"Digging" guidelines clariffication please

[+GreedyRogue]

I am looking to place my first cache here shortly and need some clarification on the "Digging" guidelines. Straight from the guidelines page it states;

"Geocaches are never buried. If a shovel, trowel or other pointy object is used to dig or break ground, whether in order to hide or to find the cache, then it is not permitted."

 

Now I take that to mean literally, I am not allowed to dig anything in order to place a cache. That is fine with me btw. My question is, can I use an existing hole to place a cache?

 

I found a spot that has a naturally placed dirt hole in between 2 largish rocks and a small shrub bush. The hole is about 2 foot deep and 3 feet wide at the largest side, and was either natural or possibly dug by someone else. What I was thinking is placing the cache in the hole and making a "cover" out of small branches and glued on leaf cover.

 

Would love a reviewers opinion here, and if needed I might be able to get a picture of it.

[GOF and Bacall]

Yes, you can use an existing hole. But please take a moment to think about how the cache will look to others. If it is gonna look like the hole was dug for the cache the landowner/manager isn't going to care that you were careful to choose an existing hole. It could also set a bad example for someone who is not quite as conscientious about studying the rules as you obviously are.

[Keystone]

Yes, you can use an existing hole. But please take a moment to think about how the cache will look to others. If it is gonna look like the hole was dug for the cache the landowner/manager isn't going to care that you were careful to choose an existing hole. It could also set a bad example for someone who is not quite as conscientious about studying the rules as you obviously are.

To this concise post, I don't know what else a reviewer can add. Nice job.

[+dakboy]

Yes, you can use an existing hole. But please take a moment to think about how the cache will look to others. If it is gonna look like the hole was dug for the cache the landowner/manager isn't going to care that you were careful to choose an existing hole. It could also set a bad example for someone who is not quite as conscientious about studying the rules as you obviously are.

An existing hole could also be a home for an animal.

[+larryc43230]

An existing hole could also be a home for an animal.

It certainly could, and an incident a few years ago here in Columbus proved that. A cacher, part of a group visiting the area from out of town, was looking for a popular cache that was hidden in a natural hole in the ground. He stuck his arm far into one of several holes near ground zero, and an instant later he was screaming in pain. Something inside the hole had taken umbrage to this home invasion and bitten him rather severely.

 

They managed to stop the bleeding with some effort, then took him to a nearby hospital, where he was successfully patched up. The animal, whatever it was, was never seen, let alone caught for testing. The cacher wound up getting rabies shots as a precaution.

 

I've heard recommendations that cachers carry some sort of stick or rod to probe the hole, to roust out any critter that might be lurking. As my partner Little Truffle-Pig likes to point out, that maneuver is likely to just irritate the animal and get him in a biting mood.

 

I carry an automotive mirror-on-a-telescoping-stick to look into dark places before plunging an arm elbow-deep into unknown places. It's not foolproof, but I figure it can't hurt.

 

--Larry

[+briansnat]

I've used existing holes before. I make sure I note on the cache page that the hole was naturally occurring and not dug by me.

Edited April 15, 2011 by briansnat

[+StarBrand]

I've used existing holes before. I make sure I note on the cache page that the hole was naturally occurring and not dug by me.

I've done this a few times as well. Though what I used was more of a depression rather than the hole described.

[+sbell111]

The OP's scenario seems to be within the guidelines. However, a concealed hole in a choke point between a boulder and a bush seems more like a broken leg than a cache.

Edited April 15, 2011 by sbell111

[+KDotBlueDot]

The OP's scenario seems to be within the guidelines. However, a concealed hole in a chpoke point between a boulder and a bush seems more like a broken leg than a cache.

Well said.. all I can picture is a scene out of Gilligan's Island.

[+GreedyRogue]

Great replies everyone. I thought about it and I think this spot may be better off alone. If I did put a cover over it like I was thinking, I could definitly see an animal taking up residence. Or a cacher trying to walk over it and falling through the cache. I don't think it would be probable, but I'll just find a better spot.

 

Good to know I can use existing holes though. Might use that idea for a better location.