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Cache Maggots

rjw661

By rjw661
in General geocaching topics

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rjw661

+rjw661

Posted
Posted

Since around September there have been at least 17 caches just north of Rome, N.Y. go missing. Some have been replaced just to go missing again. Cache waypoint GCT1QV was replaced this Sunday only to be taken again. Does anyone have any thoughts on what can be done to stop this?

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bogleman

bogleman

Posted
Posted

Mabye the caches are being stumbled upon? A 1x1 cache is almost hidden out in the open - these tend to go missing more often. Are the other caches similar (easy to find)? If so I would think that non-players came across them and threw them out or moved them to an unknown location.

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rjw661

+rjw661

Posted
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Posted

Mabye the caches are being stumbled upon?

One or two I would say maybe but several have been well hidden and off the main path where only someone looking for it would go. Besides myself the others who have lost caches in this area include Gulliver's Crew, DNNSGPS, kenpski, MacPhd, Metaphor and GreytSilly.

The 1/1 rating on GreytSilly's cache is low it should have been higher. It was 100 ft. off the trail hidden in a boll of a tree.

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The Leprechauns

+The Leprechauns

Posted
Posted

If you do have a cache pirate in your area, the best thing to do is IGNORE them. They desire attention and are looking to upset people. Wait a month or so, then quietly replace the caches, maybe with a cheap container and not much swag.

 

I know it sucks to lose caches, and I am very sorry to hear about this. But, the game has seen cache maggots before and it will see them again, and somehow the game survives. Eventually the maggot will get bored and go find something else to do, since he isn't getting the response he was craving.

 

Odds are good that the cache maggot is scanning the forums looking for this thread. Consider letting it slide down the page into oblivion. The maggot doesn't deserve the attention.

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bogleman

bogleman

Posted
Posted

OK, sounds like someone is going out of their way to FIND these caches. It would be very hard to track them down. You could start by looking at all the caches and their location in relationship to each other (is this in a specific area?) Look at the dates they were placed (new-V- old), specific placement (placed by you or others - well hidden or normal geo cover), date when first suspected missing (several finds then nothing until the first note/DNF), look at who found them and what they ALSO found around the cache(s) on the same date(s). If they are a regular and have a beef with the cache or owners you may find a pattern or some info to play with. If they are not a regular or do not log their finds then you will have a hard time dealing with them. I have had one of mine walk away and I replaced it, two is my limit for a location after that it's time for a new spot.

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Robespierre

+Robespierre

Posted
Posted

The first thing: don't take this personally and get upset.

 

-I had to change some around to make them harder to get at, and that was after two years with little problem. It happens. Let it rest on temp disable for a bit and make some adjustments which you think will help, and try again. That being said............ some cache placements are just a muggling waiting to happen, so re-think your placements.

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BadAndy

+BadAndy

Posted
Posted

Restricting the activity of cache stealing to premium members only. Now there's a really great idea that I quite frankly would never have considered. Thank you. :anicute:

 

By making it members only, you at least have the advantage of seeing who looked at the page before it went missing. You may be able to deduce the username of the maggot after enough caches are stolen, especially in a small community.

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The Leprechauns

+The Leprechauns

Posted
Posted

Restricting the activity of cache stealing to premium members only. Now there's a really great idea that I quite frankly would never have considered. Thank you. :cool:

 

By making it members only, you at least have the advantage of seeing who looked at the page before it went missing. You may be able to deduce the username of the maggot after enough caches are stolen, especially in a small community.

I only steal members-only caches based on reading the cache info. offline through pocket queries. I never actually go to the cache page. I'm a *smart* maggot. :anicute:

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BadAndy

+BadAndy

Posted
Posted

Restricting the activity of cache stealing to premium members only. Now there's a really great idea that I quite frankly would never have considered. Thank you. :cool:

 

By making it members only, you at least have the advantage of seeing who looked at the page before it went missing. You may be able to deduce the username of the maggot after enough caches are stolen, especially in a small community.

I only steal members-only caches based on reading the cache info. offline through pocket queries. I never actually go to the cache page. I'm a *smart* maggot. :anicute:

Most maggots are'nt that smart. You seem to be an exceptionally smart maggot. Maybe you can also share how a non paying member can bypass the members only feature to view and log members only caches?

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lensgrabber

+lensgrabber

Posted
Posted

Maybe making them Premium Mem,bers only cache. that way they have to pay to steal caches :D

 

Agreed. This is really the only thing you can do for now. If the members only caches start

being infested then you really have a problem. A hunter digicam as suggested already might

be a way to post the maggot's picture so the world can see. ;) maybe

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Airmapper

+Airmapper

Posted
Posted

Maybe making them Premium Mem,bers only cache. that way they have to pay to steal caches :D

 

Agreed. This is really the only thing you can do for now. If the members only caches start

being infested then you really have a problem. A hunter digicam as suggested already might

be a way to post the maggot's picture so the world can see. ;) maybe

 

Ahh the fame, to be a bad boy and get your photo on the internet. I think that would qualify as what the maggot probably wants from the whole deal. MOC caches are not all that secure, you can easily get a set of coords by playing with the cache search coordinates. Heck, you can even post logs to the page by manipulating the URL.

 

Granted, the maggot may not go to the trouble, but then again, if they are stealing area caches, and they start going MOC, it might be a new challenge.

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rjw661

+rjw661

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

I know that a couple of the effected cachers are planning on using a game camera to try to catch this guy. This has all been going on since September and with the new changes they would have to be registered to find the coordinates. The fact that they've come back and remuggled some caches a second time make me wonder if they didn't put those caches on a watchlist.

Gulliver's Crew's cache "O' Tannenbaum, O' Tannenbaum" not only did they take the cache box both time but also a six ft. fake Christmas tree.

Thanks for all the advice folks. Sooner or later this loser will be caught. I ran into my first fellow cacher back in 02 and I only did a little over 30 caches that year. Concidering how many more people are doing this now the maggot will screw up.

We won't give up!!!

Edited by rjw661
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Metaphor

+Metaphor

Posted
Posted

Gulliver's Crew's cache "O' Tannenbaum, O' Tannenbaum" not only did they take the cache box both time but also a six ft. fake Christmas tree.

 

That's too bad about Oh Tannenbaum. Not only did they steal a cool cache, but inside the cache was a Travel Bug from a little girl in England that I left on my visit in August.

 

As one whose cache was affected (my cache was definitely not one that could be stumbled upon), I'm not sure what knowing who is doing it will do -- there really aren't many options that can be enacted on the perpetrator.

 

I guess, at best, I'll feel sorry for someone with such a limited view of life. It's sad that someone would go to the expense of driving around to find caches to steal, getting a thrill out of knowing that he is ruining the next guy's fun-- but as pathetic as it is, this person is just craving attention and it won't matter if it is negative or positive attention.

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nfa

+nfa

Posted
Posted

dig a tiger trap...note the coords

 

list a new cache using those coords

 

visit your new cache every few days, and ask anyone caught in the pit if they're a cache maggot

 

release those who say they are not...

 

 

 

 

or...ignore them, they'll get bored in a month or two, and you can start caching again.

 

Jamie

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Little Horns

+Little Horns

Posted
Posted

I also live in this area and me and the kids are getting very discouraged. I recently went out of state and it was nice to go out and actualy find a cache. I dont think that this problem is going to go away anytime soon. The person responsible has been at it for a wile. I actually came to the forum to find out how to deal with this problem and I see it has already beeing discused. The problem is if we catch the person what can we do about it? I dont think you can prosecute a person for taking a cache. I plan on getting together with GreytSilly and maybe come up with a way to solve the problem. I am very concerned about travel bugs. If you bring one into the area there is a very good chance it will be stolen. I picked one up in CT that has logged a ton of miles and now I am debating sending it to my sister and have her place it where she lives. It real stinks that someone has to ruin something like this... Little Horns.

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