How does someone find a cache before it's active?

[+BBI Dragon]

A partial quote from a local cache places end of last year that I found yesterday:

 

Quote:

This is a pretty straight forward cache... ...but had been placed to close to Railroad Tracks so I needed to move it...

 

When I went to pick this cache up at the old location to move it I looked at the log and was very impressed that "name deleted here" had found it anyway even though it was not ever active, so in light of this I think it would only be fair to give "name deleted here" the FTF on this one.

 

My question: How does this, how can this happen? Please speculate or if you know, explain it to me.

Thank you.

[+fishingdude720]

Maybe it was the reviewer?

 

Thats the only thing I can think of.

[+Don_J]

A partial quote from a local cache places end of last year that I found yesterday:

 

Quote:

This is a pretty straight forward cache... ...but had been placed to close to Railroad Tracks so I needed to move it...

 

When I went to pick this cache up at the old location to move it I looked at the log and was very impressed that "name deleted here" had found it anyway even though it was not ever active, so in light of this I think it would only be fair to give "name deleted here" the FTF on this one.

 

My question: How does this, how can this happen? Please speculate or if you know, explain it to me.

Thank you.

 

Did you drop a travel bug or coin in it? If so, and someone gets a notification of it, they can track the TB/coin to the cache using the Google Earth file on the TB/coins page.

[+thedeadpirate]

Maybe it was another cacher looking for a good hiding spot. I've read that happening more than a few times.

[Keystone]

Maybe it was the reviewer?

 

Thats the only thing I can think of.

Reviewers do not physically verify the cache location prior to publication. They also do not use their advance knowledge to find the cache prior to publication as a player.

[+flask]

there are lots of way to poach not-yet published caches.

 

i have found them by accident, by working out their location by way of TBs, and on hunches.

 

"oh, i think that so-and-so might have gone out to place a cache today. maybe i'll just go out to that park and see if i can find tracks."

 

poaching is fine sport, and much more fun than FTF hunting once the coordinates come out. it's more of a challenge, more of a rush.

[+CB & BB]

A partial quote from a local cache places end of last year that I found yesterday:

 

Quote:

This is a pretty straight forward cache... ...but had been placed to close to Railroad Tracks so I needed to move it...

 

When I went to pick this cache up at the old location to move it I looked at the log and was very impressed that "name deleted here" had found it anyway even though it was not ever active, so in light of this I think it would only be fair to give "name deleted here" the FTF on this one.

 

My question: How does this, how can this happen? Please speculate or if you know, explain it to me.

Thank you.

[+CB & BB]

Look at the other caches that were hidden by the same person that day. #2, #3, #4, etc were published. Check out the pattern (You will have to go find the caches) #1 was not published because it was too close to the RR but, the finder decided to follow the pattern and look for the cache. Or you could just ask SS, he has a perfectly good explanation.

[jholly]

If you drop a TB in a cache, drop the coin/bug with bogus co-ordinates for the cache. Then edit the final location for the cache just before you submit. Or edit the final co-ordinates before you drop the bug/coin but let it sit next to your desk for a week or two. Drive 'em crazy. Have a little fun.

 

Jim

[+Vater_Araignee]

My poach also shows how it can be done.

August 3, 2008 by Vater_Araignee

You gotta be more careful sucker boy. I saw ya placing this one and hung around outta sight waiting for ya to finish.

Must rank with the easiest FTFs in history.

[+Walts Hunting]

Sometimes they get real lucky. I did a mystery cache where you had to find three TB's in order to get the final location (each one had part of the final coordinates). I figured this would set off a pretty good race as people tried to find (and maybe hide) the bugs. Of course as they keep moving around it would get really interesting. I was especially looking forward to giving a challenge to all the FTF hounds in the area. I had arranged for the cache to be activated on a particular day. The day before I set out in the morning to distribute the bugs. Each location was at least 15 miles from any other. I got home and logged the bugs in. I got the following log later that evening.

 

Jeo was here

Mc5 and I were feeling like a hike so we decided to go on a Rad Trip and do some cache maintenence on "Red White and Blue" and "Road Trip". While there we stumbled across the first of the three bugs. I didn't recognize it or the cache it was refering to but wrote down the numbers anyway "Just in case". Then headed up the hill for a new cache "Gold Bug". Hey What's this a second mysterious TB??? The plot thickens, am I that far out of the loop or am I just getting lucky? Made a quick phone call to find out where the third TB was. Found out it was down in my area but also found out that there wasn't a cache yet hhmmm The gravy thickens Made a quick trip to get the rest of the info and hopefully find the mysterious cache. On approach to the final location I made a guess from about 100 feet away and I was right Mc5 hates it when I do that. Cool there's still an RC car and we were WooHoo FTF! Took the car and dropped off a 915LM garage door open/close indicator light (I'm glad I brought the work truck). Then when we got home still couldn't find the cache online and found out that it hadn't been approved yet. Cool found a cache before approval, reminds me of the good ol days when we could lurk around the not approved caches. Sometimes it pays to be lucky.

Thanks for a great and well setup cache.