at least do some CITO. The first soda can I picked up didn't quite feel right. Sure enough it was the cache. A soda can slit in half with the cache container inside. Was I surprised!

[+Team Crinky]

Newer to caching I haven't had a great deal of experience BUT,

Last week while in Orange County,CA I was going to try for a few caches near my hotel. I quickly downloaded a few wp's without looking at the size of the cache. They were listed as traditional.

Leaving the hotel before the sun came up I am scrambling around in the bushes 'looking' for a traditional cache along a bike path (thinking big). I found more dead houseplants that had been launched over the walls than I could have imagined.

It was when I came upon a small fake houseplant that I gave up. Frustrated I left it on the curb along the bikepath and went back to my hotel, showered, and went to work. During the day I discovered my error - Those are MICRO caches Homer!

 

I went back to the spot and looked anew at my fake miniature houselplant still sitting where I left it for all the world to see. I popped off the lid and "well, the rest is history".

 

I vow that I have learned more about critical thinking skills in the last month than in the last 18 years in business.

[+wimseyguy]

I'll fess up to getting my picture taken by the cache owner with the container in my hand while I gently move it to the side to search underneath it. The cache page said it was in plain view and it sure was.

[+ThePropers]

I always liked this DNF log (not mine). Bet you can't guess what the cache was hidden in....

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...59-edfc950348df

[+DocDiTTo]

Yeah, I got burned on a birdhouse hide once too... I looked in it not one but twice, and it was empty. Then my caching buddy walks over to it and pulls off the velcro'd on false bottom....

 

I hate when that happens.

 

But I did get even later in the day though, as we were hunting a magnetic nano cache hidden on a canon in a park. I found it almost immediately, then stuck it right on top of the end of the cannon barrel, like an iron sight. Same buddy walked right past it, and was only clued in when I started chuckling. Still took him a few seconds to realize where the cache was.

[+srt4guy]

I always liked this DNF log (not mine). Bet you can't guess what the cache was hidden in....

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...59-edfc950348df

way to funny, i'm still laughing.

Thanks, Tim

[+altosaxplayer]

On our trip to Chattanooga, we looked and looked for a VERY well hidden cache. I found the cache, stuffed it in my pocket and played it off. Everyone else looked for about 10 minutes. I had signed the log without them noticing, and replaced the cache. I said, "Okay lets go." They wondered why I said that. Thats when I told them that I had already found and signed it. They were so mad at me!

[+boda]

Had a similar experience. I found the cache on the ground between two bushes. I picked it up and logged it while my three companions carefully excused themselves as they bumped me during their intense search.

[+DuncanClan]

Log #1: (DNF)

 

December 31, 2005 by DuncanClan (71 found)

The entire Clan looked and looked, but did not find. I went back solo this evening, until it got too dark. Still no find. I reckon it's just hidden real well and not missing. I'll think on it for a couple of days and...I'll be back for this one!

 

DuncanClan

 

Log #2

 

January 3 by DuncanClan (71 found)

Well, Mrs. DuncanClan and I snuck off for a bit today and finally found this one. My 6 y/o daughter had actually seen it the other day, pointed it out to me. I looked right at it and said, "Nahh, that's not it"...

 

Great location, had a good time tackling this one. TFTH,

DuncanClan

 

 

DC

[+Lighteye]

My own blissfully ignorant find/lost/find story: here.

[+kingsting]

I was looking for a micro in a huge pile of rocks one time. After an hour of hopping around the giant dangerous rocks in the 90 degree heat I finally gave up. On the way out I spotted a rubber snake laying in between some of the smaller rocks. I picked it up and put it in my pocket (Good trade item). I remembered a previous DNF log for the cache where a cacher mentioned finding a rubber snake and scaring his fiance with it. I thought that was amusing and pulled the snake back out of my pocket to see how real it looked. That was when I saw the bison tube in it's mouth....

[+ParrotRobAndCeCe]

I was looking for a micro in a huge pile of rocks one time. After an hour of hopping around the giant dangerous rocks in the 90 degree heat I finally gave up. On the way out I spotted a rubber snake laying in between some of the smaller rocks. I picked it up and put it in my pocket (Good trade item). I remembered a previous DNF log for the cache where a cacher mentioned finding a rubber snake and scaring his fiance with it. I thought that was amusing and pulled the snake back out of my pocket to see how real it looked. That was when I saw the bison tube in it's mouth....

At least that's better than finding the bison tube when you were about to place your new trade item in an ammo can four counties away

[PCFrog]

This past Saturday I had my 1st blunder. Looking for a micro at a park I cam across a magnet (1/4” cylinder). I looked at the poor thing and told my wife I found the magnet that was probably holding the micro in place. I put the magnet in my coat pocket as continued to search for a micro out of place since it magnet was broken off. After a few minutes I gave up and was going to call off the hunt when I decided to check past logs on the PDA to see what last person said.

 

“Found this cache while on a visit to the area. Sorry, but I just do not care for this small a cache.”

 

Bing…The light went off and I realized I stuffed the cache in my coat. Oh how close I was to actually logging a DNF and telling the owner I only found a magnet.

[+Sonoran Privateers]

I was about to leap from the bridge I was standing upon out of shear frustration. The cache was a micro and GPS'd right to the middle of the bridge, on the pedestrian walk way. I had been there, searching..on the bridge, under the bridge...floating in the air above the bridge..I didn't know, for over an hour. Finally, exasperated I was just leaning on the rail, staring down at the dry wash beneath. I looked to my left and right and noticed that all the support beams for the hand rail had two bolds securing them to the concrete....all except one..it had three. I reached down, and pulled the magnetic, fake bolt off the beam.

 

A very clever hide...or I bad brain day for me...I'll let the jury decide.

[+ThePropers]

I was looking for a micro in a huge pile of rocks one time. After an hour of hopping around the giant dangerous rocks in the 90 degree heat I finally gave up. On the way out I spotted a rubber snake laying in between some of the smaller rocks. I picked it up and put it in my pocket (Good trade item). I remembered a previous DNF log for the cache where a cacher mentioned finding a rubber snake and scaring his fiance with it. I thought that was amusing and pulled the snake back out of my pocket to see how real it looked. That was when I saw the bison tube in it's mouth....

That's exactly the cache I was referring to above. Silly MurGPS. I've never met him, but I'll make fun of him if I ever do.

 

I saw the DNF pop up and thought it was hilarious, because I had just found it a few days before.

[Team Firebird]

When I was cache hunting, I stepped o one, slipped, and fell 10 feet into a muddy ditch. I thought that it was a rock, and I slipped on it again. People need to put that no slip tape on their caches...

[+Coastiegirl04]

When i was up at a event "Up Nord" WI, a big group of us were caching, we were doing the temps caches, and there was this one very evil nano cache.. It was the 1" long, as skinny as a pencil, it was on a riverside at a dam, We had to of search for 15 min to 30mins looking for this cache, it was going to be the last one before dinner, so we were standing there at GZ completely at a lost, trying to find the DuFu number(she helded the event) so she could possible give us a clue, well i was standing there listening to them, when something just happen to catch the courner of my eye, i look over and there was the cache attached to a leaf branch with a zip tie... my jaw dropped and i squeaked out "found it" they all turned and stared at me like i was nuts... and i just pointed at it, and they all walked over and just stared.. we were all so surprise, cuz none of us would of thought it would of been that small. that was amazing, i would love to be that evil sometime... i just might do that too! hehehe

[+hikerbiker...]

And what might be the cache here?

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...ca-4dcfa39b9678

[+DocDiTTo]

Ok, another one... I was out caching with 2 friends and we were looking for stage 1 of a multi cache, which was hidden in an old foundation out in the woods. We're going over every crack and crevice, and we find an old rubber dinosaur. Looked it over, saw nothing, tossed it aside and kept searching. Fast forward 15 minutes later when we're about at wits end, and I pick up the dinosaur again to examine it closer. Sure enough on its butt were some very faded, almost invisible coordinates....

[+T-bone's Team]

My Log:

 

What a GREAT day!!

My friend and I decided that the rain break was the perfect time to go caching with his son (9) and my daughter Maddawg (10). I had been wanting to get back up here since I went Sunday driving here in the summer of '04.

 

I Google Earthed the site before heading off to see what else was nearby and to get a better pic of the BLM roads. Printed the pics and off we went....

 

After we parked, 'ole Yeller pointed off down the hill about 500'. Seemed simple enough...dense foliage, steep hill, two kids, briars, holes....p'shaw! (Coincidentally, I procurred 'Ole Yeller from Odder in a trade for an old civil defense geiger counter.)

 

After arrving at a particularly steep point, we had the kiddo's sit tight whilst we manly adults trotted off toward the cache. Now was it 200' this way?? No, it's 180' that way! What a site. On we trudge...no longer trotting. We finally had pretty consistent readings pointing back up the hill....more briars, more mud, more fun! Right?!?!

 

I was feeling great, and Grab of Sky was just a little ahead of me when suddenly I was reminded why it is a good idea to carry water, and have a decent breakfast before heading into the outback. I was dehydrated! Never ever in my life had I let myself get to this point....I was dry heaving and had nothing to offer. A little blurry vision ... no big deal.

 

Now I hear gunshots!! Crap....someone is down the ridge target practicing, I can't get going, Grab of Sky has gone on to find the cache (with my blessing), and I have two kids sitting by a stump waiting patiently as a young war is breaking out with Billy Bob and his pea shooter up on the ridge. He was actually pretty far away, but you know....

 

Finally, Grabs yells out that he has it......and that a road is about 40 feet away!!

 

Now how many times must I do this to learn?!?!? Drive further than you think you have to, to see if you can get closer to the cache than a briared over, steep, wet, muddy, fallen tree covered, non-existent trail!!!! Beat me about the neck and shoulders please!

 

When he mentioned the road, I cheated and went straight uphill to the kiddo's, and waited for him to return. We then hopped into the Jeep drove around the bend and Voila! There it is. :-) 50 feet from the road!

 

We took the kids all the way this time, and it was easy peasy. However it was no 5 gallon bucket, but what looked like a vitamin supplement jug from GNC. It had been shot several times and was soaked. I could not sign the log.

 

The kids trade something dry for something wet, and off we went to an even bigger mess :-) See our log for Meadow Medley if you want to know.

 

In the mean time....Thanks Odder for the hide, and I agree....this is a great area for caching!

[+ThePropers]

I thought of another good story. This new cacher sent me an email awhile ago and wanted some help getting started. Seems she had been to the local WalMart 3 times looking for a cache and had no luck. I told her I could meet her there and kindof walk her through finding her first cache.

 

Anyways, I get there, and she's wandering around aimlessly in the lot holding the GPS in one hand and the cache printout in the other. I walk over, introduce myself and ask her to show me how she was trying to find the cache.

 

Turns out she didn't have the coords in her GPS and was just walking around trying to get the numbers on the GPS to line up with the cache printout.

 

Ok, maybe it's not that funny, but I quickly showed her how to enter a waypoint and then "follow the arrow" to the cache rather than walk around in circles trying to get numbers to line up.

 

On the plus side, she was all excited when it turned out to be under a lampost skirt. Ahhhh, I remember my first lampost skirt find and how cool I thought it was.

 

Memmmories.

[+Smilodon]

Mine was in NC, out with my 8 year old. The urban cache was right in a parking lot. We waited out the muggles to go over and look. All I could find was an orange zip tie where the cache MUST have been. I log a DNF and send the owner a note that his cache must be gone because all I could find was a zip tie. He mails back to please edit my log, the zip tie IS the cache. Tiny, tiny writing on a zip tie....

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I recall posting this somewhere else with a laugh... I was hell bent on finding a cache in the snow. So I'm being trying to be smooth and avoid the muggles. I'm looking and looking and looking and now it's getting dark. So I go back in the morning this time and I'm looking... looking... no luck. So I start checking all the places I checked the first time but no go. As I'm about to give up, I kneel down to replace the rock I'm holding in my hand I notice a depression where it sat where I small cache might have once been hiding. Too bad I'm thinking as I go to put it back and suddenly see the cache hot-glued to the bottom of the rock! Doooh!

[+medic208]

Mine was in NC, out with my 8 year old. The urban cache was right in a parking lot. We waited out the muggles to go over and look. All I could find was an orange zip tie where the cache MUST have been. I log a DNF and send the owner a note that his cache must be gone because all I could find was a zip tie. He mails back to please edit my log, the zip tie IS the cache. Tiny, tiny writing on a zip tie....

Hmmmmmm... I bet I know who hid that cache... I had a funny look the first time i saw that method too.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Closest I came was with my first nano. But the logs all said it was tiny.

But, a geocaching reltive of mine was searching, and searching, and only found a pine cone. Tossed that aside, and continued searching. Cache owner asked him to put the pine cone cache back where it belonged.