Newby finds a Travel Bug

[+bestwood]

First time out with my new GPS and as luck would have it, I found what my buddy called a trackable.

He was really excited for me...I think now it was because he was so glad he didn't find it

Following his instructions, I recorded the number that was on the back of the little frog. (He verified that number was recorded correctly)

I then dropped it off at the next cache we found.

Once home,I have been reading and trying to understand this TB, tracker, trackbug, hitchhiker phenomena for 2 hours and am none the wiser but considerably more confused.

Turns out the number on the back of the damned frog does not exist when I entered the number into a place this site provides.

I feel I have become the victim of a cruel prank.

Is it OK if I just go back to where I left the little green problem and take it back to where I found it, retrieved it, grabbed it or discovered it?

I will try now to record my first two finds and make no mention of that miserable little s.o.b., unless someone can tell me in plain english how to proceed,

Thanks

[+Cachefoxxe]

Any chance you took a picture of it? that might help us help you. Also there are competeing companies that have there own trackables. So you might have found one of those.

 

If it did say Trackable at Geocaching.com, and you know that the number is corect. what is the message that you keep getting?

 

The normal way to log a trackable is to go to the main site then the play menu, find trackable. then you put the code in in the box labeled "Enter the Tracking Code of the Item:" this should pull up the trackable.

[+stijnhommes]

If you find a travelbug in the cache the site says its in and you take it with you, you use the retrieve option.

If you find a travelbug in a cache and you DO NOT take it with you, you use the discovered option.

If you find the travelbug is not where it is supposed to be, (for example, the website says it's in Spain and you recover it from a cache in California), and you take it with you, you use a grab.

If you have a travelbug already with you when you find a cache, you can log a visit.

 

If the number doesn't seem to exist, you might have mixed up symbols that look alike like the I and the L or it may be a bug that's not activated.

What does it look like?

[+kunarion]

First time out with my new GPS and as luck would have it, I found what my buddy called a trackable.

He was really excited for me...I think now it was because he was so glad he didn't find it

Following his instructions, I recorded the number that was on the back of the little frog. (He verified that number was recorded correctly)

I then dropped it off at the next cache we found.

Once home,I have been reading and trying to understand this TB, tracker, trackbug, hitchhiker phenomena for 2 hours and am none the wiser but considerably more confused.

Turns out the number on the back of the damned frog does not exist when I entered the number into a place this site provides.

I feel I have become the victim of a cruel prank.

Is it OK if I just go back to where I left the little green problem and take it back to where I found it, retrieved it, grabbed it or discovered it?

I will try now to record my first two finds and make no mention of that miserable little s.o.b., unless someone can tell me in plain english how to proceed,

Thanks

It's fine to put it back. But also make a log note on the caches (or edit your Found It log), with something like "took frog, but Tracking Code doesn't work, so I put it back". This helps future finders know that it's a little tricky to enter the number, or that it may not even be a Trackable item.

 

Does it have info like "Track at Geocaching.com"? Is it a professionally printed or engraved number? If not, it might be a serialized Signature Item.

[Pup Patrol]

First time out with my new GPS and as luck would have it, I found what my buddy called a trackable.

He was really excited for me...I think now it was because he was so glad he didn't find it

Following his instructions, I recorded the number that was on the back of the little frog. (He verified that number was recorded correctly)

I then dropped it off at the next cache we found.

Once home,I have been reading and trying to understand this TB, tracker, trackbug, hitchhiker phenomena for 2 hours and am none the wiser but considerably more confused.

Turns out the number on the back of the damned frog does not exist when I entered the number into a place this site provides.

I feel I have become the victim of a cruel prank.

Is it OK if I just go back to where I left the little green problem and take it back to where I found it, retrieved it, grabbed it or discovered it?

I will try now to record my first two finds and make no mention of that miserable little s.o.b., unless someone can tell me in plain english how to proceed,

Thanks

 

Could you post the GC code of the cache you found it in? Thanks.

 

For it to be trackable here, it needs to say "trackable at Groundspeak.com". There are other companies that put out trackables, so that's the first thing that needs to be established.

 

You most certainly can return the trackable to the cache where you found it.

 

The Help Center has a section on Trackables that might be helpful:

 

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=10

 

 

B.

[+bestwood]

Thanks to all who responded with help. OK the "thing" is a frog. It seems to be made of aluminum and was attached to a keychain. On the back of the frog it had the # that when entered on this site gives me the message The Travel Bug you requested does not exist in the system. Also on the back of the frog is a website www.cachebuddies.net When I go there I am referred to this site.

The number seems to be professionally printed on the back of the frog. The CG where I found it is GC36X4E

Unfortunately I did not take a picture of it. It did not say "trackable at Groundspeak.com" anywhere that I saw.

It'd raining and hailing here today or else I would take it back where I found it and maybe mention that I "discovered" a trackable.

Never again will I ever touch one !!!! Hope I didn't miss any questions.

[Pup Patrol]

Thanks to all who responded with help. OK the "thing" is a frog. It seems to be made of aluminum and was attached to a keychain. On the back of the frog it had the # that when entered on this site gives me the message The Travel Bug you requested does not exist in the system. Also on the back of the frog is a website www.cachebuddies.net When I go there I am referred to this site.

The number seems to be professionally printed on the back of the frog. The CG where I found it is GC36X4E

Unfortunately I did not take a picture of it. It did not say "trackable at Groundspeak.com" anywhere that I saw.

It'd raining and hailing here today or else I would take it back where I found it and maybe mention that I "discovered" a trackable.

Never again will I ever touch one !!!! Hope I didn't miss any questions.

 

Looks like it's this travel bug:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?guid=9e56ed56-2e1e-4d75-917e-388209a10205

 

If that's it, then it is indeed trackable here on Groundspeak.

 

You might need to look more closely at the private tracking number. It's common to mistake an 0 for an O, for example.

 

I wouldn't give up on trackables just yet. Some of us consider you to be lucky to have found one. It might seem difficult right now, but it's not really. It's just that usually the private tracking number can be rather difficult to read.

 

Don't give up! Other cachers are counting on you to move their trackables.

 

 

B.

[+Cachefoxxe]

I have found a few cache buddies myself. They are trackable here. Sounds to me either the owner never activated this one, or a couple of the numbers are wrong. Like the I and the L looking the same, or th 0 (zero) and the O (O). By the way is this the one?

 

http://www.1stcacher.com/trackables/trackable-tags/cache-buddies/trackable-hop-the-frog-travel-tag.html

Edited September 11, 2012 by ghosthunterlogan

[Pup Patrol]

I have found a few cache buddies myself. They are trackable here. Sounds to me either the owner never activated this one, or a couple of the numbers are wrong. Like the I and the L looking the same, or th 0 (zero) and the O (O).

 

It's activated, and has been retrieved and dropped by other cachers. It's still showing in the cache's inventory because the OP hasn't logged retrieving it.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?guid=9e56ed56-2e1e-4d75-917e-388209a10205

 

 

B.

[+Cachefoxxe]

Yeo I should have checked the logs that were posted first.....

[+Understandblue]

If you find a travelbug in the cache the site says its in and you take it with you, you use the retrieve option.

If you find a travelbug in a cache and you DO NOT take it with you, you use the discovered option.

If you find the travelbug is not where it is supposed to be, (for example, the website says it's in Spain and you recover it from a cache in California), and you take it with you, you use a grab.

If you have a travelbug already with you when you find a cache, you can log a visit.

 

If the number doesn't seem to exist, you might have mixed up symbols that look alike like the I and the L or it may be a bug that's not activated.

What does it look like?

 

Thanks for this list!

[+Understandblue]

Oh don't give up on them! It's fun to help move them along - don't be discouraged. I do take pics of everything, just because it's quicker than trying to log on my phone while I'm hiding from muggles

 

I've only retrieved one but I'm excited to move it to another state - I'd love to find more.

[+ayrbrain]

No don't give up, as someone mentioned double check the O and 0 and 1 or it could be an L. This has happened to me a couple of times as i misread the numerical 0 for a letter o and the likes.

Once you get the hang of it you will be releasing your own tb...good luck and enjoy. There are always plenty of folk to help on here.

Edited September 21, 2012 by ayrbrain

[+bestwood]

Thanks again to all who replied. I now have a better understanding of this aspect of my newly found hobby.

Anyone who is interested can easily figure out where it is, if in fact it is still there.

I have decided to let sleeping frogs lie this time but certainly feel better equipped to deal with the next one I find.

Thanks again to all who helped and I hope you are having as much fun as I am.