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Placing a cache in own yard


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This is a very common cache type. For example, many find that a front porch is the safest place for a geocoin trading cache or a travel bug hotel, due to a lower risk of plunder. And, you can do creative things right out in the open in your yard that you can't do in the neighborhood park due to muggles.

 

There's no listing guideline specifically addressing caches at a geocacher's house, but there is the "common sense" guideline, which suggests it's a good idea to tell your neighbors about the cache. Click here for the text of the "public perception" guideline. The issue comes up often enough that I have a form letter to use when someone submits a cache of this type:

 

Hello, I am a volunteer for Geocaching.com and I have reviewed your cache submission.

 

This cache looks like it's hidden in a residential area. Hopefully it is on your own property, because caches on private property need clear evidence of permission. Geocachers are often very uncomfortable searching for a cache near a residence. It would help people enjoy your cache, and you'll get more visitors, if you could edit your cache description to say that you are the owner of the property and that people have permission to search there. If you need to attach any conditions, like "no searching after 10:00 at night," it would be a good idea to mention this on your cache page also. Otherwise, expect bumps in the night and barking dogs at 2:00 a.m. Finally, because of bad satellite reception, approaching from the wrong direction, etc., it is possible that geocachers may inadvertently trespass on your neighbors' property. Please consider telling your neighbors about your geocache, and adding a hint to let people know they're at the correct house.

 

Once you have edited your cache page to address these issues, let me know this and I will take another look at your submission. To respond, please do NOT send me an e-mail. Leave a new "Note to Reviewer" log here on your cache page. I have your cache on my watchlist, and I will receive a notification when you write your note. All reviewer notes are deleted when your cache is published.

 

Thanks,

Keystone

Geocaching.com Volunteer Cache Reviewer

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Dinner with Lewis and Clark is another example. There is mention in the description of the "gazebo-like greenhouse in the back with a stenciled flower and white trim". Unfortunately, I was paying more attention to the gazebo from the cache description than I should have. After rooting around in the gazebo for a few minutes I looked down at my GPS to find that I was about 75' off. Oops! :) Edited by meralgia
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If you don't mind having the visitors, you might think about adding your house number to the hints or somewhere in the description! I went to one which was at their home, but their home was smack in town (read houses close together). The coords had us looking in the NEIGHBOR'S yard...up close to their foundation.

 

I know of MANY caches in yards, some are VERY creative (one is a multi which takes you all around their yard...somce very nice hides too!).

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This is a very common cache type. For example, many find that a front porch is the safest place for a geocoin trading cache or a travel bug hotel, due to a lower risk of plunder. And, you can do creative things right out in the open in your yard that you can't do in the neighborhood park due to muggles.

 

There's no listing guideline specifically addressing caches at a geocacher's house, but there is the "common sense" guideline, which suggests it's a good idea to tell your neighbors about the cache. Click here for the text of the "public perception" guideline. The issue comes up often enough that I have a form letter to use when someone submits a cache of this type:

 

Hello, I am a volunteer for Geocaching.com and I have reviewed your cache submission.

 

This cache looks like it's hidden in a residential area. Hopefully it is on your own property, because caches on private property need clear evidence of permission. Geocachers are often very uncomfortable searching for a cache near a residence. It would help people enjoy your cache, and you'll get more visitors, if you could edit your cache description to say that you are the owner of the property and that people have permission to search there. If you need to attach any conditions, like "no searching after 10:00 at night," it would be a good idea to mention this on your cache page also. Otherwise, expect bumps in the night and barking dogs at 2:00 a.m. Finally, because of bad satellite reception, approaching from the wrong direction, etc., it is possible that geocachers may inadvertently trespass on your neighbors' property. Please consider telling your neighbors about your geocache, and adding a hint to let people know they're at the correct house.

 

Once you have edited your cache page to address these issues, let me know this and I will take another look at your submission. To respond, please do NOT send me an e-mail. Leave a new "Note to Reviewer" log here on your cache page. I have your cache on my watchlist, and I will receive a notification when you write your note. All reviewer notes are deleted when your cache is published.

 

Thanks,

Keystone

Geocaching.com Volunteer Cache Reviewer

LOL I think you would have to trash your GPSR if it sent you all the way to the neighbors house, and you could not see any neighbors around my house with a 1000X Telescope. I live right smack dab in the middle of 850 acres. Edited by cashking63
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I have one in my front yard that can be grabbed from the sidewalk because... 1. most people feel uncomfortable about going into someone's yard and 2. I don't want to be sued if said cacher trips over something, smashes into my tree and pokes their eye out on one of my one dozen or so wind chimes. -BK :wub:

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I have found about 10 caches that were in someone's front yard. I have no problem with them. I like them actually. Everytime I find one, I always go up to the front door and knock to say Hi. Sometimes owners like having cachers stop by to say hey. One time I knocked and the owner looked at me like "so you found my cache, why are you bothering me".

 

Place a cache in your front yard, but be prepared for people to come to your door to say hi and let your neighbors know whats going on. It is a pain when I go to one and a neighbor comes out and starts say "Who are you?" "You have no right to be here!" etc.

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We live in the country and are on a corner where a road intersects the highway in front of our house. Our "home" cache is hidden in an evergreen in our extensive windbreak. It is a medium sized cache.

 

In our description we note that:

 

1) yes, we have a dog and she absolutely can NOT go out that far and she's so used to people being out on that corner that she doesn't even bark anymore.

 

2) a quick description of our house so you know which side of the highway it is on

 

3) I give coordinates for parking as we have a driveway there that prime for parking in to search from.

 

It continues to amaze me at how many people DO stop to find the cache and when logging it proceed to say how uncomfortable they were on "private" propery or how much they dislike caches so "near" a home.

 

I think to soothe the fears of those who are uncomfortable I'm going to have the kids make a couple of small wooden signs with the Leatherman mark on it. Those signs will be at our driveway and at the gap where folks slip through the trees.

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I have found two caches infront of cachers houses and they were polar opposites in quality. One was a small poorly crafted container hidden in a broken block wall seperating two properties. The house was on a cul-de-sac in a really bad neighborhood with nosy neighbors. It gave the perception that you were looking for trouble and drugs.

 

The other was hidden on a rural street with a lot of space between houses and not many houses to begin with period. So there were no neighbor problems. The cache itself was well hidden and had a lot of thought behind it. When I found the cache, the cache owner invited me in and gave me a tour of the property.

 

The coords of a first stage of a multi is located infront of my house. Technically the first stage is inside my house since the first stage is a WiFi router broadcasting a SSID that is set to the coords of the final location. People don't have to stop and park. All they need is a laptop or PDA running WiFi detecting software and while they drive down the street their computer will pick it up.

 

There was another cacher in my area who used a FRS radio transmitter in his house to broadcast the final coords.

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Dinner with Lewis and Clark is another example. There is mention in the description of the "gazebo-like greenhouse in the back with a stenciled flower and white trim". Unfortunately, I was paying more attention to the gazebo from the cache description than I should have. After rooting around in the gazebo for a few minutes I looked down at my GPS to find that I was about 75' off. Oops! :santa:

 

Yep...did the same thing at the same cache!!! Once I found the cache (at least when i found it)...the name made more sense!!!

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I'd put one on my property, but I can't get the co-owner's permission. :santa: The closest I have done is to have the start of a night cache within sight of the house. It's either drunk Coon Hunters or Crazy Cachers... cheap entertainment either way. :santa:

Edited by edscott
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I'd put one on my property, but I can't get the co-owner's permission. :santa: The closest I have done is to have the start of a night cache within sight of the house. It's either drunk Coon Hunters or Crazy Cachers... cheap entertainment either way. :santa:

 

That is a great cache. And the cold beverage in your kitchen afterward wasn't too bad either. That doesn't put me in a third category of drunk Cachers does it?

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has anybody ever hidden a cache in their own yard? or know of one. I have a very large chunk of property and was thinking of hiding a few on it.

 

I haven't been anywhere near this cache but I'd be willing to bet it's the first ever cache in someone's front yard! The owner doesn't really do a good job of indicating that it is in a yard though, and I'd feel sort of aprehensive if I showed up. I think that making it perfectly clear that it's your property, and that geocachers are welcome in the body of the cache description, is the best policy.

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One other thing to consider when you put a cache in your front yard is that you're basically telling the whole world where you live. Even if you're subtle about that on the cache page, folks will certainly put 2 & 2 together. It may not be a big deal to you, but it is something to consider.

 

Of course, a front yard cache can be quite handy when giving another cacher directions to your house... :laughing:

Edited by DocDiTTo
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When we first started we would look, but inevitably the coords would take me right between two houses. Or to the middle of the street. Got the EVIL scowl from a neighbor once and figured they are just a waste of my time. We no longer do PP caches. Absolutely hate them. Really what is so interesting about your yard? I'd rather do a light-pole at Wally World.

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When we first started we would look, but inevitably the coords would take me right between two houses. Or to the middle of the street. Got the EVIL scowl from a neighbor once and figured they are just a waste of my time. We no longer do PP caches. Absolutely hate them. Really what is so interesting about your yard? I'd rather do a light-pole at Wally World.

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One other thing to consider when you put a cache in your front yard is that you're basically telling the whole world where you live. Even if you're subtle about that on the cache page, folks will certainly put 2 & 2 together. It may not be a big deal to you, but it is something to consider.

Of course, there's a book published annually with a list of names and addresses that also tells the whole world where you live. :(
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I found one yesterday that was outside the cachers's large front yard. He came out to talk to us and we had a great conversation. :D Another "front yard" cache that is great is this one. It has a TB tag embedded in the container's creative artwork. :(

 

However, some of these types of caches are not in good places, or good neighborhoods, and I'll avoid them. I have also looked in front of the wrong house for the cache. That was not good . . . :D

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When we first started we would look, but inevitably the coords would take me right between two houses. Or to the middle of the street. Got the EVIL scowl from a neighbor once and figured they are just a waste of my time. We no longer do PP caches. Absolutely hate them. Really what is so interesting about your yard? I'd rather do a light-pole at Wally World.

Thats just it, you don't know. Cause as far as I know you have never been here. For one I could put a couple of wally worlds in my yard, with room to spare. It is all wooded sor really not much differance from a park

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