Need different views

[+yankeeboy4]

Okay. I Had something happen today and wasn't sure on how to handle the situation. We had a new cache placed in town and it was a tough one to find. I went to it last night and looked for about an hour and a half. This one had me puzzled. It had not been found yet, and the owner posted that he would not give out any clues until the FTF had been logged and verified. Well, I went back to it after work and continued my search when another cacher happened in. She was very nice and asked if I had found it yet. We talked and looked but nothing. I kept looking at one particular area when another cacher showed up. Well, I kinda sat back and let the two of then have at it. The second one that showed up did find it and logged into the cache. I congratulated him and was leaving when the first cacher asked if I was going to log into the cache. I told her no as I did not find it. She said it didn't matter beings we were all together. I just told them that I diodn't feel right about logging it as I did not find it. I told them that I would post a note on it when I got home. Now, my question is...what do you do when another cacher comes when you are looking for it. What do you do when you come upon some one that is looking. Myself, if I happen on someone looking for the cache, I leave the area until they are done. It has meant me going back home and returning another day. Myself, I just felt it very rude. In the further I will leave if someone else comes in and starts looking when I am. I can not log it as a find forI Idid not find it. Just curious as to how others handle this situation.

Edited April 25, 2007 by yankeeboy4

[+bccruiser]

I would have logged it as a find, and I have done so before when searching as a group or with other people. The way I look at it is as long as I contribute to the find I log a find. Since I was looking in one area this gave other people a chance to explore other areas. This just speeds up the process.

 

Bccruiser

[+briansnat]

I kept looking at one particular area when another cacher showed up. Well, I kinda sat back and let the two of then have at it. The second one that showed up did find it and logged into the cache. I congratulated him and was leaving when the first cacher asked if I was going to log into the cache. I told her no as I did not find it. She said it didn't matter beings we were all together. I just told them that I diodn't feel right about logging it as I did not find it. I told them that I would post a note one it when I got home. Now, my question is...what do you do when another cacher comes when you are looking for it. What do you do when you come upon some one that is looking. Myself, if I happen on someone looking for the cache, I leave the area until they are done. It has meant me going back home and returning another day. Myself, I just felt it very rude.

 

Being that you sat back and let them find it, I probably would have done the same thing and not logged it. Had I a hand in the hunt then I would probably log it even if I wasn't the one who actually discovered it.

 

If another cacher happens along I'd be happy to let him join me in the hunt. In this case (or if you are caching with a group) one way to handle it is that as each person finds it, he walks away from the area then declares that he found it. That gives everybody else a chance to make the find. Or you can use the "Three Musketeers" method of one for all and all for one. Just decide before hand which you are going to use.

[+briansnat]

<<<<<<<personal attack and profanity deleted>>>>>>>>>>

Edited April 25, 2007 by briansnat

[+StarBrand]

If I run into another cacher already searching (VERY rare event) I simply ask if they mind me joining them or should I back off. Everyone so far seems to enjoy the shared experience and we log the cache together.

 

So far, I have only had one cacher walk up on me already there and he just started looking without saying much to me. I didn't mind at all. Found 1 that way and I walked from 2 others that I didn't spot on that visit.

 

Ask. That is polite.

[+Renegade Knight]

Your choice. No harm done if you log the cache. No harm done if you don't.

[Tahosa and Sons]

I had just such an occasion last month while doing a run thru AZ. As I pulled up to the area there was also another vehicle near by. Turns out that they were looking for the cache, my son and I saw the cache and just backed off and let them find it. Well it was their first find so after some friendly chit chat and a few pictures we went our separate ways. And yes we did log it as a find.

[+Mudfrog]

I really never thought that someone would think it rude for me to join them while they were already searching. We are a friendly bunch down here and i can't imagine anyone not wanting to enjoy the comraderie of the hunt. The case you mentioned is even better in that it would have made for a fun, friendly FTF competition to boot!

 

You can play however you want but i myself would have been right in there,,,, socializing, hunting for the cache, and claiming the cache find after it was all done.

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Seems vain not to log it for that reason. Now you're never going to log a find on that cache because you found it the easy way? Some people find it without any clues. Some find it without the encrypted clue. Some people scan all the logs and search with a large group. Who cares? The point is that you now know where and how it is hidden.

 

but, it's your game. Play it like you want.

 

If I arrive at the scene and someone else is looking, I don't ask for permission to join in. The cache is hidden just as much for me as for the next guy. More people looking means less of what I don't like about geocaching, leaving more time for what I do like: long walks and a chance to play with an electronic gadget. This isn't a drinking fountain; it's not necessary to take turns. Anyone who would take offense is probably the sort of person whose opinions don't mean much to me.

[Clan Riffster]

I haven't been in those exact shoes yet, so all I can do is speculate based upon similar instances such as meeting cachers on the trail heading to a hunt. For me, schmoozing comes first. I will talk your ears off when the conversation is about caching. Oddly enough, this is pretty much the only activity I participate in where I'll actively converse with other participants. When I am bowhunting, kayak fishing, photographing or reading, and I meet a peer, a few words suffice. Sometimes just a grunt. But Gaia help you if I spot a GPSr in your hand. Yak, yak, yak, yak, yak.

 

During the schmoozing, I'll ask if they prefer to hunt solo or as a team. I've never had a cacher tell me solo. I suppose if I ever come across a cacher actively hunting a cache, I would stay back a bit waving my Garmin and see how they react.

[Trinity's Crew]

Hey, you did find it, you just happened to find it in the other cachers hand.

You will probably find that most people would log the cache as a find, but do what feels right to you in this situation.

[+Always & Forever 5]

I really never thought that someone would think it rude for me to join them while they were already searching. We are a friendly bunch down here and i can't imagine anyone not wanting to enjoy the comraderie of the hunt. The case you mentioned is even better in that it would have made for a fun, friendly FTF competition to boot!

Ditto. Why do you think it would be rude? I have met a majority of the local cachers either in the field or at an event somewhere, and we all seem to enjoy "teaming up" for a hunt. I can't imagine hanging back while someone else finished the hunt first!

 

But, as others have said, play it the way that feels most comfortable to you. No harm either way.

[+Rockin Roddy]

This has happened several times to me...and I am usually more than happy to have them join. HOWEVER...at a local event, they had an FTF raffle for the new caches hidden. My God-Son won one of these and we were given a half hour head start...or so we were supposed to! His was close to the last awarded...and close to where everyone else was to meet up for the list of caches (these weren't published until after the event).

 

After only a few minutes search (and having trouble finding this "easy" cache) people started coming up. I told them that this was one of the raffled FTFs and that my God-Son hadn't found it yet...most were happy to walk away and come back later...these three however never even acknowledged us and just started searching. Since KAboom (God-Son) went to ask for a hint, I felt I'd really better search fast and hard and was lucky to come up with the cache before the trio did...I just walked away with the cache without letting anyone know!

 

I signed the log on the other side of the building...and more people showed up and started looking! Here I am holding the cache while 6 others are scouring the area for it...was a bit funny really! When everyone was too busy looking for the cache to notice me, I replaced the cache and walked out fast...even my teammate didn't know I had found it (I left him searching too). Those were some rude cachers! The hosts even told everyone that the FTFs were solely for those that won the raffles and any logs before theirs would be deleted.

 

Most times though, I love to meet cachers on the trail or during the hunt...the more the better! I have also found a cache and walked away to wait for the rest to find it...several times! I always log the finds though...as long as I am there searching, I am a part of the hunting party!

Edited April 25, 2007 by Rockin Roddy

[+dsshepard]

A few weeks ago my family and I were on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC and of course spent quite a bit of time geocaching. On more than one occasion we either ran into other cachers or other cachers ran into us. In all cases it was pleasant. On one particular cache, my son and I had spent about 20 minutes searching for the cache and were about to give up. Then another family showed up and joined the search. They found it after about 5 minutes and we all logged a find and chatted for a while. I didn't feel bad about not initially finding it and met some new friends. During our conversation we found out that they had found another particularly difficult (at least for us) cache and gave us hint. Mind you it was hint not the location. We went back the next day and finally found it after about 5 minutes.

 

At another cache my daughter lost her sun glasses so we tried to back track in the woods and find them. We did not but ran into another geo caching family. We had mentioned we were geocachers as well. Long story short they were from New York state or Pennsylvania (we are from North Carolina) and had found the sun glasses. They remembered our names and found us in geocaching.com and contacted us. I thanked them for finding them and trying to find us but asked them to just keep the sun glasses.

 

In all we met four different families geocaching during our vacation and never felt uncomfortable and I got the impression the other families enjoyed meeting other cachers as well.

[+halffast]

After searching as long as you did I would have been happy to log the cache as the second or third finder.Thats what its about to me.Signing the alusive log book.

[+Confucius' Cat]

<<<<<<<personal attack and profanity deleted>>>>>>>>>>

Huh?

[+Googling Hrpty Hrrs]

I really never thought that someone would think it rude for me to join them while they were already searching. We are a friendly bunch down here and i can't imagine anyone not wanting to enjoy the comraderie of the hunt. The case you mentioned is even better in that it would have made for a fun, friendly FTF competition to boot!

 

You can play however you want but i myself would have been right in there,,,, socializing, hunting for the cache, and claiming the cache find after it was all done.

 

Yep. Correct on all accounts!

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Those were some rude cachers! The hosts even told everyone that the FTFs were solely for those that won the raffles and any logs before theirs would be deleted.

 

Gut reaction: What value does a forced FTF have?

[+Rockin Roddy]

I don't know about forced, but the idea was to give something to those that attended the event. There were 30 caches waiting to be published, they threw the names in a hat started drawing winners.

 

How do you get forced from that? I saw zero armed gunmen forcing us to go after the FTF! [] I get that to be a prize for attending. Really though, there wasn't any big deal to it. The best reason I got from it was to get people disbursed throughout the "park", and to give some a chance at a FTF that they may not have had (since there were around 100 people attending). It was great really, a 6 year old won one, a lady who just had knee surgery won one, my 14 year old won one.

 

It was different...and kind of exciting (the drawing, watching the faces of those that won), my God-Son was really happy, and who wouldn't be, he won something, even if only the FTF of a cache.

Edited April 26, 2007 by Rockin Roddy

[+The red-haired witch]

What do you do when you come upon some one that is looking. Myself, if I happen on someone looking for the cache, I leave the area until they are done. It has meant me going back home and returning another day. Myself, I just felt it very rude. In the further I will leave if someone else comes in and starts looking when I am. I can not log it as a find forI Idid not find it. Just curious as to how others handle this situation.

 

Basically, you seem to think that the geocachers who arrived on site while you were already searching should just have left and gone back home? That seems like a very rude attitude to me... You do not get exclusive searching rights before you got there first .

 

Most new caches around here, several geocachers will show up almost at the same time trying to get the FTF. This just makes things more fun and more exciting.

 

I always like to meet geocachers in the woods. My faorite events around here are those where about 50 caches get published all at once and everyone starts searching those new caches at the same time. A big part of the fun of this event is all the geocachers you get to meet. And so what if we arrive at the cache site and someone is already signing the log? We talk a bit, sign too, and let them replace it in the right spot or ask them where it was so that we can replace it. Then we all leave for the next cache, sometimes together if we are going for the same one.

[+Jennifer&Dean]

The cache is not about the cache, it is about the trip to the cache, the finding of the cache and the enjoyment of caching. If you went there, were present when the cache was found then go ahead and sign the logbook. You enjoyed yourself and did search and now you know where it was so it doesn't make sense to return just to find it by yourself.

Except in cases where the owner of the cache is focusing on the camo of the cache and how cool the cache itself is, most caches are going to be placed to bring you somewhere the owner wanted you to see. If you have been there and the cache is there and you have either found it or seen it found, you are clear to log it with no qualms.

To badly quote Louis L'Amour: "The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for"

Caches are to bring you somewhere and share that place with you. Caches are not just caches, they are the journey to and from the cache as well, don't be so focused on the cache that you cannot enjoy the place. And if someone joins you for a cache, is it not possible to enjoy their company as part of that cache journey? And if they locate the cache before you, then that is part of your tale of the cache journey.

 

Everyone caches their own way and everyone gets something out of the cache journey. Some people may prefer solo caching, some are in it for the social aspect, some are all about the long hikes, some seem to enjoy standing behind Target finding caches. Log your experience as part of the cache search. As long as the cache was there and you were there and you either found it or were present when it was found, and signed the log, it counts as a find.

-J

[+eagletrek]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! I love discussions that involve the concept of "geo-herding." I like to socialize at events but I like to cache solo!!!!! Yes, I know I'm one of those rare "birds" but I like to know that "I" found the cache and not one of the other folks in the "herd."

[+Totem Clan]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! I love discussions that involve the concept of "geo-herding." I like to socialize at events but I like to cache solo!!!!! Yes, I know I'm one of those rare "birds" but I like to know that "I" found the cache and not one of the other folks in the "herd."

I like to cache with my cache partner, Big Bear TC, who is also my wife. We have also cache with another caching friend of ours and had a great time. However I don't think I would want to cache with a "herd" of cachers.

 

Having said that, we're going to the Goebash this summer and I know that there a group of friend and we will hit a few caches as a "herd", but that will be more a part of the event experience rather than my normal caching experience.

[nonaeroterraqueous]

How do you get forced from that? I saw zero armed gunmen forcing us to go after the FTF! [] I get that to be a prize for attending.

 

I didn't say "violent force." If no one else is allowed to log an FTF, by threat of log deletion, then that is forced. I don't get it. The thrill of getting FTF lies in the very real possibility that someone else will get it instead.

[+Rockin Roddy]

First...I didn't set it up, so you'd have to ask the person that did. Second...to each their own. You don't want to find the prize you were given, you don't have to! I think the competition part you are looking for would have been the drawing? Everyone had the same chance, right? So, it's more or less the same as the instant notify....the chosen would be like the ones living closest to the hide.

 

The real thrill was being awarded the FTF from the drawing....it WAS possible others would have gotten it first! In fact, many more were not as fortunate as those that were.

 

How do you force someone to do anything without violence, threat of violence or what have you? If I'm not wanting to, I'll say NO. Now, if you're going to knock me over the head until I do...that would be forced IMHO!

[Micqn]

I'm suprised GC.com hasn't given us the option of "kinda found it" yet. I've kinda found A LOT of caches!

Edited April 27, 2007 by Micqn

[+Rockin Roddy]

I'm suprised GC.com hasn't given us the option of "kinda found it" yet. I've kinda found A LOT of caches!

 

[+Too Tall John]

<<<<<<<personal attack and profanity deleted>>>>>>>>>>

Huh?

A lot more interesting than saying:

<<<<<<<< double post deleted >>>>>>>>

[+fehrgo]

To the OP, I'm fine with joint finds on traditionals. It isn't like you were claiming the FTF for this one or anything. If you feel best finding it on your own, that is your own decision, but I would likely never delete a log on a traditional even if it was a group find.

 

On the other hand, if the cache were a difficult puzzle cache or multi, I'd say each caching team that will be logging it should complete it on its own. Ultimately it doesn't matter, and is all personal preference, but that is how I would handle it. Additionally, if the cache contained rare prizes, and a bunch of cachers teamed up to find it and they all took something, I think that the cache owner might have reason to be upset.

[nonaeroterraqueous]

How do you force someone to do anything without violence, threat of violence or what have you? If I'm not wanting to, I'll say NO. Now, if you're going to knock me over the head until I do...that would be forced IMHO!

 

It's forced, because other people are forced to not get that FTF. If you think violent force is the only way to compel people, then I don't think I want to meet you.

 

You can play your game your own way, but the game ceases to be fun for me the moment I'm certain that I've got a sure thing.

[+Night Stalker]

I cache solo and in groups. I find that it is a lot more fun to cache with a group. Part of the fun in geocaching is enteracting with my fellow cachers. In our group we spend a lot of our time giving the others cachers a bad time. Especially if on the last cache one person spotted the cache and sat back to laugh at the others for stumbling around looking for it. We also have a good time bashing each others GPS's. It used to be that I got a lot of Sh*t for my Magellan. Now that I have a 60CX I can bash the others old Garmins without the sirf III chip. It is all in good fun, and something that we would miss if we always cached solo.

[+Rockin Roddy]

I'm guessing you're one of those types that hates to try anything different because it has to be just so to be fun! Lighten up...it was an event (one I didn't set up)! Guess what though...it WAS fun...was special to see my youngster's face light up when his name was drawn.

 

Meet? Who said anything about meeting?

[+Onewheeler]

I have met people at the cache site a few times and I think it is fun to go out caching with other people. There are usually at least three of us when we go out, so I am used to not finding it myself but still logging it. For me I really dont mind logging it, if your name is on the log in the cache it is fair game no matter how you came across it.

[+SGT red jeep]

I had a GPS malfunction on a FTF hunt. Thing was acting all crazy. Was putting in some fresh batteries as another GPS toting person showed up and started to hunt. Finally got a lock on some satelites but wasn't quick enough to find the cache before him. Can you imagine? Taking the FTF right from in front of my nose.

I got him back about two weeks later by finding a cache and even leaving part of the FTF prize money in the container. I even waited before logging on line. His comment when he found he was second... PRICELESS.

 

I think of FTF as a friendly competition. Sorry but if I saw you searching for the cache I would also search. May the best cacher win. But if someone else finds the cache before me I am still logging the find. If I come upon someone while they are signing the log, my name will be next on the list. I will team up with anyone I find searching.

But play the game like you want.