Would you do this?

[+AKStafford]

We leave next week for a trip that'll include stops in Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah & Arizona. There are eight travel bugs sitting in caches I've hidden here locally. They've all been there from between 2 months and a year.

I was thinking about harvesting them and taking them with me to get them moving again.

Would you do this? On the up side, I'm getting some bugs moving before winter hits Alaska and caching slows down. On the other hand it seems kinda like cheating to grab these travelers out of my own caches.

Thoughts?

[+Bear and Ragged]

If they've been there that long, get them moving again!

[+6NoisyHikers]

Absolutely you should do this! The trackable owners will be thrilled that their bugs are going to get so much mileage. Be sure to take pictures

[+fbingha]

No doubt, move them. You can bring back others to put in their place.

Edited November 16, 2012 by fbingha

[+dprovan]

I agree, it sounds like an excellent idea. I wouldn't have a problem with it if the travelers had only been there 2 days, although I do think it's sweet of you to consider that.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Go ahead and doittoit!

 

We've been there and done that. Live in MI but took a trip to SD a while back. RELEASED a new TB there. Had to return a year later to move the thing ourselves. Amazing! Never thought it necessary... so, there ya go.

[+BlueDeuce]

We leave next week for a trip that'll include stops in Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah & Arizona. There are eight travel bugs sitting in caches I've hidden here locally. They've all been there from between 2 months and a year.

I was thinking about harvesting them and taking them with me to get them moving again.

Would you do this? On the up side, I'm getting some bugs moving before winter hits Alaska and caching slows down. On the other hand it seems kinda like cheating to grab these travelers out of my own caches.

Thoughts?

 

I assume you'll be moving the bugs in accordance with their goals. Yes?

 

If you carry bugs to multiple caches, photos and stories are far more worthwhile than any visit log. Personally if all you are going to do is visit and then drop I'd be happy with you dropping my TB in the next cache. Even if it sits for a year. Just saying.

[+Semper Questio]

If they've been there that long, get them moving again!

 

Even if they've only been there 5 minutes, why not? That is, as long as you are helping them towards their goals if they have them.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Semper Questio

[+stijnhommes]

Personally, I would leave travel bugs in my own cache if they haven't been there too long, but with bugs that have not been moving for this long, there is no question at all.

Travel bugs are supposed to move, so harvest those bugs (even the ones I wouldn't move) and give them some pictures and mileage.

[+Walts Hunting]

Before leaving on a trip always harvest local area

[+nevadanick]

Before leaving on a trip always harvest local area

 

Can't really get behind this idea. Taking a few with you for specific destinations might be OK, but 'harvesting' an area is unfair to other cachers, as well as other cache owners, who make the effort to make trades on TB's and coins and owners who keep their caches stocked.

 

As an owner of almost 200 caches, and many of them capable of housing trackables, the unhappy event of reading logs that detail numerous caches being 'harvested' of all their trackables by one cacher happens all too often.

 

Sure, the object of trackables is to keep them moving, but preferrably in the direction of the established goals. When our caches have been stripped, it's often in total disregard to the destinations, just a matter of a cacher having a bagfull of 'harvested' trackables and leaving the area. IMO, the average cacher likes to find a trackable or two in larger caches they visit so they can trade off the trackables they are moving.

 

Just sayin' ....

Edited November 19, 2012 by nevadanick

[+Walts Hunting]

You might not like it but I get many thanks after taking them on a multi thousand mile trip. Travelers are supposed to move not sit as bait to get someone to come and view a cache.

[+3Woofs]

We leave next week for a trip that'll include stops in Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah & Arizona. There are eight travel bugs sitting in caches I've hidden here locally. They've all been there from between 2 months and a year.

I was thinking about harvesting them and taking them with me to get them moving again.

Would you do this? On the up side, I'm getting some bugs moving before winter hits Alaska and caching slows down. On the other hand it seems kinda like cheating to grab these travelers out of my own caches.

Thoughts?

[+3Woofs]

Sure, move them on!!!!

[+BlueDeuce]

Before leaving on a trip always harvest local area

 

Can't really get behind this idea. Taking a few with you for specific destinations might be OK, but 'harvesting' an area is unfair to other cachers, as well as other cache owners, who make the effort to make trades on TB's and coins and owners who keep their caches stocked.

 

As an owner of almost 200 caches, and many of them capable of housing trackables, the unhappy event of reading logs that detail numerous caches being 'harvested' of all their trackables by one cacher happens all too often.

 

Sure, the object of trackables is to keep them moving, but preferrably in the direction of the established goals. When our caches have been stripped, it's often in total disregard to the destinations, just a matter of a cacher having a bagfull of 'harvested' trackables and leaving the area. IMO, the average cacher likes to find a trackable or two in larger caches they visit so they can trade off the trackables they are moving.

 

Just sayin' ....

 

Hold on just a minute. While I completely agree with moving bugs towards their goals, it's nobody's business to say people can't move any and all bugs possible.

 

I like to take the position that the bug sitting in your cache is mine. Are you telling me that you have now just told someone they shouldn't move my bug because someone who may come along is disappointed that it wasn't there?

 

Bug are meant to travel. Bugs are meant to be picked up regardless of the disappointment of the cacher who was a day late in getting there.

 

I don't care if someone picks up to or twenty as long as they can assist.

 

Unless you have my permission or the permission of all the owners with travelers in your area, I would appreciate you not telling people they shouldn't move my bug. I put out there to be picked up by anyone who can help it along as well as to enjoy moving it. Owning a cache gives you no rights to my bug.

 

---

 

If a travel bug hotel is in a good spot for the quick and easy exchange of travel bugs, then an empty hotel won't stay empty long. People are always looking for a convenient place to drop bugs off. The owner of a well-placed hotel should actually be pleased if the hotel is occasionally empty, since it shows that the hotel is serving its purpose: to get bugs moving quickly. And if a hotel does stay empty for long periods of time without the cache owner continually raiding other caches to re-stock it, then it's not a good place for a travel bug hotel. - the hermit crabs @ Dec 2 2005,

Edited November 20, 2012 by BlueDeuce

[+nevadanick]

Before leaving on a trip always harvest local area

 

Can't really get behind this idea. Taking a few with you for specific destinations might be OK, but 'harvesting' an area is unfair to other cachers, as well as other cache owners, who make the effort to make trades on TB's and coins and owners who keep their caches stocked.

 

As an owner of almost 200 caches, and many of them capable of housing trackables, the unhappy event of reading logs that detail numerous caches being 'harvested' of all their trackables by one cacher happens all too often.

 

Sure, the object of trackables is to keep them moving, but preferrably in the direction of the established goals. When our caches have been stripped, it's often in total disregard to the destinations, just a matter of a cacher having a bagfull of 'harvested' trackables and leaving the area. IMO, the average cacher likes to find a trackable or two in larger caches they visit so they can trade off the trackables they are moving.

 

Just sayin' ....

 

Hold on just a minute. While I completely agree with moving bugs towards their goals, it's nobody's business to say people can't move any and all bugs possible.

 

I like to take the position that the bug sitting in your cache is mine. Are you telling me that you have now just told someone they shouldn't move my bug because someone who may come along is disappointed that it wasn't there?

 

Bug are meant to travel. Bugs are meant to be picked up regardless of the disappointment of the cacher who was a day late in getting there.

 

I don't care if someone picks up to or twenty as long as they can assist.

 

Unless you have my permission or the permission of all the owners with travelers in your area, I would appreciate you not telling people they shouldn't move my bug. I put out there to be picked up by anyone who can help it along as well as to enjoy moving it. Owning a cache gives you no rights to my bug.

 

---

 

If a travel bug hotel is in a good spot for the quick and easy exchange of travel bugs, then an empty hotel won't stay empty long. People are always looking for a convenient place to drop bugs off. The owner of a well-placed hotel should actually be pleased if the hotel is occasionally empty, since it shows that the hotel is serving its purpose: to get bugs moving quickly. And if a hotel does stay empty for long periods of time without the cache owner continually raiding other caches to re-stock it, then it's not a good place for a travel bug hotel. - the hermit crabs @ Dec 2 2005,

 

My comment was addressed to Walts Hunting regarding 'harvesting a local area'. My understanding was that the recommendation of 'harvesting' was to go out into your local area and collect all the trackables you could find in local caches, not as a result of general caching activities.

 

There was also no mention of considering the goals of the trackables being 'harvested'. Removing all the trackables from a 'local area' through harvesting is unlikely to create a bagfull of trackables all with the same goals and destinations.

 

I was hardly suggesting that "I" have any right to tell folks not to move trackables owned by others. But I do believe I have the right to express my opinion that trackable owners' goals should be observed regardless of whether they are placed in a cache I own or anyone else owns. Trackables that have specific missions and goals should be observed, not harvested en-mass just because a cacher is going on a trip.

[+dprovan]

I like to take the position that the bug sitting in your cache is mine.

Let's try not to confuse this issue with hotel rules. A CO making rules about bugs in their cache is something else entirely and likely to produce knee jerk reactions...such as yours.

 

Are you telling me that you have now just told someone they shouldn't move my bug because someone who may come along is disappointed that it wasn't there?

 

Bug are meant to travel. Bugs are meant to be picked up regardless of the disappointment of the cacher who was a day late in getting there.

Are you telling me I should run out and grab any bug I see just so your bugs can be retrieved a day earlier then they otherwise would have? You don't even seem to be concerned about whether the person harvesting bugs is actually going to take them to another cache sooner or move them any further than the cacher picking them up the next day.

 

I don't care if someone picks up to or twenty as long as they can assist.

 

Unless you have my permission or the permission of all the owners with travelers in your area, I would appreciate you not telling people they shouldn't move my bug. I put out there to be picked up by anyone who can help it along as well as to enjoy moving it. Owning a cache gives you no rights to my bug.

Is someone in this thread suggesting differently? No. In fact, this thread started because the owner of some caches was wondering how people felt about him taking travelers from his caches, just the opposite of the debate you seem to be having. People in this thread are suggesting that it might be rude to hog all the bugs in an area. You as an owner announcing that you want your bugs to be picked up absolutely as fast as possible does not automatically make that a nice thing to do. Yes, it's your bug, and I appreciate you sharing it with us, but it doesn't give you the right to dictate other people's behavior any more than cache ownership does.

[+BlueDeuce]

 

My comment was addressed to Walts Hunting regarding 'harvesting a local area'. My understanding was that the recommendation of 'harvesting' was to go out into your local area and collect all the trackables you could find in local caches, not as a result of general caching activities.

 

There was also no mention of considering the goals of the trackables being 'harvested'. Removing all the trackables from a 'local area' through harvesting is unlikely to create a bagfull of trackables all with the same goals and destinations.

 

I was hardly suggesting that "I" have any right to tell folks not to move trackables owned by others. But I do believe I have the right to express my opinion that trackable owners' goals should be observed regardless of whether they are placed in a cache I own or anyone else owns. Trackables that have specific missions and goals should be observed, not harvested en-mass just because a cacher is going on a trip.

 

Walts Hunting can go harvest as many bugs he is willing to assist. I assume he is following the goal of the bug but he can certainly go out of his way to find as many bugs as possible. It falls within the realm of caching activity.

[+The Blorenges]

Just chippin' in to this debate...

 

It would be nice to think that maybe whoever "harvests" a bunch of bugs to take out of an area would be "harvesting" a second crop from wherever to bring back into that area later...

 

 

MrsB

[+dprovan]

It would be nice to think that maybe whoever "harvests" a bunch of bugs to take out of an area would be "harvesting" a second crop from wherever to bring back into that area later...

Well, that might be a problem if someone had harvested all the bugs from that area before they got there.

 

But more to the point, wouldn't the logic say that they shouldn't really drop the bugs wherever, but instead should "harvest" them by having them visit the caches during their journey and then take them back to the original area to give them another trip as quickly as possible?

 

But, really, I think this underscores the problem: the more bugs that are harvested from the local area by people revisited caches they've found already, the fewer bugs there will be in caches for people that are actually caching. I'm not against the practice, it just seems like there's a time when you have to ask whether the point is geocaching or just moving bugs around.

[+Walts Hunting]

Most trackables only have a general travel the world mission. That is easy to comply with. I do check the goals and if I am not going there will Stargate them to fulfill the mission. I took one Wright Brothers geocoin from home to the Wright Brothers flight site.

 

I place the needs of the trackable owner over the needs of a cache owner. I don't feel any need to bring as many back as I take.

[+Walts Hunting]

Most trackables only have a general travel the world mission. That is easy to comply with. I do check the goals and if I am not going there will Stargate them to fulfill the mission. I took one Wright Brothers geocoin from home to the Wright Brothers flight site.

 

I place the needs of the trackable owner over the needs of a cache owner. I don't feel any need to bring as many back as I take.

 

I am talking about taking 10-20 which really doesn't affect the total for the area.

[+BlueDeuce]

(Look for Mt Rushmore)

[+BlueDeuce]

I'm taking a trip so I revisited a nearby TB hotel. I picked up the ones I dropped off in September as well as the ones sitting there since July.

 

Too bad the local community won't have the chance to find them. The TB owners have a couple days to let me know I should leave them behind.

[+RoadRoach58]

We leave next week for a trip that'll include stops in Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah & Arizona. There are eight travel bugs sitting in caches I've hidden here locally. They've all been there from between 2 months and a year.

I was thinking about harvesting them and taking them with me to get them moving again.

Would you do this? On the up side, I'm getting some bugs moving before winter hits Alaska and caching slows down. On the other hand it seems kinda like cheating to grab these travelers out of my own caches.

Thoughts?

 

If going west and particularly to those states doesn't conflict with the bug's objectives, GO FOR IT. No rules I know about that say you can't move a bug on from your own cache, and if it doesn't conflict with the owner's objectives, it would be downright courteous of you to move them since no one else is doing so. Just need to make sure to log them out of your caches accordingly and into the new locations. I learned my lesson already from impatient owners, as well as had my first lost the day I released it, so I don't move bugs at all other than the one I keep on me. I discover plenty, but that's it. There are lots of folks that don't mind doing the discovery thing, I've actually found a couple that were presumed lost and did a grab on them to get them back into circulation. If you like moving the bugs, DO it. Might wanna touch bases with the owners first, though.

Edited November 30, 2012 by RoadRoach58

[+mygreencow]

Whenever i see a Tb thats been sitting in one of my caches i while, i will move it on. Or if im heading in the direction that the TB wants to go.

They are 'travel' bugs of course.

I would want other cache owners to do it with my TB's if they haven't moved for a while. For example if they've been put in a difficult puzzle cache, and i want it to get a move on. I might message asking.

I think its perfectly fine to pick some up. But obviously dont pick them all up, especially if it doesnt want to go in that direction, and you are just moving for the fact that its not moved in a while. You never know if the next day, someone will come along and pick it up and just happen to be going the way the TB wants to go haha

[J'nK]

Travel Bugs are meant to travel! I have done this exact same thing before; the only ones I would leave behind are one that are very close to their final desired destination.