Scariest Geocaching Story

[+wvcachers3]

Recently went to visit my parents on vacation with my wife and son. I wanted to introduce my dad to Geocaching so I bought him a GPS and preloaded a bunch in for his area.

 

On a food run up to Walmart, with entire family in tow, I thought I'd show him the fun since I spotted one on my GPS in the parking lot. Typical skirt hidden geocache. Pulled up next to it, in stealth mode. Got out, made the find, signed the log. Looked around and placed back. Nothing unusual right?

 

2 days later I saw the cache was archived which I thought strange. It had over 250 logged entries and hidden since 2007.

 

The log entry above mine by the 'original hider' stated that a Walmart employee spotted a person 'hiding something' under the lightpole skirt and called the police. The police then notified the bomb squad and the entire area was roped off and the "mystery package" was then found to have a rolled up piece of paper in it (a geo-log obviously). Word got around quick in my parents community about the "bomb scare" in their small town.

 

Your thoughts and ideas on this kind of cache, any similar scary stories and if you avoid muggle areas at all anymore?

Edited June 10, 2011 by wvhunter1968

[+ShaunEM]

Get approval first before placing it. IMO the bomb squad should be checking on here first.

 

Shaun

[+wvcachers3]

I think the obvious answer is "getting approval" before placing...but let's be honest here folks....how many out there get approval? Maybe this is the "unspeakable" part of geocaching we aren't supposed to talk about...but in my humble opinion and limited experience with only 63 finds, I would hate to guess how few caches are "approved". I would guess in the single percentage points Im thinking at this point.

[+t4e]

....but just wondering in this day and age where everybody has eyes in the back of their head looking for the next terrorist or drug dealer, if high muggle areas is really that smart of an idea? Im expecting my next high muggle area find to hear the click of a gun behind my head and a cop asking me to drop it and put my hands up.

 

Your thoughts and ideas on this kind of cache, any similar scary stories and if you avoid muggle areas at all anymore?

 

its hardly an issue outside of USA

[+Nubcakes]

One time I was grabbing a cache in a park on the western outskirts of the detroit area when I heard a rustle nearby. I turned to find a gun pointed at my face. The park rangers thought I might be a drug smuggler and took me in for questioning. Fortunately since I complied and was very polite I managed to get off within an hour after being taken to the police station. Taking that into account I sometimes worry a geocache may be on a drug smugglers/gang's territory. Ever since that encounter I conceal carry a handgun just in case with my permit of course. For some reason a cop's suspicion seems to melt away the moment I tell them I have a conceal carry permit and am currently carrying.

[+wvcachers3]

That is a scary story nub! wow! Thanks for sharing!

[+waiau]

Ever since that encounter I conceal carry a handgun just in case with my permit of course.

 

you carry a weapon to go caching ?? tough neighborhood huh

[+BaylorGrad]

The short version of my "scary geocaching story" is here: GC2J8VA and here: The Wrath of Muggles (When Muggles Go Bananas)

[+Nubcakes]

Now that's a bad day!

 

I can't say I've ever been asked to leave or what I was doing. I am usually discrete enough to avoid suspicion. The scariest Geocache story I mentioned above was so far my only "bad" geocaching experience. I never did work up the nerve to go back and actually get/log the cache.

Edited June 29, 2011 by Nubcakes

[+Chief301]

It's quite likely that permission was not obtained for this cache. It's also possible, though, that permission was obtained 4 years ago and the current employees (or at least the ones on duty that day) didn't know about it. I imagine there's a pretty good employee turnover rate at some WalMarts. Just sayin'....

[+WI CavalryScout]

The short version of my "scary geocaching story" is here: GC2J8VA and here: The Wrath of Muggles (When Muggles Go Bananas)

 

Well now I am a scared noob.

[+ARHogFanz]

There's a cache near my home that involves going under a bridge that crosses the Arkansas River in a rural area. It's about a 3 minute walk to gz from the parking area. I was out caching by myself in the middle of the day & decided to go after that one, since it looked interesting. The closer I got to the cache, the more uncomfortable I got. When that inner voice in my head started screaming "Get out NOW!" I finally turned around & went back to the car, never even really beginning the search. Nothing happened, and I didn't see anything suspicious, but I just got a real bad vibe. Even now, I won't go after it even if my husband is with me. Something just keeps warning me away. Who knows?????

[+Disintagrator]

Ever since that encounter I conceal carry a handgun just in case with my permit of course.

 

you carry a weapon to go caching ?? tough neighborhood huh

I carry a hand gun at all times when I cache for two reasons, 1 animals, I have shotmany Rattlesnakes while caching, and fired shots to scare of a bear. 2 yes I have cached in some bad neighborhoods.

[Paperstraw]

I carry a hand gun at all times when I cache for two reasons, 1 animals, I have shotmany Rattlesnakes while caching.

 

Why would you shoot a rattlesnake unless there was no other choice. Seems like senseless violence to me. Even if it was on a cache you could have just moved it with a stick or tossed some stones at it to make it leave...

[Caireboo]

T4e I'm guessing you are American? Why is it some Americans (and I emphasise the some), think they are the only Country in the World. The UK and particularly Ireland has been dealing with far greater Terrorism than America for some time. When I was studying in Oxford from 1990 I sent some time at a college near an Army recruitment office and in one year we had 11 bomb scares 7 of which involved the whole area being closed down for hours at a time. Many other countries in the world have suffered terribly at the hands of terrorists resulting in the loss of many lives. Maybe you should check out World news some time.

I would also like to agree with paperstraws comments to disintigratar, that to shoot any living creature unless it was causing a serious threat to you or your companions, is a senseless act of violence, and something that I am sure goes against the ethics of most of the geocaching community. Let's not forget that you are encroaching on their habitat, not the other way round. I hope you can be more respectful to your environment in future and enjoy your geocaching adventures without causing unnecessary bloodshed.

[+BaylorGrad]

The short version of my "scary geocaching story" is here: GC2J8VA and here: The Wrath of Muggles (When Muggles Go Bananas)

 

Well now I am a scared noob.

 

Don't worry. The owner of the cache was extremely apologetic--she even gave me a limited edition "reviewers only" geocoin as an apology! Also, it's a really, really rare thing to happen. Don't worry.

[+Disintagrator]

I carry a hand gun at all times when I cache for two reasons, 1 animals, I have shotmany Rattlesnakes while caching.

 

Why would you shoot a rattlesnake unless there was no other choice. Seems like senseless violence to me. Even if it was on a cache you could have just moved it with a stick or tossed some stones at it to make it leave...

 

Obviously you know nothing about the temperment of rattlesnakes, They can be quite agressive. living in Canada, how many have you came across? first of all, I only shoot them if I feel me or my children are in danger. and just as an example about 6 weeks ago I found myself in the middle of a grouping of six Rattlers while retrieving a cache, none of them gave any warning, until I went to leave. I left them alone but had any of them shown any aggression, yeah I woulda shot them.

[Paperstraw]

Obviously you know nothing about the temperment of rattlesnakes, They can be quite agressive. living in Canada, how many have you came across? first of all, I only shoot them if I feel me or my children are in danger. and just as an example about 6 weeks ago I found myself in the middle of a grouping of six Rattlers while retrieving a cache, none of them gave any warning, until I went to leave. I left them alone but had any of them shown any aggression, yeah I woulda shot them.

 

Why are you implying Canadian's don't know anything about rattlesnakes, it's not like the whole country is tundra, or do you believe that? I've run into about 3 rattlers while down south in the Alberta Badlands, though luckily I live further north than their natural range, so don't have to run into them on a regular basis.

 

Maybe you should think about your caching situation if this is the case. Instead of shooting rattlesnakes, maybe you should do some caches with your children that are a little less dangerous. Like Caireboo said, you are encroaching upon their habitat not the other way around, so of course they're going to show aggression, to them you could be a potential predator and they're just defending themselves.

 

I somehow doubt that you were all of a sudden surrounded by six rattlesnakes and you're making it out as if they were some malicious gang holding switchblades and baseball bats while wearing leather jackets while you decided to take a shortcut down the ally. You most definately had/will have an exit available and should take it, before killing an animal.

 

Killing should only be used as a last resort, and if you disagree you're an irresposible individual who is just looking for a reason to shoot something, and shouldn't own a firearm at all.

Edited July 11, 2011 by Paperstraw