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how to move a bug


Kite and Hawkeye

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What are the 'rules' on how to move a travel bug? I've yet to encounter one, but I'm curious. Is it cheating to give (or even mail) the bug to a geocaching friend to move it along? Should you try to keep the movement 'natural,' and drop it off at a cache you were going to visit anyway? Maybe I'm confusing travel bug etiquette with that of georged bills, where I'd feel guilty or wrong deliberately saving a george dollar to spend on vacation a thousand miles away just for the sake of taking it somewhere interesting.

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There are some historical threads on this topic in the Travel Bug section...

Travel Bugs Being Handed Off

mailing

 

Basically the guidelines (not rules) are that we tend to prefer them to be picked up from a cache and transported to another cache by the cacher.

 

The alternative is to pick up the bug from a cache, meet another geocacher that can better move the bug along, and physically hand it to them so they can place it in a cache.

 

Mailing a bug to further its mission is frowned upon, but not strictly against any "rules."

 

As far as holding on to a bug because you're travelling a far distance in the future - that's up to you and the bug owner. I would communicate your intentions and see what they feel. Some people prefer bugs to stay in circulation, even if it means that it may get more miles. Some bug owners wouldn't mind them being out of circulation for a while if it results in traveling great distances. Bottom line: contact the bug's owner.

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocachers

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1. are you obligated to trade out the travel bug if you arrive at the cache and one is there?

2. must you leave something for taking the travel bug?

3. are you releived of any obligation to take the bug if you dont honestly believe that you could further its mission in a meaningfull way (ie move it to another cache in the same general area when its objective is to get around the world or someting like that)?

thanks for your opinions

 

SR and dboggny. WHAT?!?!

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Oh, we're not that hard and fast on anything. There are some other threads that answer this, but I think the consensus is that you do not have to trade for a bug (if you take one, you're helping it along not trading items), and you are under no obligation to take one if you find it, especially if you think you cannot help it on its mission.

 

Although, many of the bugs only post their mission on the website, so you never know until you get it back home.

 

In the case where you grab a bug and bring it home, and find out that you can't possibly help it - place it in the nearest cache as soon as you can, and apologize on the page - but don't feel too much pressure. These mishaps are sometimes what makes the bugs so fun. icon_wink.gif

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocachers

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Oh, we're not that hard and fast on anything. There are some other threads that answer this, but I think the consensus is that you do not have to trade for a bug (if you take one, you're helping it along not trading items), and you are under no obligation to take one if you find it, especially if you think you cannot help it on its mission.

 

Although, many of the bugs only post their mission on the website, so you never know until you get it back home.

 

In the case where you grab a bug and bring it home, and find out that you can't possibly help it - place it in the nearest cache as soon as you can, and apologize on the page - but don't feel too much pressure. These mishaps are sometimes what makes the bugs so fun. icon_wink.gif

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocachers

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Well, here is another question then. We picked up a bug a few days back and had high hopes of dropping it off at a new cache however, circumstances have prevented us from doing so. icon_frown.gif Is it ok to drop the bug off at a cache we have already visited? We really want to put this guy back into circulation.

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Well, here is another question then. We picked up a bug a few days back and had high hopes of dropping it off at a new cache however, circumstances have prevented us from doing so. icon_frown.gif Is it ok to drop the bug off at a cache we have already visited? We really want to put this guy back into circulation.

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quote:
Originally posted by pairomedics&theiv:

Is it ok to drop the bug off at a cache we have already visited? We really want to put this guy back into circulation.


I'm not a bug owner at this point, but my answer: Absolutely!

 

...especially if it helps that bugs' goal. At this point, I've pretty much found every cache within 60 miles of me, and if I picked up a bug and had to drop it off in a hurry, the only place it could go is a cache I've already visited.

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Well, I need to chime in since I am a bug specialist of sorts. I have had bugs in hopes of moving them on and some freak thing happens and the bug just didn't get moved. I have had to put one back in circulation just out of guilt, but then saw it still just sat, so I picked it up again and now I'm taking it closer to it's goal for real this time. It is in my luggage early on. (yes I'm an addict) Helping it to it's goal is the thing. Hang on to it for a short bit or if your an owner, put the rules in your bug description i.e. no air travel for instance, take the bug, play with it, photo it, post the photo, take it to dinner, whatever, but for goodness sake don't keep it and let it rust or get dusty. They are for us to have fun with. I don't think anyone should be mailed. That's a crime in geocaching and to me defeats the purpose of the whole personal handling aspect of the sport. Please , let's not start mailing bugs. A bugs miles would become worthless then. I get junk mail at home that's traveled 3,000 miles and it goes in the trash without a thought because it's just worthless.

:rolleyes

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quote:
Originally posted by The Bug Zapper :

I picked it up again and now I'm taking it closer to it's goal for real this time. It is in my luggage early on. (yes I'm an addict) Helping it to it's goal is the thing. Hang on to it for a short bit or if your an owner, put the rules in your bug description i.e. no air travel for instance, take the bug, play with it, photo it, post the photo, take it to dinner, whatever, but for goodness sake don't keep it and let it rust or get dusty.


Amen. I hope now that the bug is in your luggage you've contacted the owner so they don't worry. I've got another bug in someone's hands for 87 days now. icon_rolleyes.gif

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocachers

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quote:
Originally posted by The Bug Zapper :

I picked it up again and now I'm taking it closer to it's goal for real this time. It is in my luggage early on. (yes I'm an addict) Helping it to it's goal is the thing. Hang on to it for a short bit or if your an owner, put the rules in your bug description i.e. no air travel for instance, take the bug, play with it, photo it, post the photo, take it to dinner, whatever, but for goodness sake don't keep it and let it rust or get dusty.


Amen. I hope now that the bug is in your luggage you've contacted the owner so they don't worry. I've got another bug in someone's hands for 87 days now. icon_rolleyes.gif

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocachers

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I seem to be caught in a "bug loop" right now.

 

I picked up the first bug deliberately, and made plans on where to deposit it. When I got to the target cache, there was already a bug in it. So I swapped them.

 

Now that's happened to me three times (for a total of four bugs). I didn't plan it this way!

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