Did Not Find

[+Dogs Dad]

Always. I like the fact it's recorded and it gives me a mission to go back and try again.

[+Totem Clan]

If I go to the area of the cache and hunt for the cache, and I Did Not Find the cache, it's a DNF.

 

The main reason I use DNF is it let's the owner know that someone tried to find the cache but couldn't. If there is a problem with the cache, this could be the 'heads the owner' needs. I have had caches that were muggled and the first I heard of it was from a DNF log. Plus some of the DNF logs are quite..... umm.... interesting. In fact some of my best hunts ended in a DNF.

[+MuddyPawPrints]

We DNF and then place them in a special bookmark list with notify on them. We like to see how others do on them. If other cachers are finding it right after us then it was our lack of caching skills that day ... if there are more DNF's to immediately follow... the cache may be a MIA.....

 

DNF's are like thorns in our sides and we can't wait to get back out there to hunt for it again....but we always use the label for our records and to possibly help the CO out.

[+nameless301]

I will usually only log a DNF if I never plan on going back which is rare, or in most cases, when I have gone back several times to look and just have never found it.

[+Trucker Lee]

If I only had time for a cursory look, I don't bother logging. However, if I gave a good look, and the hider got into my head by frustrating me, I think it only fair that I so advise with a DNF log. The other instance would be when the circumstances have change, perhaps the lot cleared, fence torn down, etc. This advises the hider of the changes. I also like to bookmark my DNFs to be advised of any future logs to the caches.

[+Lucky46]

Dudes and Dudettes,

I totally agree that DNFs should be logged and revisited til found. Last week I found this one cache like 5 times. Okay, 4 and the last time was a DNF, but I logged it man. Dude out!

[+lesliea1975]

I still consider myself a newbie at geocaching but I also log my DNFs. I figure I should let the owner know I was there since they were nice enough to hide a cache for me to search for.

[+Outspoken1]

Before I look for a cache, I check the previous logs to see if others have found it recently. I balance the finds against the difficulty of the cache. Then I look for the cache. If I've given a good effort and DNF, I post a DNF. If I was short on time or there were other factors like muggles, I will probably come and try again before logging a DNF. Remember the DNF means Did not Find - it does not mean It's Missing. I have found some caches that had 5-6 DNF prior (and boy, was I proud of that find!! [GCW51T - This is a park?]). DNF is not really a rating of your skill; it is just a report of what happened that day. Many DNFs also let the cache owner know if there is a problem. DNFs also provide the cache owner with the satisfaction that the cache is a good hide instead of just a "gimme".

 

Take care,

Outspoken1

[+TH 1969]

If I drive/walk past the cache without bothering to look, I write a note. If I actually look for the cache, no matter for how long, I log the DNF. I do this as a courtesy to the owner so as to notify him/her to potential problems.

 

Recently, a newly published cache in my area had 7 DNF's logged before it was found. The cache listing said the cache was on the east side of a brook, but the coords (and Google Earth) were leading everyone to the west side of the brook. The owner seemed a bit surprised that people were logging the DNF's, and suggested that some of us were whining, didn't know east from west, our GPS must be off, etc.

 

He disabled the cache due to the 'apparent' trouble in locating the cache until he could check on it. He must have realized his mistake as the coords were changed and the cache has now been located.

 

So, this is a perfect example of why we should log DNF's. If we had all not bothered, the owner would never had known there was a problem.

[+Driver Carries Cache]

I recently made my first attempt at at first to find. I instead became the first to log a DNF! (would that be "First Not To Find"?... is there a prize for that?)

 

 

DNF's are important. If I'm thinking about searching for a cache and the last few folks who logged were DNF... I know I'm in for a real search (or the cache is gone).

 

Log them, we'll all thank you. BTW... the DNF logs are sometimes the best reading!

 

Driver Carries Cache

(madmike)