Dissappointed in cachers

[JasperNL]

It's exactly the same over here in The Netherlands. All items in the mid-size/large caches are toys from McDonalds or other types of rubbish... A lot of people aren't even trading anymore, they're just taking stuff out as 'a reward for finding the cache' without leaving another item behind. Why are people like that?

 

I mean, it takes a lot of time and effort to create and hide caches, you can find them for free! So why don't people spend a few dollars/euro's/pounds/whatever on a few small goodies to trade? Think about the next person who will find the cache; what would he really like to find in the cache, what would you like to find in a cache?

 

A big thanks to the people who are trading up, and leaving behind creative and great tradables! And remember; what you give is what you'll get! I really appreciate it !

Edited August 12, 2010 by JasperNL

[+JoJoJeJe]

i love kinder eggs but not too bothered about the toys so i leave them in caches whenever possible - for the little ones, i dont want anything in return.

[The 2 Dogs]

For as long as geocaching has existed, (and I've been there all that time) the lack of a fair trades and quality of cache contents has been a bugbear. I have always set large caches with quality contents, and I usually trade up in value not down, but these days you mostly find rubbish. Sad really.

[+BoogandElliot]

i tend to find, actual garbage in some cache, ie, cash register receits, wadded up gum wrappers, old movie ticket stubbs, i usually take it out and cito the cache and move on.

 

I once found a cache because of little strips of colored paper laying in an "odd" place, one led to another, then another, then right to the cache - in which was a wad of the same thing.

 

Very disappointing

[+kkats]

My husband and I are very new to this out of the 5 caches we have found within a ten mile radius from our home 4 of them were in places we didn't even know existed.

 

We are experiencing our local countryside with fresh eyes and having a lot of fun too. We are in N.Ireland bt the way.

 

It is not about the 'treasure' for us. We left a pandora charm in our first find and took a small badge because what it said made me laugh.

 

We tend to move what we find in one cache to another a lot like the coins and bugs (which we have also found 1 of each)

 

I will be visiting my local £shop though that is a good idea thanks.

Edited August 27, 2010 by kkats

[ygo2slow]

I feel your pain. Just wait until you buy and send out GC or TB and they get stolen. Or you spend good money on building a custom cache, or buying an ammo can and it gets stolen. I'm not calling anyone out here, because once you place something in a cache, you might as well consider it gone. I just hope you don't let others ruin your fun. The general rule is trade up or even nor not at all.

 

-ygo2slow

Team Low Tech - Lufkin

http://www.teamlowtech.info

"Cache the Planet"

[+Tonyalynnm]

went caching today and came across what was at one time a nice cache by Arkansas state parks, that was full of nothing but trash and junk!!!! It is sad that people (not the CO but the cachers) let these caches degrade so bad. If we don't have anything to trade then we don't trade, we don't put junk or trash in a cache. I don't ever think that receipts, ticket stubs, or tore up toys can be called a good trade. I also hesitate to leave a TB or Geocoin in a cache like this.

[+happydog67]

I always try to leave something even if I don't take anything. I get more happiness out of coming up with fun and creative things to leave, and then imagining people's reactions to finding the cool things. Tis better to give than to receive, I say!

[Claudis192]

I think the lesson here is to expect your contents to get worse and worse. Especially if your cache is targeted to the young cachers. I have two caches targeted at kids and i expect i'll have to fill them up myself alot. If you want to talk about people being cheap think about all the geocachers who place caches and maintain them without any complaint. If you don't want to spend money then don't but stop calling the general community a bunch of misers.

[+Catalinagrey]

We're not all cheap. There are only a few caches in my area big enough for swag. I take my dog on walks and I check on the caches that I've already found. If they are low on swag I add a few things. I never take anything. It's fun!

There is more happiness in giving than receiving.

And I don't expect people to trade swag in my caches. I would rather have them just take something and not put 'garbage' in my cache.

[+Chokecherry]

I typically leave more in caches than I take. Sometimes I leave stuff and don't take anything. Today I got some cheap plastic animals out of a couple caches. I loved them and they're not worth a lot but I left a lot in their place because I valued them.

[+hikeatrail]

Interesting reading. One thing I notice - to each his own. Some like Dollar Store trinkets, some prefer homemade ones, some prefer none at all. It takes all kinds of people to make the world go 'round and all kinds of swag to make caching the experience that it is.

 

The male half of the hikeatrail team is not into the swag. Female half (that would be ME) enjoys it. I like leaving things I think kids would enjoy, especially. I pick up clean little toys at garage sales and bargain bins. One of my favorite things we took from a cache was a crazy little wind-up figure. I also like my giant black ant. If we find something that seems to be just trash (leaves, unadorned sticks, etc) we toss them out. Once we found a glow stick that had gotten overheated and the chemicals had reacted inside the ammo can. We cleaned out that mess, too. The worst thing we ever found - in MY opinion - was a condom.

[megerold]

it is annoying when i find garbage but you hae to take it as part of the search ..we have only found 2 and i was unhappy about the garbage in it like a q tip and chocolate and then my son sa a little tiny green martian. We are more excited to put swag in. i have a collection of cool items (to me ) for this purpose. a marble a shell chucky cheese coins a decorative pin. a bag of jax. im sure when someone finds it they will love it. if they put in junk i hope the next person fixes it.

[+TeamLinz]

We like the ones with swag better than the micros.

 

My daughter was so excited when we found our first one that she wanted to make one of our own that day. I suggested we do that as a reward after we had found 10. Good idea, as it turns out - we just found our 10th this weekend and each one has been so different - lots of neat ideas. We haven`t found anything worth lots of money, but lots of `treasures.` Sometimes we`ll both trade, sometimes just one of us will find something worth adding to our swag collection.

 

What we have been leaving is our own home made fairies - not valuable, by any means, but special to us to leave.

 

We had a discussion about whether we would keep the stuff we trade for, or use that to start our own. We both like the stuff we`ve collected and decided we`d keep it, and are having fun planning what will go into our first cache. And in planning where it will go, it will be somewhere we can stay on top of it`s upkeep.

[+bri13]

Modt cachers take pretty good for not being in heat...

[+zapfrog]

I can see where many here are coming from. For my wife and I (and friends) the hunt, adventure and journey are the best part BUT pieces of things, broken things, business cards, pieces of paper are just taking up space, get wet, moldy, you get the idea and are just junk.

 

Small trinkets, handmade items, items with explanation, small toys etc. are all good swag!

 

We practice CITO but lately it seems we are practicing CITO on the caches themselves and not just the environment.

[Crude]

fyi, I love woot.com for cache items. They have awesome Tuesday deals. Most caches around here are too small for trades or too cheap to keep the contents dry. Single use rubbermaid isn't going to last maybe 10 open/close attempts. I do it for the find, the only reason I open the container is in case the owner verifies the finds on the log....but that's rare I'm sure as most logs are soaked or full.

Ammo cans are a treasure!!!

[+Capt. Sandor]

Only been caching about a month, love the hunt. I decided to increase the quality of the SWAG in the caches I find. You can buy super cheep cool stuff (you don't need to use McDonalds toys). I got a dozen brand new matchbox cars for 5.00, real prehistoric shark teeth, 10 for 10.00, and a dozen parachute men for 3.00. These would be great finds, super cheep on my end and more fun to find than ripped up paper. BTW, I've got a line on foreign coins, about a 1000 (yes a thousand) coins for like 30.00. I like the micro's and coins and shark teeth fit nicely!

 

I do understand that this is a "free" sport and the economy sucks but I would rather just sign the log and thank the stasher than leave a broken toy. (Just my opinion - don't judge me)

 

I tried to think like a kid and wondered what I would like to find. Happy hunting!

[+Droo]

CZ-5,

What you've described is known as the Tragedy of the Commons.

 

~ Mitch ~

Wow.... though I'm late to the table on this discussion this made interesting reading as it is clearly pertinent to geocaching. Thanks for the link.

[+Droo]

I think the lesson here is to expect your contents to get worse and worse. Especially if your cache is targeted to the young cachers. I have two caches targeted at kids and i expect i'll have to fill them up myself alot. If you want to talk about people being cheap think about all the geocachers who place caches and maintain them without any complaint. If you don't want to spend money then don't but stop calling the general community a bunch of misers.

Interesting argument.... you begin with the notion that stuff degrades on it's own, establish a norm where cache owners have a responsibility to quietly pour money into their caches so others can have their free fun and rewards then conclude that people shouldn't be accused of being miserly, for wanting something for nothing. Sadly you're not alone in feeling this way.

[+Droo]

...

 

I do understand that this is a "free" sport and the economy sucks but I would rather just sign the log and thank the stasher than leave a broken toy. (Just my opinion - don't judge me)

...

It sounds like you're spending some cash to help contribute to the "free" sport of ours... kudos to you. Alas, it's rarely free for the cache stasher, hider, placer, owner and it's the finder who forgets that who is the real cause of the problem.

[+Buntings24]

Of course - as far as removing items - we actuallly found bullet casings in a cache last week (which were promptly removed)

 

Why remove those? They aren't dangerous (any more than anything else that be swallowed by a little kid, I guess) and lots of kids (and some adults I can name) think they are kind of cool. That's particularly true if the casing is in some unusual caliber.

 

My Two boys would love to find bullett casings and i would allow them to take them for trinkets ! they have a cple of their own

[aaron.rn]

IM okay with small, used, seemingly useless things in my caches. I dont think anyone said that swag had to be new or storebought. If someone felt like purposfully carrying it to my cache then it seems perfectly okay with them putting it it there. Im thinking of a local cacher who is known for placing a signed MGD cap in his finds. I dont think he takes anything in return.... I also like finding a nice polished rock or handmade doo-dad that couldnt ever come from a store...

 

I am disappointed that some folks think its okay to put trash in trade... cigarette butts & candy wrappers are NOT trade materials. This is my main fuss. I go to great lengths to put cool stuff in my caches and hope people enjoy what Ive placed in there... Id much rather have someone take something even if they dont have anything to trade rather than putting crap from the ground in as a "trade".... Lame....

 

But dont fret too much... I find that many will put fair trades in, and I take the occasional chance to refill my caches and enjoy looking at what others have placed in there...

 

I think its a minority of foul/inconsiderate/unthoughtful people that ruin it for others. That doesnt mean that its a common practice that relates to cachers being cheap as a whole. But if we all just add a couple things to poor neglected caches I think many kidos would be stoked to go caching with mom and pop..

 

Is there a way to encourage trading up? I did a youthgroup activity where we all started with a paperclip and had to go door to door trading up in order to do a auction/fundraiser later that weekend. Amazing stuff really! How cool would It be to open a cache with sweet treasures inside?!?!

[+FloridaFour]

I think used toys or items are fine, if they are still in good shape. Garbagy old stuff that will get damp and rot in there...not a good idea. Better to just sign log.

 

I live near a beach. What I think is cool may not be to others, so I was curious:

 

Would a nice packet of local seashells (nice ones) be a good swag item? It's free, but would take me some time collecting good ones and I do think they're pretty and can be used as decor, craft items, shell collection, etc. Haven't put any in yet, but I have some ready to go.

 

Is there a list of good adult swag items somewhere? I'm not too creative! So far my best find was a measuring tape! (which I will use!)

[tacotoby]

This afternoon I found a beer bottle cap in a small cache container. And the person who left it said in the log that he had done so. I wonder if he just picked it up where he parked his car in order to "leave something."

 

Ihave found those also and I agree it isn't the right thing for a cache trade. On the other hand my daughter collects them and was thrilled.

[+astralmonkey]

I must agree with the main post. It is aggrevating when you get to a cache, yours or another persons, and it is filled with garbage. I live next to a golf course so guess whats in a lot of the caches???? Golf Balls! It is aggrevating.

 

Now I also disagree with the talk that the find is the coolest. I am 28 years old and i feel like a kid out there playing in the woods. Every cache is a secret you never know whats in there. U walk through woods, brambles. etc and find a container full of nasty crap.

 

Then for cool stuff to put in a cache..... anything you would like to find in a container. Do you want to find a stupid golf ball?

[+Renegade Knight]

...Needless to say- I don't think We'll be placing anymore caches in the future.

 

Which would make you cheaper than the people you are complaining about.

 

Either you are a positive influence on the world, or you are part of the problem. You can leave caches out there to enjoy, or you can take your ball and go home and sulk. One people will enjoy as will you if you recognize that your cache was a gift, not a contract, the other only you wil enjoy but sulking doesn't seem like fun.

[+HoppyGirl]

We are new to geocaching and we are really enjoying ourselves. My favorite part of geocaching is being outdoors with my family. We are very busy and we have lost sight of some very important things in life. So well my kids are not amused by wandering aimlessly in general they are willing to go 'look for things'. As we walk and we look we talk and we laugh together we appreciate the amazing natural wonders we find.

 

That being said I love finding little odd things. I am not fond of broken junk but little orange plastic teepees and red dragons and polished rocks bring a smile to my face. I carefully catalog where each one came from and take pictures of the most beautiful things we see on the way. Tonight for the first time we found a lot of caches with junk...or with almost nothing in them. I guess it was a good life lesson for my son because I had a big bag of stuff (in life I am always over prepared) and I stocked each one. My ten year old got really upset at one of our last ones because I put in a rubics cube and some other big items (it was a good sized cache). His theory was that people would just come and take our big items and leave junk. I was grateful to have that moment because I was able to share with him that we create our world and I was creating the world I wanted. We were being the change we wanted to see to quote a great man. We waste our lives worrying about what we can't change. We do the right thing and we don't worry about what happens to the treasures we planted after we leave. It only matters that we planted them.

 

Some of the cache finds we have seen that were delightful included seeds, little sealed packets of OFF (my son hates mosquitos!), cool rocks. I found the ultimate kids geocache when I didn't have my kids! It was filled with four and five dollar items - new in the package. I ended up taking a weird little, kind of dirty little frog. I decided that I was going to purchase a few of these items to put in caches (just one or two) - how awesome for kids! So that person created change .

 

Bad swag = loose change - nickels, pennies, food items, invisible items (empty canisters!) and this weird little green plastic guy I got. The more I look at him the more I feel that he is probably possessed by evil spirits. It's just so weird looking! I will probably end up burying that one in the back yard.

[+dirt_empire]

Dear cz-5,

As a team, we rarely take anything from a cache,

 

[sNIP]

 

Relax, enjoy, socialise, and try to leave your hang ups at the door.

 

Regards

 

FenrisTwolf (The Goonies)

 

You just made my day.

[+armadillogal]

It's always fun to find good swag but it's all about the adventure. I have left everything from stickers and homemade tokens, glass pieces, pecos diamonds, key chains, toys, and plenty of other things I find at thrift shops that I think people would like. I collect pins so I am always happy to find those or magnets but I have found some even neater things. And most times I don't place caches on the fly but I did do one Saturday because I happened to have enough stuff with me, just couldn't label it as well as I usually do. I have lost bison tubes, replaced them with others, used any small plastic or tin container I can find and believe me they turn up all kinds of places. Walking back to the car from the trail Saturday I found a pink cigar tube complete with cover. Did my CITO duty and immediately thought-free cache container! My friends even save me their tins etc. I am 2 away from 400 official finds...on my 1 year anniversary....and I have 38 plants. This hobby has gotten me to places I never knew about an I have been in this state 12 years.

[+bflentje]

Bad swag = loose change - nickels, pennies, food items, invisible items (empty canisters!) and this weird little green plastic guy I got. The more I look at him the more I feel that he is probably possessed by evil spirits. It's just so weird looking! I will probably end up burying that one in the back yard.

 

I'll take the loose change any day of the week. And I'd be happier if you left loose notes too!

[+JaxDog]

From a new cachers perspective, I love the swag part of caching. Actually, I am a sig item freak. My wife otoh, loves swag of all kinds. She is currently chasing rubber dinos and army men.

 

Since we do enjoy the swag aspect, we spend about 50.00 per month on giveaways. We find something of interest in about 1 in 7 caches. We pull rusty junk and taco sauces out about 1 in 6. We always add multiple swag items unless the O/P specifically requests no SWAG due to an anti swag beliefs or lack of container space.

 

Thus far we only have placed two caches. One is a theme cache so it doesnt count. The other is a drive by specifically done for kids/those new to caching, and swag folks. We must have some great GCers here as I have not found a single piece of junk in the cache yet. 3Doxies even left us one of his stunning sig GC's and another very cool sig item was left for us by another cacher.

 

In summary, we love swag and are therefore willing to give more than we get in order to leave something for those that choose to participate. In the end, we want our caches to be remain full of goodies so we maintain them that way. We never expected the SWAG to be self perpetuating.

 

While I do understand your frustration, in the end, it is what it is. Pretty deep, huh?

[Laser Mom]

I have to agree, I thought maybe it was just our area, all we have found seems to be little erasers, plastic army men and junk. My 11 year old started caching for a Boy Scout Merit Badge, but has yet to trade one single thing because he's so disappointed in only finding junk! I thought the whole idea was to trade equal or greater value, if people can affort GPSs than how come they can't affort to play by the rules and make fair trades? Sure takes some of the excitement out to keep finding the same junk even worse when you've went so far and sometimes on such difficult terrain just to get a little box of dollar store junk, but what do you guys do? I have always traded up... almost hard not to unless I trade for pennies. but really... what does a good cacher do to get people to play fair?

[+SaschaSeeks]

Wow! This has been on my mind so much in the past day or so. We placed a great cache, large ammo can, filled to the brim with things for adults and children to enjoy. We were amazed by the amount of 'misc swag' that the FTF family took. What happened to even/or better trades? They left nothing in return, and cleaned out most of the swag in the cache. This is a group that has made hundreds of finds and has not placed a single cache for the community. I know the swag was left for others to take, but the amount claimed by this group was shocking.They also took most of the trackables and left none in return. Oh well, they should be happy with teaching their children the lesson of greed. I need to remember that I cannot change the way people act, only responsible for my own actions.

Thanks for letting me vent....

[+stoker331]

we've recently started to clean out the crap and replace it with a couple things ... found one and it had this big load of hair in it, like dog hair or something, found batteries in another .... we just trash it, so the next people dont have to come across it. we also try to clean up the trails abit along the way. we try to trade 1 for 1, we usually have a big bag of stuff we take along, caching with kids means they want to find something, and I feel responsible to replace what is taken. remember its the few and not the majority, or so i choose to believe!

[+rav_bunneh]

Yesterday I found this really nice ammo can caches, the big 50 cal one. I was all excited then I opened the cache and inside was a used sticky McD soda cup with lid and straw in it. Disgusted as I was by it I cito'ed it out.

[knowschad]

Yesterday I found this really nice ammo can caches, the big 50 cal one. I was all excited then I opened the cache and inside was a used sticky McD soda cup with lid and straw in it. Disgusted as I was by it I cito'ed it out.

I can only believe that sort of junk had to be left by a muggle.

[+oc45132]

I am still a newbie to geocaching. We cache with and without the kids. The kids of course always want to trade items. We try to find small toys for them to trade. Are they worth alot? No there not. Between the gas prices and feeding everyone while we are out cost a lot of money. The kids will keep a few trinkets in there pockets. I wish that we could afford to put better trinkets in there. We started geocaching cause it was supposed to be something that was more inexpensive. After a few weeks writing everything down, that got old really quick. So we spent 150.00(had a 50.00 bestbuy coupon)on a gps. The gas prices are only going to get worse. So we will have to pick and choose, if we get to go at all. I think the hunt is the main thing. We get to get out and see things that we may never have known were there and it is great excercise for all of us. So we are not goona keep up with the jones's on this game. You may need to realize that there are whole lot of people in far worse situations than us.

[+Tazicon]

I am probably way behind in the thread as I got tired of reading it.

 

The thing I have to add is when my grand daughter goes caching with me (she's 5) its often the little cheap toys or what some would consider trash that she wants. She leaves what I give her which is mostly new in the package items, but when something is not in the cache she will leave "Something for the kids". Man I wish I was five again and some of you adults could learn a lesson from her. Sometimes the value to an adult has nothing to do with the value to a kid.

 

The ohter thing as stated above not everyone has the money others do to leave equal trade items. I for one just care that they trade. Its for the kids as my grand daughter says!

Edited April 29, 2011 by Tazicon

[angelndemon]

Its been an interesting read going through all the posts in this forum....We also have placed a new cache only to have the FTF denude it of all 'valuable' items to be replaced with what we think are of lesser value items.. it is disappointing but it seems to be the nature of the game. We would all love to live in an ideal world but alas not.

 

We often geocache with our two boys and do encourage them to think about what is an acceptable swap, it can wind up with a bit of a debate.

 

So what we seem to do now is add lots of little kiddy stuff, kids are like magpies, if it sparkles or seems collectable, it's cool! up-caching is a great idea, and is something we try to do, but if there isnt something we think is worth taking, its a TNSL for us or left "..." SL.

 

At the end of the day seeing another 'smiley' makes it worth it!

 

PS: I have seen some truly aweful junk in some really awesome caches, it just comes down to a few rotten apples.....It confounds me sometimes that people can go the extra mile to find a cache but dont put the same effort into the trades... I could go on and on and on... haha but I wont.

 

Happy caching everyone

[+jaroot]

I have a cache in a local park that I try to keep filled with little nic-naks that kids would like. Don't really care about the fair trade rules on this one I just want the kids to be able to find something to take. While maintaining it one day I find that it has a bunch of literal garbage in it including an open bag of Ramon noodles.

[EelKat]

 

What a fun idea. I hadn't thought of putting seeds in before.

 

I tend to not trade items, but I carry a few items (new, in packaging) in my car/pocket just in case there is a bug or coin I want to take for a ride.

 

Not to spoil the fun, but seeds might be considered food items to something...

As for TB's and Coins... they are NOT trade goods... and are free to move without obligation to exchange.

 

Doug 7rxc

 

The term "to seed" means to put an item in the box, without taking an item out, just as "seed money" is when a person gives you money (not a loan, but a gift) and to use to start a new business. When you "seed" something, it means you are taking a risk and giving something to someone else, not expecting anything in return, but hoping that something good will grow out of your generous offer.

 

In Geocaching "leaving seeds" means that you have left items in the box, but you did not take any items out of it. You do so in hopes that you are helping the cache owner to keep the cache active. In other words: it is doing a good deed.

 

Personally, I'm a "Santa Claus" or "Easter Bunny" type - I have more fun buying things to put in the boxes for others to find. I'm not prone to taking something. I'm in it more for the hike, the taking photos, and than leaving a bit of "treasure" behind for someone to find. I don't know, maybe I'm weird, but I find it more fun just leaving things.

 

Than again - I'm the same way about Christmas - I go bonkers buying gifts and wrapping presents and don't get excited at all over open my own gifts.

Edited May 10, 2011 by EelKat

[+Warturtle]

I almost always put something in a cache, and only take things out if I want them. I've taken some fish hooks (in a bag of course), a stuffed animal for my sister, and some other trinkets, but more often than not I TNL something.

[+SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

Uhm? I'm unemployed, throw job offer at me & we can talk currency.. Otherwise...

 

When I began caching, I realized I had alot of things being left in caches. Hot Wheels, kids toys, etc. From then on, I began leaving my old toys in caches. I still have ALOT to go through. Looks like I'm running out of micro-machines finally.

Figured, I have no use for those children's toys anymore, would be a hassle, and cost more than worth to ship anywhere. I don't really wanna toss them. Figure some other children can enjoy them as I did when I was their age. And upon checking my own caches, I've noticed the items I left, were gone, nothing was left in their place, but whatever, IDC. I promptly restocked them.

I rarely take anything. Only time I recall was probably around cache 100-150? Unfortunately, I was on a long string of caches that day, and had nothing on me at the time. But how much I've left out of the tons of caches before and after, makes up for it right?

I notice trash in some caches on occasion, but gets removed while I'm at it, no biggy.

Edited May 27, 2011 by SaDiZTiKStyLeZ

[+aka Momster]

I almost always put something in a cache, and only take things out if I want them. I've taken some fish hooks (in a bag of course), a stuffed animal for my sister, and some other trinkets, but more often than not I TNL something.

 

Oh, nice Lazuli Bunting avatar, UtahnBirder! I used to bird, but it began taking 2+ years for each new lifer, so I finally gave it up for an endless supply of geofinds. lol

 

Don't mind me, folks. Just reacting to a surprise sighting. Carry on.

[ChrisEMT1]

I can agree on most of the comments here, and if I visit a cache and find something that I find interesting, and I don't have anything to trade for it with me, I either don't take it if its a cache I can't get to either easily or quickly, or if I can get to it quickly and/or easily, I take the cool item, and return to the cache with something of equal or greater value.

 

As far as ammunition is concerned, if it is a USED casing (already been fired from a firearm, with no gunpowder, primer, or bullet) it is harmless, and if it is a unique type or brand, why not leave it. Some people actually collect ammunition casings from unique manufacturers, or foreign made casings, or military calibers. If it is an UNFIRED round of ammunition, and you feel comfortable removing it, then remove it and bring it to either a gun store or the local police department for PROPER disposal. If you explain to the person that it was found while you were geocaching, and what geocaching is, along with the general area that it was found in, there should be no problem with the police or gun store owner taking it.... And who knows, you may turn someone into a new geocacher... :-)

[+oc45132]

Well if anyone is out geocaching and find a yard or garage sale- check them out- you may get a better deal than at a dollar store- a few years ago in my search to find prizes for our family halloween party- someone gave me a box of 300 markers individually wrapped- they were some kind of invisible marker and only worked on certain paper- but I gave them to the church-

I have found a fishing hook in a cache once- not sure what they were thinking- i took it out and threw it away

As far as the rocks go- I have a bag of rocks- only there rubies- and they are not worth squat till you get them polished- would that be a bad thing to leave if i put a note saying what it was

[+Warturtle]

I almost always put something in a cache, and only take things out if I want them. I've taken some fish hooks (in a bag of course), a stuffed animal for my sister, and some other trinkets, but more often than not I TNL something.

 

Oh, nice Lazuli Bunting avatar, UtahnBirder! I used to bird, but it began taking 2+ years for each new lifer, so I finally gave it up for an endless supply of geofinds. lol

 

Don't mind me, folks. Just reacting to a surprise sighting. Carry on.

Let me just extend this off-the-side convo a bit more

 

I don't bird very much at all anymore, but I still do look for them and identify when I have my binoculars close to me.

I got a new lifer today, a Short-Eared Owl. However, the way I got it really sucked.

I hit it with a Jeep going 65 mph, it broke the thing's neck right then and there and killed it, and broke my windshield. It was a really sh**ty way to get a new lifer...

[+aka Momster]

I almost always put something in a cache, and only take things out if I want them. I've taken some fish hooks (in a bag of course), a stuffed animal for my sister, and some other trinkets, but more often than not I TNL something.

 

Oh, nice Lazuli Bunting avatar, UtahnBirder! I used to bird, but it began taking 2+ years for each new lifer, so I finally gave it up for an endless supply of geofinds. lol

 

Don't mind me, folks. Just reacting to a surprise sighting. Carry on.

Let me just extend this off-the-side convo a bit more

 

I don't bird very much at all anymore, but I still do look for them and identify when I have my binoculars close to me.

I got a new lifer today, a Short-Eared Owl. However, the way I got it really sucked.

I hit it with a Jeep going 65 mph, it broke the thing's neck right then and there and killed it, and broke my windshield. It was a really sh**ty way to get a new lifer...

 

Oh, that is a sad way to see a life bird. I have yet to find a short-eared owl myself. There would be a occasional note about them on the RBA, but I was never much of a chaser.

[+onthegomom]

Well I am usually out with my 3 girls 10 and under and they absolutely love the trading aspect. It is VERY disappointing to find one completely empty or with garbage in it for them. It totally sucks the fun out of trading when no one else feels the need to do it as well