"Didn't Find It" logs

[+QuesterMark]

Generally, if I get out of my car and don't find the cache (for whatever reason) I'll log a DNF.

 

If I get to ground zero and don't make the find, I'll definitely log a DNF.

 

It doesn't matter if I intend to look for it again or if I have made multiple attempts.

 

I follow these "rules" as well.

[+QuesterMark]

 

I log a DNF for any cache that I look for and can't find. I find them very useful when deciding whether or not to go for a particular cache. My intent is to always get back sometime and actually find it. Once I do, I log the Find and edit my original log to a Note. This allows me to go to my account details and view my DNF's as a list of caches I need to return to. I don't change the content of the original DNF log, I just change it to a Note. Anyone else do this?

 

If I log a DNF and then hunt again later and find it this time, I just log the find. I don't change my previous log entry. My opinion: Why bother? I really didn't find it then and I found it now. I have a bookmark list of DNFs to revisit. The bookmark list can also be used to create a pocket query...

[+swaninwa]

When hubby and I were brand new to caching we didn't log all our DNFs. We were finding local hides within a few miles of our house, and knew darned well the caches were there -- and we were newbies who simply couldn't find the blasted things! We're both obsessive enough that we would return the next day and look again (usually with success...) We had one cache we looked everywhere for, only to go home and see a log from that same day about a man who's 6 year old grandson walked right up to it. LOL -- made us feel pretty LAME!

 

Now, the only time we don't log a DNF is when we go back the very next day and find it. This has happened on a few ocassions. If we go back the next day and still don't find it we definitely log it as a DNF. If we aren't able to go back for another look then we defiitely log it as a DNF. Sometimes we log the DNF and then end up going back the next day anway. If that's the case, we don't change our DNF to a "found it" -- we add a new log to let everyone know that (hooray!) we we did it this time! We don't keep a journal or blog about our caches. The only history we have is via our online logs, so we try and keep them as accurate as possible.

[+sbell111]

... We had one cache we looked everywhere for, only to go home and see a log from that same day about a man who's 6 year old grandson walked right up to it. LOL -- made us feel pretty LAME! ...

I never feel bad when this happens. Children aren't hindered by preconceptions like the rest of us are.

[+swaninwa]

... We had one cache we looked everywhere for, only to go home and see a log from that same day about a man who's 6 year old grandson walked right up to it. LOL -- made us feel pretty LAME! ...

I never feel bad when this happens. Children aren't hindered by preconceptions like the rest of us are.

LOL -- that's a VERY good point!!

[+swaninwa]

... We had one cache we looked everywhere for, only to go home and see a log from that same day about a man who's 6 year old grandson walked right up to it. LOL -- made us feel pretty LAME! ...

I never feel bad when this happens. Children aren't hindered by preconceptions like the rest of us are.

LOL -- that's a VERY good point!!

[+tands]

I beg S to drive by a cache location just so I can log a DNF...

 

- T of TandS

[+wandererrob]

I log DNFs thusly:

 

I log a DNF if I honestly cant find the cache after my best efforts.

I log a note if I can't find the cache but still had more looking in me. For example it got dark, muggles came along, or we got hungry and decided we would rather hunt for a meal.

 

I'm with RK on this one. Though I don't usually leave a note but rather include the details of the first attempt in the final log.

[+Gregwarro]

I log a DNF every time I dont find a cache, I want people to know if I had a hard time there. Gas is expensive and I am looking at a cache that is 40 miles away and there is a string of DNF's since the last time it has been found chances are I am not going to head that way, unless there is some other cache's in the area I want to find.

 

Its also a good way to find a challenge, if there are a bunch of DNF's in with the Finds then it just might be a well hidden cache or, if I can find it after some have not been able to it will give me a little boost of confidence to know that I did find it

 

It's not just about the owners getting info, other cachers too! I'd be pretty bummed if I hiked in 3 miles to a cache and searched for an hour and logged the first DNF when a few other cachers had already done the same! Because I would obviuosly think I was just blind and do it again the next chance I got

 

*steps off soap box*

[+scrubjay1986]

I was talking with a relative on the DNF's since I attempted one of his caches and there were already two DNF's and zero finds at that point, he said and I have to agree that the DNF's sometimes do allow the cache owner know if there is a problem with the cache as either the cache has gone missing, or more clues are needed to be added, the difficulty rating needs to be increased on the cache. I log some of my DNF's but not all of them. Some of the ones I do log as DNF, it might be only one of a few caches of doing that day or it might be something sticks out to me as being odd and I put that in my log. Those that I do not log are usually days that I have done more than a handfull of caches, caches I know that I have a hard time finding any ways like some of those micros that are more like nano's, or caches that I did not search very long. If it is a cache that I have looked for a couple of times and more than I quick glance than yes, I would log it as a DNF.

[+TotemLake]

Just curious, if you set out to find a cache and don't... do you always log it as "did not find"? In my first ten searches, there have been a few that we didn't find. There's been one we found on the second try, and one that I searched for twice and still haven't found. Most of these I expect I haven't found because I'm still new at this and just may not be "seeing" it.

 

So I was just curious, for the one I visited twice in two days and didn't find, should I be logging "did not find's" for those visits?

 

So far we've only logged the actual "finds" because I fully expect (with some repeat visits) to find the others.

 

Driver Carries Cache

(madmike)

 

I generally only log them if;

1. I beleive the cache is missing

2. It was a memorable trip anyway

 

This is because I can't imagine anyone would care that I didn't find it unless 1 or 2 (above)

Here's the problem with your scenario on #1. You don't believe the cache is missing and you don't log a DNF. The next 4 or 5 hunters go with the same philosophy. You and the others had an opportunity to at least alert the owner there might be a problem... either with your skills , or more importantly, their hide . However, due to the lack of DNFs being logged, noone is the wiser and nothing is done about it.

[+sunrise searcher]

I log my DNFs. As both a seeker and a hider, I appreciate it when someone logs a DNF on one of my hides -- that way I can tell if it needs maintenance or replacing, or just to be checked on. I also appreciate knowing I am not the only jerk out there that can't find someone else's evil micro! I can always go back and log a find when I finally find it!

[+Colorado Cacher]

Need a good laugh? I was just emailed a find on this cache I archived, and was taken by the parks department, two years ago. Cache=GCB1A2. logged by aloe1002.

[+IGJoe]

I think every visit/attempt to find the cache deserves its own Did Not Find entry .... I think thats why they call them DNF's I'm not really clear on why people like to use notes and other such mechanations, It not like there's an ISAT ( I Suck At This) entry type

 

If there was an ISAT I'd probably have to apply it to more of my Finds as DNF's considering my history of making a hunt as difficult as possible ... and I'm certain I wouldn't be alone

[+DudleyGrunt]

Need a good laugh? I was just emailed a find on this cache I archived, and was taken by the parks department, two years ago. Cache=GCB1A2. logged by aloe1002.

 

Possible that they logged the wrong cache. I know my son recently attempted to log a cache we'd just done and for some reason he did a search for it by name and not waypoint and ended up loggin a cache in NY. I noticed it and he then fixed it. Of course, he's only 10.

 

Their account seems very strange, though. Member since Jan. 7, 07, but they have 131 cahces all NLT April '05. Don't know what's up in their case, but just wanted to say that it's possible for people who aren't being very careful to inadvertanetly log the wrong cache if the name or waypoint is similar.

[+hukilaulau]

Here's a fnny thing that happened to me once: Three cachers (including me) hunted for a cache at different times on the same day. All of us found the obvious cache location but the cache was gone. One of us posted a dnf. One of us posted a note. One of us posted a find based on being certain they had found theright location. Three different resposes to the same situation. Would have been perfect if there had also been a "needs maintenance" and a "needs archiving" posted.

[+sbell111]

Need a good laugh? I was just emailed a find on this cache I archived, and was taken by the parks department, two years ago. Cache=GCB1A2. logged by aloe1002.

Aloe1002's logs all look appropriate to me. It appears that Aloe1002 is a member of the Nightcrawlers and has created his/her own account.

[+KelticFrog]

Of course! What's the big deal? #1, DNFs are sometimes the only way a cache owner learns that a cache is missing. #2 It gives me a sense of pride when I look at how many DNFs I logged when I was a newbie and how few I log now. Pride goeth before the fall.

[+tomfuller & Quill]

I decided to try out the snowshoes yesterday and look for 2 caches. The first was apparently too close to the RR tracks and was covered with more than 4 feet of plowed snow. I wrote to the cache owner about the situation after logging the DNF. The second brought me to a beautiful area along a mountain stream/waterfall.

I dug in the snow for about 3 minutes under what I think was the right bush. I took some nice pictures in that area. I enjoy caching on snowshoes even if it does increase the DNF rate. I'll go back for these 2 in May or June.