DNFs

[+-CJ-]

When I first started I'd log every DNF, and I got a nasty note from a CO once who made a special trip to it and said something like "I don't know what your problem is, it was there"

 

If this CO values his time so much and wants to avoid unnecessary trips I guess he should first contact you and ask for details before going anywhere.

[+The_Incredibles_]

When I first started I'd log every DNF, and I got a nasty note from a CO once who made a special trip to it and said something like "I don't know what your problem is, it was there" and I replied that "I assumed it was, I just didn't find it, although I didn't really have time to look that hard". I get read all kinds of riot act for the CO coming to check it out and maintain it because of my DNF.

 

You did nothing wrong. It was their choice to go out and check their cache. If I see a DNF from a newbie, I assume the cache is still there until I get confirmation from a more experienced cacher.

[+Don_J]

When I first started I'd log every DNF, and I got a nasty note from a CO once who made a special trip to it and said something like "I don't know what your problem is, it was there" and I replied that "I assumed it was, I just didn't find it, although I didn't really have time to look that hard". I get read all kinds of riot act for the CO coming to check it out and maintain it because of my DNF.

 

You did nothing wrong. It was their choice to go out and check their cache. If I see a DNF from a newbie, I assume the cache is still there until I get confirmation from a more experienced cacher.

 

I'd save him any future trouble by never looking for one his caches again.

[+The_Incredibles_]

When I first started I'd log every DNF, and I got a nasty note from a CO once who made a special trip to it and said something like "I don't know what your problem is, it was there" and I replied that "I assumed it was, I just didn't find it, although I didn't really have time to look that hard". I get read all kinds of riot act for the CO coming to check it out and maintain it because of my DNF.

 

You did nothing wrong. It was their choice to go out and check their cache. If I see a DNF from a newbie, I assume the cache is still there until I get confirmation from a more experienced cacher.

 

I'd save him any future trouble by never looking for one his caches again.

 

I wouldn't. If there's a cache, I'm going to look for it. Don't care if the CO's a jerk.

 

Might log it "TFTC", though.

[+Don_J]

When I first started I'd log every DNF, and I got a nasty note from a CO once who made a special trip to it and said something like "I don't know what your problem is, it was there" and I replied that "I assumed it was, I just didn't find it, although I didn't really have time to look that hard". I get read all kinds of riot act for the CO coming to check it out and maintain it because of my DNF.

 

You did nothing wrong. It was their choice to go out and check their cache. If I see a DNF from a newbie, I assume the cache is still there until I get confirmation from a more experienced cacher.

 

I'd save him any future trouble by never looking for one his caches again.

The most important thing I have learned about this game is that I don't have to find every cache. Besides, I have the luxury of having 10,000 other caches within 40 miles that I can go try to find.

 

I'm currently ignoring two people's caches because they have repeatedly shown that they don't play nice with others.

I wouldn't. If there's a cache, I'm going to look for it. Don't care if the CO's a jerk.

 

Might log it "TFTC", though.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Don_J

[+suchanana]

DNF's are a heads-up, important tool for me as cache owner - i flag that email and keep track of when i'll be in the area to do a quick check...i want my finds to be found and do not want others to be exhasperated searching for the MIA...i have contacted the cacher for additional info when it was warranted - ie: winter snowfalls, etc,...

 

personally, i post my Dnf's, as my adventure is usually humorous because of my inconsistent searching techniques running up against muggles and other usual obstacles - and of those, there are zillions !!! besides, since the cache owner took the time to place the cache, i can certainly take a bit of time and tell of my adventure there...

[+blg723]

I am not scared to log a dnf, because i know people can learn from my mistakes

[+m&m O]

153 and counting. I would love to say we find all of the caches we look for, but come on, who wants to spend all their time with 1/1 caches? Sometimes we go after a cache that is more of a challenge and sometimes we just miss the obvious.

 

As a CO I want to know if people are not finding one of our caches. Maybe it means we did a good job with the hide and maybe it is time to go check on the cache.

[7rxc]

I like to post my DNF's and read those of others on various caches.

 

It can be instructive to figure out the whys and wherefores of the postings (including notes).

 

Easy hides should be that, but harder ones sometimes have (or should have) extra clues hidden around the page.

I've been getting a bit lax on doing enough reading of cache pages, even though that is always good advice.

Recently I've been bitten by a couple that have more there than casual reading will reveal. Sometimes the coordinates can be a bit soft, or at least softer than one would expect with current GPS devices, but not everyone has the latest and greatest GPS. Things like the Cache Name, things in the text description and background can come into play. Not as much as in a mystery/unknown/puzzle of course, but enough to break a hard hide.

 

Sure I'd prefer spot on coordinates for a traditional, but who says that the coords are off unreasonably. It can and often is a combination of 2 GPS (of different eras). I will worry about gross differences, but not too much IF the cache is not deliberately soft, and there is a useful hint (just in case), and there are hidden 'clues' in the page. I've now posted 3 DNF's on one new cache with only one finder... I'm not alone either since several good cachers are having the same results. Since I usually have time to kill when in that town on business and it is close by to walk over, I'm game with the hunt for this cache, and will continue to do so.

On my 4th read of the page I've discovered what I think is the breaker and will this week try to prove that.

 

At the point of finding I will condense the DNF logs into one, but leaving the whole history intact for fun.

Perhaps editing a bit to reduce the size but not the story. The find will have it's own tale.

 

Many of us have hung on the 'Hunt for 4.5 lb Walleye" recently, these are just a way of doing our own 'mini' versions of that and telling the tale. For me that is what caching was about and still is for me. Besides which, if you hunting a micro in the woods, you have to get something out of it besides the smiley.

 

On the other hand, the CO has been known to transpose digits before, and I like to help him 'clean up' the page after a fun hunt for me.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+redsox_mark]

You did nothing wrong. It was their choice to go out and check their cache. If I see a DNF from a newbie, I assume the cache is still there until I get confirmation from a more experienced cacher.

 

Agree, the response by the CO was not appropriate.

 

Even with an experienced cacher, the cache might be there. I'm fairly experienced (4+ years, 3000+ finds), but I'm still rubbish at finding. I logged 2 DNFs yesterday that I am 90% sure are there. I just couldn't find them.

 

It is up to the owner when to check. Now I have some caches which are very near home and are easy finds; I will tend to check on them after a single DNF; only because it is easy for me to do so. I have a couple which are close enough for me to easily maintain but not quite so easy to check, for those I would wait until there was at least a second unrelated DNF before worrying about it.

[+A & J Tooling]

13 DNF's on one cache. And proud of it!

[+TopShelfRob]

okay, thanks for all the replies -- I understand maybe in my situation the CO was a little out of line that one instance, and it did bum me out and I even quit Geocaching for awhile because of it. But I think the key is communication. How hard or easy a cache is and how you phrase the DNF makes a huge difference as to whether a DNF really means "I can't find it, it must be really well hidden" or "I can't find it, it's probably not there anymore."

 

Only the CO knows how well his or her cache is hidden. Three DNFs in a row on an super-easy find might mean it's gone. But 10 DNFs in a row on a superhard cache might just mean that it's a really good hide.

[+funkymunkyzone]

I just had to laugh when I saw this sentence in a note recently. The cacher said they had hunted for the cache a few times but...

 

I haven't logged it as a DNF because I don't believe it is still in place

 

[+TopShelfRob]

I just had to laugh when I saw this sentence in a note recently. The cacher said they had hunted for the cache a few times but...

 

I haven't logged it as a DNF because I don't believe it is still in place

 

 

Well of course he couldn't find it, if it wasn't there. LOL