DNF

[+Cherokee Bill]

Went out for my first hunt today with my new 60CSx. Went out for two (2) caches. GPSr alarmed as being on site, both times, but for the life of me I could not find the cache. Spent about 45-min at each site, DNY OH! and yes I did use the HINT both times.

 

Ever happen to you!

[+Team Polarbear]

More times than I care to think about. Put those caches on the back burner, go find a few more and come back to them when you have more time, experience, and feel like a challenge. Maybe even bring a friend, four eyes are better than two.

[+TotemLake]

Many times. A few took me several weeks of going back before I found them. I grew more frustrated each time and realized I wasn't having much fun so I stopped going back repeatedly and I stopped long fruitless searches. I spend exactly as much time as I'm having fun then I stop and move onto something else.

[+hukilaulau]

First one I looked for was just down the road. Couldn't find it (guardrail micro!) It was several months and many caches later before I finally found it.

[+Wesbo]

Went out for my first hunt today with my new 60CSx. Went out for two (2) caches. GPSr alarmed as being on site, both times, but for the life of me I could not find the cache. Spent about 45-min at each site, DNY OH! and yes I did use the HINT both times.

 

Ever happen to you!

 

All the time...

[jholly]

Went out for my first hunt today with my new 60CSx. Went out for two (2) caches. GPSr alarmed as being on site, both times, but for the life of me I could not find the cache. Spent about 45-min at each site, DNY OH! and yes I did use the HINT both times.

 

Ever happen to you!

 

and I suppose you chose a 2 or 3 star micro, maybe even a blinker. To start you stick with regular or small 1 to 1.5 star caches. Once you have more experience you can tackle the 2 and 3 star macros.

 

Jim

[+BlueDeuce]

Go to ground zero, put the gps away and start searching in an ever expanding circle.

 

If there is bad reception due to trees or cliffs I'll try the Distant Approach method. Go about 100 feet away to get a good signal then walk back. Set a mental line of where the arrow is pointing and then come at it again from another angle. Look for where the lines cross each other. Go to that point and put the gps away.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

That's happened to me many times... I still DNF caches fairly often, twice yesterday in fact, but now I rarely have to come back.

 

One local cache, when I was new and had only about 500 finds, just totally eluded me. I went back 5 times, spent hours looking. Took my son the 6th time, he found it it under 3 minutes!

 

I learned that long frustrating searches are not fun for me. In talking to others as we built the Alabama Geocachers Association we discovered that many of us feel the same way. We started a Phone-A-Friend list. Now if we can't find it and don't want to have to come back for it the chances are high that I have the owner's phone number or that of someone who has found it.

 

Caching with a friend yesterday we had to resort to that twice. Once we were able to make the find with a subtle clue from the owner, once we had to call the owner 3 times asking for more info until she told us exactly where to look and we verified that the cache was missing.

 

Get to know some cachers in your area, attend events and build a Phone-A-Friend list. Unless you enjoy frustration, don't mind hunting for a cache that may not even be there, and want to return to a site time and again the PAF list will really help!

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

I think that the very first cache I went after (it was eventually my 4th find) took repeated visits. That was largely because it was a "small" and I didn't know what it was that I was supposed to be looking for. One day, as I stood there looking at where something might be hidden, I used my foot to fidget with a lawn sprinkler and at that same moment, I thought to myself: "Where is that thing getting water from?" and at the same moment, it seemed to turn in the ground. Guess what? I hadn't found it because I didn't know a cache could be hidden like this and that fact was compounded by the fact it was hidden under my shoe.

 

My advice: Try someghing else / easier. Then return.

[+Snow Birds]

My first cache I had no clue what I was doing. I went to the spot the GPSr led me to and looked around. Found nothing. I went back 3 times and found nothing. I was expanding my search area and spent literally hours looking. I finally wrote to the owner and asked for a clue. Got one, but it didn't help. Finally our very good friends who got us into this came to visit and we went out there. It turned out that I was practically standing on top of it...but I didn't know what I was looking for. And this was not a micro...it was an ammo can!! She told me to look for something out of the ordinary: a pile of rocks, something out of order, even footprints. Now that I have more experience and I know what to look for, I am doing much better. I bagged my 52nd one today, and it was tricky. But I found it!! I used the "footprints" idea and knew I was in the right place. I forgot the "don't just look at the ground" clue!! It was 2 feet up inside a bush!

[+briansnat]

Ever happen to you!

 

Yes. So far 145 times.

[+traildad]

Did you log a DNF?

[Lumpy223]

The very first cache I looked for I couldn't find. I made a second trip and again couldn't find it. Turns out it had gotten muggled and was archived just a few days ago. Stuff happens.

[+DanOCan]

Went out for my first hunt today with my new 60CSx. Went out for two (2) caches. GPSr alarmed as being on site, both times, but for the life of me I could not find the cache. Spent about 45-min at each site, DNY OH! and yes I did use the HINT both times.

 

Ever happen to you!

 

Oh yeah! I think the last time I looked I had logged 294 DNFs. I believe my personal "best" is DNF'ing six straight caches, for all sorts of reasons. It's a big part of the fun although it might not seem like it at the time.

[+Miragee]

Ever happen to you!

Yup . . . after logging yet another DNF today, I'm up to 304 DNFs, some of which I have gone back to find later. Some of which aren't worth returning to now that I saw the location.

 

It happens. Don't give up. Just look for easier, larger containers.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Too funny: I went caching with Betaman, an avid cacher who also has a couple thousand finds, a few minutes after my last post here ~3 hours ago. He came by to get the cache on my front porch so I jumped in the car with him. We found five, including one with several DNFs that was presumed missing, DNF'd 2 and decided to return for one under heavy cover in the daylight.

[+Wesbo]

Went out for my first hunt today with my new 60CSx. Went out for two (2) caches. GPSr alarmed as being on site, both times, but for the life of me I could not find the cache. Spent about 45-min at each site, DNY OH! and yes I did use the HINT both times.

 

Ever happen to you!

 

Might just be me, Bill, but I think it's helpful to everybody if you log a DNF on those... It lets other seekers know that the cache might be a little/a lot challenging, and it lets the owner know if a hint needs tweaking and/or if the location needs to be double-checked... JMO.

[+Prime Suspect]

Went out for my first hunt today with my new 60CSx. Went out for two (2) caches. GPSr alarmed as being on site, both times, but for the life of me I could not find the cache. Spent about 45-min at each site, DNY OH! and yes I did use the HINT both times.

 

Ever happen to you!

DN....Y?

[+Ambrosia]

Went out for my first hunt today with my new 60CSx. Went out for two (2) caches. GPSr alarmed as being on site, both times, but for the life of me I could not find the cache. Spent about 45-min at each site, DNY OH! and yes I did use the HINT both times.

 

Ever happen to you!

DN....Y?

 

Thank you!

[+paleolith]

Yep, DNFs are part of the game. The game is half GPS and half just plain searching. GPS does not get you to within a foot. Log your DNFs; those are some of the best stories. Remember that your find count is

 

1 * #finds - 0 * #DNFs

 

so log all the DNFs you want; they don't affect your find count.

 

Edward

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Went out for my first hunt today with my new 60CSx. Went out for two (2) caches. GPSr alarmed as being on site, both times, but for the life of me I could not find the cache. Spent about 45-min at each site, DNY OH! and yes I did use the HINT both times.

 

Ever happen to you!

 

Oh yeah! I think the last time I looked I had logged 294 DNFs. I believe my personal "best" is DNF'ing six straight caches, for all sorts of reasons. It's a big part of the fun although it might not seem like it at the time.

 

As a fathers day present I got to spend the entire day geocaching (actually I could only go until about 3:30pm due to other obligations). I started the day off with 4 DNFs in a row and ended up with the highest total finds I've done so far and 6 DNFs for the day.

[+KBI]

... Guess what? I hadn't found it because I didn't know a cache could be hidden like this ...

...but I didn't know what I was looking for. And this was not a micro...it was an ammo can!!

 

... I forgot the "don't just look at the ground" clue!! It was 2 feet up inside a bush!

Been there, done that.

 

One of the most valuable lessons this hobby has taught me is to question my assumptions.

 

I have lost count of the number of times I have unnecessarily limited my search for a cache because I had some pre-determined hypothesis or two in my head that I wasn’t even aware I had made.

 

When you find yourself stumped, ask yourself if there is anything you are assuming about the hide. It’s not easy to do sometimes – it will challenge your habits, it will challenge your reliance on experience, it will challenge your mental inertia, and it will challenge your very honesty to yourself.

 

It is a valuable skill, one that will serve you well in every other area of life. It is a very healthy mental exercise. They say such mental gymnastics can actually help your mind to live as long as your body – it may stave off senility.

 

Most people call it “thinking outside the box.” I happen to be really, really tired of that trite phrase, but “thinking outside the box” is exactly what I mean.

 

Are you assuming the cache is hidden? It might be merely camouflaged – and in plain view.

Are you assuming the cache is on the ground? Look up.

Are you assuming the cache is some kind of container? Heh heh.

 

Question your assumptions. It’s a lesson I keep having to learn over and over and over and over ...

 

 

 

By the way, I assume "DNY" means "DNF" - Did Not Find. But that, of course, is merely an ... assumption.

[+wapahani]

I've currently got 2 caches that we have hunted for more then 4 times each. We just finally said 'enough' and will go back later on to find them. I know they are there, as both of them have been found yesterday (although I have my doubts because of the cachers pattern and so forth).

 

But once we have worn our welcome on a cache, we move on.

On case we couldn't find it, we had been there 3 times. The wife said NO MORE and I said once more. I returned with another friend and we found it.

 

Sometimes its right before your eyes!

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

I am mystified at the use of the term "DNY" in the thread title and again in some of the posts in this thread. Can someone tell me what the term means? I assume that it means something akin to "did not find", aka DNF, but for the life of me, I cannot guess the meaning of the term, particularly what the "Y" stands for. Some possibilities which I considered but discarded are:

• did not yodel
  
• did not yet (I know, not very logical....)
  
• die now, Yankee
  
• drill not yurts
  
• drool not yogurt
  
• Denali not yet
  
• Denali native yaks
  
• drool not, yaks
  
• drink no yttrium
  
• drink no ytterbium
  

[Mag Magician]

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | Date: 2008

 

Y1 / wī/ (also y) • n. (pl. Ys or Y's ) 1. the twenty-fifth letter of the alphabet. ∎ denoting the next after X in a set of items, categories, etc. ∎ denoting a second unknown or unspecified person or thing: the claim that chemical X causes birth defect Y. ∎ (usu. y) the second unknown quantity in an algebraic expression, usually the dependent variable. ∎ (usu. y) denoting the secondary or vertical axis in a system of coordinates: [in comb.] the y-axis.

 

He musta meant he didn't think of the vertical axis when searching.

[+KBI]

I am mystified at the use of the term "DNY" in the thread title and again in some of the posts in this thread. Can someone tell me what the term means? I assume that it means something akin to "did not find", aka DNF, but for the life of me, I cannot guess the meaning of the term, particularly what the "Y" stands for. Some possibilities which I considered but discarded are:

• did not yodel
  
• did not yet (I know, not very logical....)
  
• die now, Yankee
  
• drill not yurts
  
• drool not yogurt
  
• Denali not yet
  
• Denali native yaks
  
• drool not, yaks
  
• drink no yttrium
  
• drink no ytterbium
  

• Despise New York
  
• Darn Near Yellow
  
• Did Nothing Yesterday
  
• Yes, No Dyslexia
  

[+Cherokee Bill]

Did you log a DNF?

 

Are you the Chief of the Geocache Police

 

I logged DNF yesterday, went back this afternoon, found caches, signed log. Went back to Geocache.com, edited the DNF to "Found".

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Did Not Yell "Found It"!

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

I am mystified at the use of the term "DNY" in the thread title and again in some of the posts in this thread. Can someone tell me what the term means? I assume that it means something akin to "did not find", aka DNF, but for the life of me, I cannot guess the meaning of the term, particularly what the "Y" stands for. Some possibilities which I considered but discarded are:

• did not yodel
  
• did not yet (I know, not very logical....)
  
• die now, Yankee
  
• drill not yurts
  
• drool not yogurt
  
• Denali not yet
  
• Denali native yaks
  
• drool not, yaks
  
• drink no yttrium
  
• drink no ytterbium
  

• Despise New York
  
• Darn Near Yellow
  
• Did Nothing Yesterday
  
• Yes, No Dyslexia
  

Not to pick at imaginary lint or subatomic particles nor be neurotic or anything, but would not "yes/no dyslexia" be an even more appropriate terminology for the last one? Or was that the name of a rock band?

And, stop stealing my ytterbium citrate nutritional supplement tablets!

[+traildad]

Did you log a DNF?

 

Are you the Chief of the Geocache Police

 

I logged DNF yesterday, went back this afternoon, found caches, signed log. Went back to Geocache.com, edited the DNF to "Found".

No, actually sub-lieutenant. And it is Forum Police if you please. If I was in the Geocache Police I would have been actively searching logs looking for it. Now that we have that cleared up, would you like to discuss the subject of changing DNF logs to found it?

[+wimseyguy]

Ever happen to you!

Yup, 494 times, not counting the ones I haven't posted from this weekend yet.

There are probably a few DNF's that I forgot to log from my all day runs (amd maybe even a find or three), but I try to keep track of them as best I can to post all of my activity accurately.

 

I would recommend that you leave the DNF's stand, and post a new log with your finds. For me it is just part of the history of the cache, and my activity. But you can play the way you want to.

 

Welcome to the addiction, and be sure to have lots of fun with it.

[+team140]

A friend and I went out yesterday and had FOUR DNFs in a row right out of the gate. We spent about an hour at the first two with no results. We found fantastic spots where the canisters SHOULD have been, but nothing was there.

 

The next two we had no information on the caches other than names and coordinates (we were in the area) so we didn't know if we were looking for micros or canisters. One of them looks like it may have been washed away in a flood. They are on our list to go back and check again.

 

After those four we found three that our GPS literally put us on top of and five more today that did the same.

[Skippermark]

Ever happen to you!

 

Yes, I search till I get frustrated. Once I'm frustrated, my ability to search with an open mind goes down the tubes.

 

What you may find is that you may come back in a few days and walk right up to it.

 

One thing, the GPS may show you're 0 feet from the cache, but that may not be true. GPSs are effected by "bounce", and it may not settle down on the exact spot. If you can't find it where you GPS settles down, expand your search a bit and you may find it.

[+wapahani]

I've currently got 2 caches that we have hunted for more then 4 times each. We just finally said 'enough' and will go back later on to find them. I know they are there, as both of them have been found yesterday (although I have my doubts because of the cachers pattern and so forth).

 

 

Point made, returned yesterday, found one cache had been replaced with a DECON instead of the listed Bison, new log and everything. The other was no where to be found, but you could follow the previous cachers destruction. Sad

We did find 1 of the 2. I think I call it quits on the other one however!

[+TotemLake]

Did you log a DNF?

 

Are you the Chief of the Geocache Police

 

I logged DNF yesterday, went back this afternoon, found caches, signed log. Went back to Geocache.com, edited the DNF to "Found".

I understand why you converted the DNF to a Find. I did the same thing myself in my early days and I'm sure lots of ofther folks did too... That being said, you should leave the DNF stand on its own legs and post a new Found It log. This helps preserve the actual cache history.

Edited August 11, 2008 by TotemLake

[+briansnat]

Did you log a DNF?

 

Are you the Chief of the Geocache Police

 

I logged DNF yesterday, went back this afternoon, found caches, signed log. Went back to Geocache.com, edited the DNF to "Found".

I understand why you converted the DNF to a Find. I did the same thing myself in my early days and I'm sure lots of ofther folks did too... That being said, you should leave the DNF stand on its own legs and post a new Found It log. This helps preserve the actual cache history.

 

That and the cache owner doesn't receive notification of the find if you just edit the log.

[+Shop99er]

Did you log a DNF?

 

Are you the Chief of the Geocache Police

 

I logged DNF yesterday, went back this afternoon, found caches, signed log. Went back to Geocache.com, edited the DNF to "Found".

I understand why you converted the DNF to a Find. I did the same thing myself in my early days and I'm sure lots of ofther folks did too... That being said, you should leave the DNF stand on its own legs and post a new Found It log. This helps preserve the actual cache history.

 

What Totem Lake said.

[AZcachemeister]

Did you log a DNF?

 

Are you the Chief of the Geocache Police

 

I logged DNF yesterday, went back this afternoon, found caches, signed log. Went back to Geocache.com, edited the DNF to "Found".

I understand why you converted the DNF to a Find. I did the same thing myself in my early days and I'm sure lots of ofther folks did too... That being said, you should leave the DNF stand on its own legs and post a new Found It log. This helps preserve the actual cache history.

 

Edit not thy DNF logs, for thou shalt someday become proud of them.

Thou shalt post a new 'Found It!' log, and rejoice in thy success over adversity.

And the preceding DNF log will bear witness that thou dost not give up easily.

 

So it is written.

[+TotemLake]

Did you log a DNF?

 

Are you the Chief of the Geocache Police

 

I logged DNF yesterday, went back this afternoon, found caches, signed log. Went back to Geocache.com, edited the DNF to "Found".

I understand why you converted the DNF to a Find. I did the same thing myself in my early days and I'm sure lots of ofther folks did too... That being said, you should leave the DNF stand on its own legs and post a new Found It log. This helps preserve the actual cache history.

 

Edit not thy DNF logs, for thou shalt someday become proud of them.

Thou shalt post a new 'Found It!' log, and rejoice in thy success over adversity.

And the preceding DNF log will bear witness that thou dost not give up easily.

 

So it is written.

Make it so.

[+WRASTRO]

Did you log a DNF?

 

Are you the Chief of the Geocache Police

 

I logged DNF yesterday, went back this afternoon, found caches, signed log. Went back to Geocache.com, edited the DNF to "Found".

I understand why you converted the DNF to a Find. I did the same thing myself in my early days and I'm sure lots of ofther folks did too... That being said, you should leave the DNF stand on its own legs and post a new Found It log. This helps preserve the actual cache history.

 

Edit not thy DNF logs, for thou shalt someday become proud of them.

Thou shalt post a new 'Found It!' log, and rejoice in thy success over adversity.

And the preceding DNF log will bear witness that thou dost not give up easily.

 

So it is written.

Make it so.

The duty is performed...or should be.

[+Zop]

Went out for my first hunt today with my new 60CSx. Went out for two (2) caches. GPSr alarmed as being on site, both times, but for the life of me I could not find the cache. Spent about 45-min at each site, DNY OH! and yes I did use the HINT both times.

 

Ever happen to you!

 

Alarmed as being on site? Did you then look to see your distance to GZ? Were you within 20 feet or so or were you .25 mile away?

[+Tresco]

Many times. A few took me several weeks of going back before I found them. I grew more frustrated each time and realized I wasn't having much fun so I stopped going back repeatedly and I stopped long fruitless searches. I spend exactly as much time as I'm having fun then I stop and move onto something else.

I like your atitude.

[+steel city babes]

Did you log a DNF?

 

Are you the Chief of the Geocache Police

 

I logged DNF yesterday, went back this afternoon, found caches, signed log. Went back to Geocache.com, edited the DNF to "Found".

I understand why you converted the DNF to a Find. I did the same thing myself in my early days and I'm sure lots of ofther folks did too... That being said, you should leave the DNF stand on its own legs and post a new Found It log. This helps preserve the actual cache history.

 

Edit not thy DNF logs, for thou shalt someday become proud of them.

Thou shalt post a new 'Found It!' log, and rejoice in thy success over adversity.

And the preceding DNF log will bear witness that thou dost not give up easily.

 

So it is written.

 

LMAO

[+steel city babes]

Went out for my first hunt today with my new 60CSx. Went out for two (2) caches. GPSr alarmed as being on site, both times, but for the life of me I could not find the cache. Spent about 45-min at each site, DNY OH! and yes I did use the HINT both times.

 

Ever happen to you!

 

Yep it has happened, I too log my dnf's. I just logged a few in the past few days...dang micros/urban caches....

 

I like dnfs it is like a badge of courage...sometimes a Red Badge of Courage .

 

Sometimes the dnf logs are funny as heck...I look back and think Geez

 

More importantly, it lets the owner know there may be problem....

 

How do some of you know your dnf count? Do you go back and manually count?

[+Bad_CRC]

If I don't find a cache in a reasonable amt of time, I like to leave and come back later.

 

Usually I'll find that my GPS had me a long ways from where I needed to be, and when I come back, I'll find it almost immediately.