Adopting a cache that has never been published

[+boojerdog]

HI all-

 

There is a local area that I hike in quite often (3-4 times/week) and about 3 months ago I noticed what I thought was a piece of trash in a bush next to the trail and when I picked it up to carry it out, I found that it was a cache.

 

Aha! A new cache that I haven't seen (I hadn't checked my email where I get cache notifications for a day or so) and what's better, the log was clean!

Hmm, no pen in the cache...so I hiked back to my car, got a pen, hiked back to the cache, signed in, claimed the FTF prize, left the pen and hid it just a little bit better so it wasn't quite so visible.

Got home - looked for the cache to log it and it hadn't been published.

It still hasn't been published after a few months...It is in a legal place, far enough from existing caches, so it should be valid. It doesn't appear to have been found by anyone but me.

 

I'm willing to adopt it as I'd been thinking of putting a cache in that area- but is that OK? Is there a way that a cache can be in a limbo state and be owned and not published?

 

Thanks for the guidance....

[+Panther&Pine]

Only if you can figure out who the Owner is and get them to adopt it over to you.

[+Walts Hunting]

You can't adopt an unpublished cache. The owner doesn't see that option. Plus how would you find hime.

 

Why not just get a container. Put it there and submit your own cache. If it has been there that long unpublished it either was rejected by a reviewer (there are many reasons not involving distance form another cache plus it could violate distance guidelines from an unseen waypoint of a multi) or the CO never got around to trying to publish it.

 

Also a note to a reviewer with the coordinates would probably get a response about whether the location is safe.

[+Don_J]

Have you checked the other sites. It may be listed on one of them. As far as adopting, you can't adopt something that does not yet exist.

[+L0ne.R]

I'm willing to adopt it as I'd been thinking of putting a cache in that area- but is that OK? Is there a way that a cache can be in a limbo state and be owned and not published?

 

Thanks for the guidance....

• Is it too close to another cache, that may be why it's unpublished. I've found several unpublished abandoned caches near active caches.
• Was there a stamp in the box? If so it may be a letterbox and may be published on Atlas Quest or LBNA.
• It could possibly be listed on another geocaching site (but that's rare).

Edited June 19, 2011 by Lone R

[savant9]

Or its a puzzle/multi and the posted start coords are far from that location.

[+palmetto]

I don't think it's relevant to the OP's issue, which mostly revolves about not knowing who owns the box he found, but this statement is false, "You can't adopt an unpublished cache. The owner doesn't see that option." Unpublished listings will transfer through the adoption page www.geocaching.com/adopt/ I've adopted over unpublished listings a number of times.

[+boojerdog]

Have you checked the other sites. It may be listed on one of them. As far as adopting, you can't adopt something that does not yet exist.

 

It's got the geocaching.com info page taped to the outside of the container, so I'm pretty sure it was intended to be a geo cache (associated with this site.)

[+boojerdog]

Or its a puzzle/multi and the posted start coords are far from that location.

 

Thanks, I didn't think of that because it had a log book in it and I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that it was a single cache.

[+Lil Devil]

Send an email to your local reviewer with the coords where you found the cache, and he can tell you if there is a listing there, and who owns it.

[+slukster]

Had a similar thing happen to me. Here is the cache I created from it:

Is this cache yours?

I am guess that there was a proximity issue when first placed and the owner never returned to retrieve it.

Edited June 19, 2011 by slukster

[+GeoGeeBee]

Am I the only one that puts the GC number on, and in, my containers?

 

If someone found one of my caches by accident, they wouldn't have any problem finding out what cache it is. I thought everyone did that. Most non-micros that I find have the GC number written on the cover of the logbook.

[+jellis]

Send an email to your local reviewer with the coords where you found the cache, and he can tell you if there is a listing there, and who owns it.

The reviewer may also let you know if there is an unpublished cache there. If not then the owner of that has not even tried to publish it yet. You can also try contacting any local cachers and see if any of them left it. If not you can try just publishing it yourself since it's been so long. We have seen some like that.

Oh and heaven forbid it could be a Opencaching cache or another one like Terracache.

Edited June 20, 2011 by jellis

[+vincenzosi]

Am I the only one that puts the GC number on, and in, my containers?

 

Not counting Nanos and Micros, I would say about 50% of the caches that I've found that aren't in those two categories had no identifying marker on them aside from "Official Geocache." My guess is that the owner probably submitted it after they placed it, rather than writing it up, placing it, then enabling it for review.

 

Haven't seen a whole lot of identifiers on containers, though.

Edited June 20, 2011 by vincenzosi

[+t4e]

Or its a puzzle/multi and the posted start coords are far from that location.

 

Thanks, I didn't think of that because it had a log book in it and I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that it was a single cache.

 

the final of a puzzle/multi cache will have a logbook in it

 

Am I the only one that puts the GC number on, and in, my containers?

 

 

i never put it on the container, in cases where i have the listing made up ahead of time i will put it in the logbook but most times its a spontaneous hide i won't have a GC code available

Edited June 20, 2011 by t4e

[7rxc]

Possibly a cache pending for an event, placed well in advance of the event?

 

As for ID... Even nano logs have room for the GC# if nothing else... Don't the guidelines require some form of ID? I'd think the GC# would be sufficient to link to the page and then the owner. In another thread recently this was mentioned as not required, but owner contact information gets mentioned as 'should' be... Have to look that up again.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+vincenzosi]

Possibly a cache pending for an event, placed well in advance of the event?

 

As for ID... Even nano logs have room for the GC# if nothing else... Don't the guidelines require some form of ID? I'd think the GC# would be sufficient to link to the page and then the owner. In another thread recently this was mentioned as not required, but owner contact information gets mentioned as 'should' be... Have to look that up again.

 

Doug 7rxc

 

Nope, no requirement... Here's the closest I can find in the guidelines....

 

Label your geocache. To avoid confusion and alarm when a cache is discovered accidentally, clearly label it as a "geocache" on the outside of the container. Transparent containers help to show that the contents are harmless. If the container has any military markings, we recommend covering these permanently or removing them. Include a printed "cache note" inside your geocache explaining what it is and providing a brief description of geocaching.

I thought I remembered a "code" requirement, too, but I guess not.

[+NanCycle]

Am I the only one that puts the GC number on, and in, my containers?

 

If someone found one of my caches by accident, they wouldn't have any problem finding out what cache it is. I thought everyone did that. Most non-micros that I find have the GC number written on the cover of the logbook.

 

I do, even my micros have the GC#. All my larger caches even have my email address. I got an email once from somebody who found the cache by accident while looking for some kind of radio station promotional hide.