Paint Balling

[+gluteusmaximus92]

Recentlyu on the way to a cache, myself and a few friends were ambushed by several local paihntballers believing that we were the enemy. Fortunately, we all managed to dodge all the paint matrix-style, but did get grazed sevral times before the assault stopped. I thought it was pretty funny. Unfortunately, we realized that we were on the wrong side of the lake, so we had to go back through dangerous territory... Has anyone else had a similar experience?

[+jasond]

My partner and I had to walk around a paintball game to find one cache. On our way back, the game had spread out, so we had to cross a creek using a half-fallen tree to avoid getting in the middle of war.

 

The first cache I hid is at a park where paintball is deemed illegal, but it doesn't stop the local teens. I will admit that the park makes an excellent paintball arena though. It's got horse stables and a horse track and is multi-levelled with a couple of walkways and a pressbox. The cache is hidden right under the paintballers' noses, but they haven't found it thus far.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

Recently on the way to a cache, myself and a few friends were ambushed by several local paihntballers believing that we were the enemy. Fortunately, we all managed to dodge all the paint matrix-style, but did get grazed sevral times before the assault stopped. I thought it was pretty funny. Unfortunately, we realized that we were on the wrong side of the lake, so we had to go back through dangerous territory... Has anyone else had a similar experience?

 

My wife and I find that a few rapid rounds of rapid fire from a real firearm, leaving a few real wounds in their limbs, tends to instill great respect into paintballers quickly. As my granddad taught me; paint is for woosies. Likewise, in much the same vein, tossing a few hand grenades at them, or launching a small nuclear tipped surface-to-surface missile at them, often quickly teaches them a few needed lessons about respect. Luckily, in our state, geocachers who are hunting for a cache have the legal right to kill any civilian who attempts to interfere with their mission. Of course, the rights conferred under this law apply only to Premium members of geocaching.com such as ourselves, and not to general members, at least at this point in time.

[+briansnat]

Yep, I found myself in a paintball crossfire while on a cache maint trip. Turns out the kids' grandfather was there watching them (they were about 12) and he called a ceasfire so I could pass.

[+Ed_S]

Of course, the rights conferred under this law apply only to Premium members of geocaching.com such as ourselves, and not to general members, at least at this point in time.

 

Dad-gummit, if anything makes me pay up and become a Premium Member, that'll do it!

 

[+Marcie/Eric]

My wife and I find that a few rapid rounds of rapid fire from a real firearm, leaving a few real wounds in their limbs, tends to instill great respect into paintballers quickly. As my granddad taught me; paint is for woosies. Likewise, in much the same vein, tossing a few hand grenades at them, or launching a small nuclear tipped surface-to-surface missile at them, often quickly teaches them a few needed lessons about respect. Luckily, in our state, geocachers who are hunting for a cache have the legal right to kill any civilian who attempts to interfere with their mission. Of course, the rights conferred under this law apply only to Premium members of geocaching.com such as ourselves, and not to general members, at least at this point in time.

 

[+Team Red Oak]

I'm going to stick up for the paintball crowd here. My boys and husband enjoy the sport, although my husband doesn't go as often as the boys do.

 

We have seen evidence that paintball is played near some of the caches we've found and we will mention it in our logs. Normally the paint evidence is washed away by the first good rain since the paint is biodegradeable. But look for things like old pallets propped up against trees or small logs stacked up in order for someone to hide behind them. If a game is actually being played you should be able to hear the popping of the paintball markers (they don't call them guns). If you suspect you're near a game, just announce yourself so you are not mistaken for a fellow player.

 

Most paintball enthusiasts are respectful of other people when they are out in the woods as are cachers. If you are accidently shot, the paint should wash right off the clothes you are wearing. However, depending on how close you are to the shooter it will sting and possibly leave a welt. None of the clothes I wear while caching out in the woods could be ruined by a little paintball. If by some chance the paint sprays in your mouth it will not harm you. It won't taste good, but it is non toxic.

[+gluteusmaximus92]

I'm going to stick up for the paintball crowd here. My boys and husband enjoy the sport, although my husband doesn't go as often as the boys do.

 

We have seen evidence that paintball is played near some of the caches we've found and we will mention it in our logs. Normally the paint evidence is washed away by the first good rain since the paint is biodegradeable. But look for things like old pallets propped up against trees or small logs stacked up in order for someone to hide behind them. If a game is actually being played you should be able to hear the popping of the paintball markers (they don't call them guns). If you suspect you're near a game, just announce yourself so you are not mistaken for a fellow player.

 

Most paintball enthusiasts are respectful of other people when they are out in the woods as are cachers. If you are accidently shot, the paint should wash right off the clothes you are wearing. However, depending on how close you are to the shooter it will sting and possibly leave a welt. None of the clothes I wear while caching out in the woods could be ruined by a little paintball. If by some chance the paint sprays in your mouth it will not harm you. It won't taste good, but it is non toxic.

 

Oh, i have nothing against is, I just thought it was pretty funny.

[+alexrudd]

One of the caches in our area is in a forest preserve that is pretty obviously a paintballer's hangout. The trees are all covered with colors, and broken picnic tables have been used to make forts. Near the cache itself there are ramps and steps and fallen trees set up for several hideouts.

 

It makes me want to join them.

[+Dgwphotos]

I don't play paintball, but I do play Airsoft. Watch out for Airsoft players! The pellets hurt! At least they don't leave paint messes. There are people who play airsoft around Jenkin Creek park in Covington.

[rcflyeriam]

I also play paintball every now and them. The one thing I have learned, the welts do go away after about 2-3 months. My paintball marker is not as strong as most as I bought it at Walmart for only about $35. I havent thought about taking it with me on my caches, but that might work. Shoot back.

[+SimonC_Here]

You'd have the police after you if you tried doing (playing??) paintball in a public area even the local woods over here.

 

Don't you worry about getting a fast moving pellet in your face? It's not the taste I would be thinking about, rather my eyesight.

 

Simon

[+Dgwphotos]

You'd have the police after you if you tried doing (playing??) paintball in a public area even the local woods over here.

 

Don't you worry about getting a fast moving pellet in your face? It's not the taste I would be thinking about, rather my eyesight.

 

Simon

 

That's why we wear goggles. I had one hit close to my eye once because I was not wearing goggles during a game. I quickly borrowed someones goggles after it happened and the game went on. The normal policy is to always wear goggles but it was a spur of the moment game and I had forgotten to bring them.

Edited April 2, 2006 by Dwoodford

[magellan315]

You'd have the police after you if you tried doing (playing??) paintball in a public area even the local woods over here.

 

Don't you worry about getting a fast moving pellet in your face? It's not the taste I would be thinking about, rather my eyesight.

 

Simon

 

That's why we wear goggles. I had one hit close to my eye once because I was not wearing goggles during a game. I quickly borrowed someones goggles after it happened and the game went on. The normal policy is to always wear goggles but it was a spur of the moment game and I had forgotten to bring them.

 

This is why you should play at a liscensed paintball field. If your going to play in the local woods, state forest ect, there will be other people in the woods and they will not be wearing goggles, if they get hit in the face or especially the eye you could be placing them at risk for permanent injury. A paintball is the same size of an eye socket.

 

The one thing I have learned, the welts do go away after about 2-3 months.

 

Yet another reason to play at a liscensed field. They have chronographs and the guns are not allowed to fire above 275fps. This greatly reduces your risk of getting welts and the ones you get a last a few days, not months.

 

I played and refereed for a local paintball field for a few years. As much as everyone likes to call them paintball markers, they are still a gun since they fire a projectile. Playing out in the woods like some of you have suggested may lead to non-players, who don't have a face mask, getting ambushed by mistake. Which can and will leave you at risk to civil and criminal charges.

Edited April 2, 2006 by magellan315

[+SimonC_Here]

You'd have the police after you if you tried doing (playing??) paintball in a public area even the local woods over here.

 

Don't you worry about getting a fast moving pellet in your face? It's not the taste I would be thinking about, rather my eyesight.

 

Simon

 

That's why we wear goggles. I had one hit close to my eye once because I was not wearing goggles during a game. I quickly borrowed someone's goggles after it happened and the game went on. The normal policy is to always wear goggles but it was a spur of the moment game and I had forgotten to bring them.

 

I've been to a few paint ball games over here, actually going to another one soon, and they always supply you with full masks and goggles, and usually overalls as well.

It was the innocent bystanders/geocachers that I meant. Thinking of the litigiousness of people, I would be worried about being sued.

 

Be careful out there!

 

Simon

[+The red-haired witch]

I have luckily never come across a paintball game while caching (probably because I don't cache much in the middle of the night... which is when illegal paintball games would take place), but I have found lots of signs of recent games (fresh paintballs), in city parks in Ottawa and in Gatineau Park.

 

While I've played paintball quite a bit in the past (I still have my trusty old tracer), I would never play without a good face mask. Playing on public land where their could be innocent bystanders not wearing proper protection is totally irresponsible. A paintball could permanently damage an eye... and still hurts quite a bit even when it hits less vital areas (if you are playing, you volunteered for that pain... someone just walking through the park can't be expected to take it with a smile).

 

And if you consider that most paintballs leave a bruise (unless your gun is set for indoor paintball), I'm pretty sure the courts would consider shooting at someone with a paintball gun to be at least "assault and battery with a weapon". Even in Canada, where you wouldn't get sued for millions in "pain and suffering", the possibility of such criminal charges should make people think very hard about where they are going to play that game... of course, some people don't think much, especially when they are having fun.

Edited April 2, 2006 by The red-haired witch

[+Vistac4]

Unfortunately, one of my caches appeared to be raided by paint ballers (there was ample evidence) - the contents were dumped out and the ammo can taken. However, I believe this is one unscrupulous person and does not indict the whole sport.

[+Goldfinch593]

My 12-stage cache, Seabrook's First Cache and the pristine area it was located in, were completely destroyed by paintballers a few weeks ago. They not only covered all the trees along the trail with ugly paint splats, they also tore apart an old stone wall (that has probably not be touched in over a hundred years) and the little island where I had my cache hidden, and turned it into a paintball fortress. They cut down branches from ancient cedar trees and burned them in a fire pit. And they built the fire pit with some of the rocks from the old stone wall. They were obviously camping out there. There was a tarp and tent pegs stuck under a rock, they left trash and beer cans everywhere and even a pair of socks draped over a cedar branch, as if it were a clotheline.

 

I found my empty cache container with some books of matches and an empty tobasco sauce bottle in it. The geocaching sticker had been peeled off and there were no signs of the contents, which was all brand new stuff in the original wrappers. I am very sad to have lost the logbook. And there were three travel bugs in the cache, which are also missing now.

 

I spent over a year planning this cache. It was located in a beautiful area on the NH coastline and had become a milestone cache for area cachers because of the challenge, the beauty of the area and the nearby seafood restaurants suitable for celebrations. I am not sure if I will ever be able to replace the cache in that area, so I am going to have to either rework the whole thing, or archive the cache.

 

I was disgusted by the wanton destruction they caused. I did report the damage to the police but not sure how effective that will be. This is town owned land so I hope they can stop this from happening again.

 

The trail to the cache...

 

Why?

 

Acorns and paintballs

 

Disgusting

 

Ancient stone wall destroyed

[uperdooper]

the pics pretty much say it all.

 

i feel very sorry for the paintballer that hits me with a paintball.

[+Goldfinch593]

For additional reference, here are some BEFORE and AFTER photos:

 

The Trail - BEFORE

 

The Trail - AFTER

 

The approach to the cache - BEFORE

 

The stone wall (view from cache site looking out) - BEFORE

 

The stone wall (same spot but view looking in towards the cache site)- AFTER

 

Old Cedar (and the hiding spot - SPOILER) - BEFORE

 

Old Cedar with branches torn off (later used as firewood) - AFTER

 

<--- My empty cache container and the trashed cache site

 

Celebrating milestones (#300, #1,500, #1,500 and #1,000!) two weeks before the cache was destroyed.

[+Team JSAM]

This happend a few years before I stated geocaching but I was paintballing and took my facemask off for a minute and looked up and took a direct hit to my right eye...... and about 10,000 dollars later I sill cant see right out of the eye...

[+Goldfinch593]

This happend a few years before I stated geocaching but I was paintballing and took my facemask off for a minute and looked up and took a direct hit to my right eye...... and about 10,000 dollars later I sill cant see right out of the eye...

Wow, that makes my complaint about missing cache swag suddenly seem rather insignificant... but also reinforces my negative feelings about paintball.

So sorry that happened to you.

Edited April 15, 2006 by Goldfinch593

[+Team JSAM]

This happend a few years before I stated geocaching but I was paintballing and took my facemask off for a minute and looked up and took a direct hit to my right eye...... and about 10,000 dollars later I sill cant see right out of the eye...

Wow, that makes my complaint about missing cache swag suddenly seem rather insignificant... but also reinforces my negative feelings about paintball.

So sorry that happened to you.

 

I dont fell ill about the sport just like any sport you will always have people who are not respectful like the above pics but you cant blame the whole sport for a persons actions.

Edited April 16, 2006 by JsamFam

[+CheshireFrog]

Yeah, well, this may come across as playing paintball police, but paintballers should be stopped anytime they're on public-use land.

 

This forum has had a bunch of posts from people who were accused of being cache cops, who pointed out caches that broke rules for placement or proximity. At first I felt that these people should mind their own business; if they didn't like something about a cache they were welcome to not hunt it. Since then I've realized that it's the caches that break the rules that get the sport negative attention and start local goverments cracking down on Geocaching.

 

Likewise, paintball can range from irritating to downright dangerous for those not playing. As was stated by the OP, they were caught in a firefight and fired upon on public land despite not being players. I don't care how easy it is to wash the paint out, this game should be restricted to designated areas, like paintball parks. There are too many adults and families caching with kids for this ever to be a good idea.

 

As Geocachers we protect our access to land by following the rules. I suggest paintballers do the same.

[+Cryptid]

My 12-stage cache, Seabrook's First Cache and the pristine area it was located in, were completely destroyed by paintballers a few weeks ago. They not only covered all the trees along the trail with ugly paint splats, they also tore apart an old stone wall (that has probably not be touched in over a hundred years) and the little island where I had my cache hidden, and turned it into a paintball fortress. They cut down branches from ancient cedar trees and burned them in a fire pit. And they built the fire pit with some of the rocks from the old stone wall. They were obviously camping out there. There was a tarp and tent pegs stuck under a rock, they left trash and beer cans everywhere and even a pair of socks draped over a cedar branch, as if it were a clotheline.

 

I found my empty cache container with some books of matches and an empty tobasco sauce bottle in it. The geocaching sticker had been peeled off and there were no signs of the contents, which was all brand new stuff in the original wrappers. I am very sad to have lost the logbook. And there were three travel bugs in the cache, which are also missing now.

 

I spent over a year planning this cache. It was located in a beautiful area on the NH coastline and had become a milestone cache for area cachers because of the challenge, the beauty of the area and the nearby seafood restaurants suitable for celebrations. I am not sure if I will ever be able to replace the cache in that area, so I am going to have to either rework the whole thing, or archive the cache.

 

I was disgusted by the wanton destruction they caused. I did report the damage to the police but not sure how effective that will be. This is town owned land so I hope they can stop this from happening again.

 

The trail to the cache...

 

Why?

 

IT'S THE TREES, THEY'RE SHOOTING THE TREES!