Bugnappers.

[+JIAR]

I remember the excitement when we found our first travel bug Spinney and then the fun of following its travels. Sadly, Spinney got bugnapped in Caffarella and the fun was gone.

 

Now we've lost two of our bugs in similar circumstances.

 

Our charity coin, Greener Earth Geocoin was picked out of a cache by Explosive Mountain Goats in October and still remains with them. It should be in the wild making money for charity.

 

Kernow-Kacher picked up JIAR's Traveller Geocoin from Durdle Door in October and didn't even bother to log the retrieve.

 

We've sent a number of (very) polite e-mails to Explosive Mountain Goats and Kernow-Kacher asking for our bugs to be released or returned to us even offering to pay postage. Neither have had the courtesy to reply.

 

We realise that bugnapping is a risk we all take every time we release a bug and that we've been unlucky. Of course it shouldn't happen but, unchecked, takes the shine off caching. So why do we kick off this topic? It's in the hope that it will be read by the bugnappers or people that know them and prick their consciences. We'd really like to have these bugs moving again.

 

Wish us luck!!

 

JIAR

Edited January 3, 2007 by JIAR

[+chizu]

Maybe this should be a name and shame thread for the guilty!

[+HollyBankHunters]

We wish you luck.

 

We have lost three bugs one got all the way to America but got picked up and never moved again!!

 

Rearly anoying losing bugs but just one of those things i guess

[markandlynn]

Lookinhg at the two profiles you linked to id guess one is a lost cause last logged in in nov one cache find.

 

The other actually owns a cache perhaps a polite note on that cache page asking if they could drop your bug into this cache would work ?

 

Unfortunately losing bugs is a certaintainty over time

[Deego]

My first TB went to the US but it went AWOL in June 2004 But was found again in April 2006 and is still moving now

 

Never give up hope...

[Edgemaster]

Your UK Coin "JIAR's Traveller Geocoin" seems to be very unlucky, 'Madcap mike' dropped it into a cache on Box Hill, Surrey without logging it, and I was the next person to pick it up. And now the same thing's happened to it again!

The same happened to my first coin which was also on at the time, except going into the deep unknown and reappearing near Birmingham.

 

I hope you can get all your coins back in circulation, it certainly is disappointing when they go missing.

[+Dorsetgal & GeoDog]

I've got a couple of bugs being held by other cachers and frankly it cheeses me off, having written to them with no reply either, but still seeing one of them cachng regularly is what really grates. Other than sit back and hope, I can't really see what else is to be done though

 

I did have one TB disappear in California last year and turn up on the east coast many months later.

 

Two Tbs I left in a cache in Niagara, nobody knew what happened to them, then one by one they turned up months later.

 

The first coin I released only passed through 16 cachers hands in England before it went missing in Cumbria. The person who stole it has still to do the decent thing.

 

Ultimately, TBs going missing is a hazard of releasing them into the wild, accidentally or otherwise. I have picked up bugs with the best of intentions and then plans change and have had to leave them in the nearest cache to my home to get them on their way.

 

My coin experience means that I shall not release any more unless I have defaced them in some way so as to make them less attractive to unscrupulous collectors.

[+Pieman]

I had one particularly unlucky TB- my first. It was picked up immediately and spent ages in the hands of a cacher who was going to take it to Canada. Months later it appeared a couple of miles from its original cache to be picked up immediately by a Japanese cacher. They took it to Japan and were going to put it in new cache of their own there. However, they made a mess of the coordinates of their new cache and found they couldn't change them. I sent them emails explaining how they could get a reviewer to do it, but they didn't reply and the bug was lost. I released the copy tag as "A Bug with Limited Ambitions Through Bitter Experience" for obvious reasons!

[+The Cache Hoppers]

This one of ours disappeared from Grandma's Fruit Basket in Utah back in April 2006. It was picked up by the sister of a cacher called Cthulhu Fan and wasn't logged. The address on the profile for Cthulhu Fan is no longer active and is not known to the owner of Grandma's Fruit Basket. Tis a pity because this TB had notched up in excess of 21k miles when it disappeared.

[+Alibags]

One of mine vanished in Canada. I was going to replace it, but had not got round to it when some months later it mysteriously was found in a cache in Florida. Don't give up hope!

[+Haggis Hunter]

I have lost the following coins and bugs -

 

Best of British stolen, replica now made and travelling.

Second to None stolen, replica now made and travelling.

Cha Cha charmin bugnapped. I like this new expression.

Holly and the Ivy bugnapped.

Papa Ness bugnapped.

The Haggis Whistle bugnapped.

WoL II cache muggled.

Major Pain cache was muggled and subsequently he got rescued but the tag was lost.

Why your name? genuinely lost by accident, copy replaced.

 

I only have a total of 26 TB's and coins, I don't think that is good going.

 

I have also had several TB's and coins held up for extremely long times, these tend to get replaced without being logged.

Edited January 3, 2007 by Haggis Hunter

[+The_Sussex_Posse]

I have lost the following coins and bugs -

 

Best of British stolen, replica now made and travelling.

Second to None stolen, replica now made and travelling.

Cha Cha charmin bugnapped. I like this new expression.

Holly and the Ivy bugnapped.

Papa Ness bugnapped.

The Haggis Whistle bugnapped.

WoL II cache muggled.

Major Pain cache was muggled and subsequently he got rescued but the tag was lost.

Why your name? genuinely lost by accident, copy replaced.

 

I only have a total of 26 TB's and coins, I don't think that is good going.

 

I have also had several TB's and coins held up for extremely long times, these tend to get replaced without being logged.

 

as newbies just thinking of starting a tb, do you have any suggestions to make them less bugnappable?

Edited January 3, 2007 by The_Sussex_Posse

[+Team XL5]

 

as newbies just thinking of starting a tb, do you have any suggestions to make them less bugnappable?

 

Have a look at this thread on the Travel Bug forum - lot's of good tips here:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=64691

[+skinnymalinky]

It's interesting that the person who has the OP's coin has actually produced his own coin. Seems awfully keen for someone who has only ever found one cache. Sock puppet account?

[+studlyone]

I have lost the following coins and bugs -

 

Best of British stolen, replica now made and travelling.

 

I only have a total of 26 TB's and coins, I don't think that is good going.

 

I have also had several TB's and coins held up for extremely long times, these tend to get replaced without being logged.

HaggisHunter drop me an e-mail with your address and I will send you another Best of British geocoin - I have one left and I've been wondering what to do with it. So I'd happilly send it to you to release into the wild.

 

I know that a lot of people deface their coins prior to releasing them by drilling a hole through them and attaching a note - I don't condone it but it certainly does make them less collectable.

 

Ian

 

Edited: I really must learn to spell one of these days

Edited January 3, 2007 by studlyone

[+MBFace]

It's interesting that the person who has the OP's coin has actually produced his own coin. Seems awfully keen for someone who has only ever found one cache. Sock puppet account?

 

I thought that the coin was produced by a group under the banner of Kernow Kachers rather than the individual mentioned above.

[Andys101 & Redfrock]

We've lost 5 - in just over 18 months. One was in a muggled cache, the others simply vanished into the ether. Unfortunately this includes 3 coins, one of which never got further than its first cache. When I emailed the person who had retrieved it I received a very impolite email back. He knows he's got it, I know he's got it, so it would be nice if he set it free - particulalry as i have never even seen it - it was released it the States for me by the person who made it, to travel around before eventually coming here. Mine have all been drilled with their missions attached, but alas it does not seem to prevent them vanishing. It annoys me greatly but I shall still release things but probably just TBs now - with nothing of value attached - simply because I still get a thrill seeing where they are going to.

[+Kryten]

I released a pair of identical bugs from the same cache, at the same time as an experiment to see how their journeys would compare. One got stolen almost immediately and the other clocked up thousands of miles touring the USA. It's all luck.

[+The Blorenges]

We've lost 5 - ... one of which never got further than its first cache. When I emailed the person who had retrieved it I received a very impolite email back. He knows he's got it, I know he's got it, so it would be nice if he set it free - particulalry as i have never even seen it - it was released it the States for me by the person who made it, to travel around before eventually coming here...

 

That is despicable. Name and shame!

MrsB

[+Birdman-of-liskatraz]

I along with a group of cachers in Cornwall have produced a Cornwall Geocoin and we have used the term "Kernow Kachers" for some years now.

 

I am the one responisble (I guess!) for the coin production and I soley cache under my Birdman of Liskatraz name. The other Kernow Kacher isn't a sock puppet account of mine and I have no idea who he/she maybe.

 

I do however have a user account called "The Kernow Kachers" whom I plan to use to release a series of Cornish Themed caches in various overseas countries.

 

Steve

[+skinnymalinky]

I along with a group of cachers in Cornwall have produced a Cornwall Geocoin and we have used the term "Kernow Kachers" for some years now.

 

I am the one responisble (I guess!) for the coin production and I soley cache under my Birdman of Liskatraz name. The other Kernow Kacher isn't a sock puppet account of mine and I have no idea who he/she maybe.

 

I do however have a user account called "The Kernow Kachers" whom I plan to use to release a series of Cornish Themed caches in various overseas countries.

 

Steve

 

Good to know as i am waiting for one and it looks really nice!

[+Haggis Hunter]

I have lost the following coins and bugs -

 

Best of British stolen, replica now made and travelling.

 

I only have a total of 26 TB's and coins, I don't think that is good going.

 

I have also had several TB's and coins held up for extremely long times, these tend to get replaced without being logged.

HaggisHunter drop me an e-mail with your address and I will send you another Best of British geocoin - I have one left and I've been wondering what to do with it. So I'd happilly send it to you to release into the wild.

 

I know that a lot of people deface their coins prior to releasing them by drilling a hole through them and attaching a note - I don't condone it but it certainly does make them less collectable.

 

Ian

 

Edited: I really must learn to spell one of these days

W W what a kind gesture, email on it's way, thanks

[+Boardslider]

Another irritating trend I've noticed is that some owners of very difficult or rarely visited caches have gathered up a load of desirable coins etc. from circulation in their area to put into said difficult / unvisited cache to try and boost it's hit rate. I can sort of see the motive here, but if the TB or coin's motive is to move widely and freely it's not exactly fair.

 

Following and idea from someone here, my caches now have 'resident' coins so that there is always at least an icon to collect for the intreped visitor.

 

Out of interest, I am about to release the copy tag attached to a replica bug (to replace one that never got more than a mile from home!), but wonder what would happen should the original ever re-surface. I would imagine two people trying to log the same tb in different places could get a bit fraught.

[+Birdman-of-liskatraz]

Another irritating trend I've noticed is that some owners of very difficult or rarely visited caches have gathered up a load of desirable coins etc. from circulation in their area to put into said difficult / unvisited cache to try and boost it's hit rate. I can sort of see the motive here, but if the TB or coin's motive is to move widely and freely it's not exactly fair.

 

Following and idea from someone here, my caches now have 'resident' coins so that there is always at least an icon to collect for the intreped visitor.

 

Out of interest, I am about to release the copy tag attached to a replica bug (to replace one that never got more than a mile from home!), but wonder what would happen should the original ever re-surface. I would imagine two people trying to log the same tb in different places could get a bit fraught.

 

I confess I've hunted down a Jeep of each colour to place in my latest "Difficult" cache... but if it's not been found in two weeks or so I'll certainly consider moving them out...

 

Even so.. some "Easy" caches aren't visited very often, so I'm not sure its a bad thing.....

[+Haggis Hunter]

Out of interest, I am about to release the copy tag attached to a replica bug (to replace one that never got more than a mile from home!), but wonder what would happen should the original ever re-surface. I would imagine two people trying to log the same tb in different places could get a bit fraught.

If the other turns up, then ask the person that has the copy to either destroy it or send it back to you.

I re-released one of my TB's that went missing. The original got found by chance a few days later by the same person that had the copy TB. They kindly sent the copy TB back to me.

[+Haggis Hunter]

I have lost the following coins and bugs -

 

Best of British stolen, replica now made and travelling.

 

I only have a total of 26 TB's and coins, I don't think that is good going.

 

I have also had several TB's and coins held up for extremely long times, these tend to get replaced without being logged.

HaggisHunter drop me an e-mail with your address and I will send you another Best of British geocoin - I have one left and I've been wondering what to do with it. So I'd happilly send it to you to release into the wild.

 

I know that a lot of people deface their coins prior to releasing them by drilling a hole through them and attaching a note - I don't condone it but it certainly does make them less collectable.

 

Ian

 

Edited: I really must learn to spell one of these days

W W what a kind gesture, email on it's way, thanks

I have just realised that I have made an error with my original post, it wasn't my Best of British coin that got stolen, but my UK Geocoin.

Email sent reference the kind offer.

[+dthompson19]

Okay, it's my turn to name and shame. Our TB Manic Skater has been bugnapped. Despite many polite e-mails to Fusion1409 over many weeks, including some prior to their last visit to geocaching.com, we have not heard a thing.

 

I've even offered to go and collect the TB if they don't want to or can't place it in a cache, but nothing. My only hope is that spring and warmer weather will re-ignite their interest in the hobby, but other than that, I guess it's lost.

 

The TB was released by my 7 year old son, so he's the one who has lost out really.

 

David

[+kewfriend]

I'm not sure it matters if a TB is 'bugnapped' etc. - except in grief and lost pride.

 

Part of the fun in letting loose a TB or Geo-coin is simply to see how long it does survive and where it goes. We've lost a couple but hey - they had a good life. One even got 'muggled' twice before disappearing from a pit in UTAH USA. I've 'lost caches' and even had the complete cache handed to me by a scoutmaster. Its all part of the 'game'.

 

I'm constantly surprised at which of my TBs and coins are 'popular' and which are not. I suppose it depends where they get 'stuck' - like up a mountain in Wales.

chill chill chill