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TX state park cache inspections, international geo-mating call?


Bud

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We've been notified by a park ranger from Buescher SP that he wanted to have us walk him out to our cache , one of 4 in the park.

 

His rationalization was that (quote from his post) "as a representative of TPWD and Bastrop & Buescher State Parks, I would like to go out to this site with you or anyone else if you have time. I first, would like to know where it is for safety purposes (in case someone gets injured and needs assistance, then I will know where they are) and second to make sure this cache is in an appropriate location. I know these caches are located in state parks and I do think they have a place in recreation, I think if these are located in parks, then the park managers should be aware of them in case of an emergency or other occurrence".

 

Another caching group went out and walked him around to the caches, to which he gave his stamp of approval. However, the story gets trickier here. The ranger then revealed the real reason for the look-see: (quoting from that cacher's e-mail) "there was an incident in Cedar Hill S.P. where a geocacher was trying to locate a cache near dark. An officer approached; Said geocacher thought it was another geocacher and tried to hide; the officer thought, "who is this trying to hide from me??", drew his weapon and said "put your hands up" or something to that effect. After a lengthy discussion, things were smoothed out, but all Parks were notified of this as a "safety issue" and asked to investigate any caches on their premises"

 

My question, and I'm sorry if it's been asked before, but I can't find it in any searches that I've tried: Should we have an international geocaching hail or greeting to warn off other geocachers? "Cache ahoy!" might bring the wrong person, if it's not a geocacher, thinking we'd said "Cash!". Maybe in TX, we could stick with the tried and true "DON'T SHOOT!". icon_eek.gifAlso, has anyone else in TX been contacted to have their cache locations inspected? My wife and I have 3 others in TX state parks, and haven't yet heard from them, so I don't know how many other rangers are actively looking.

 

Thanks for any info/input!

 

[This message was edited by Budophylus on February 17, 2003 at 08:52 PM.]

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What the 'Park Rangers' are doing make perfectly good sense. I commend them on being the way they were as opposed to not allowing the caching at all.

I have been on a hunt where others have walked up on me, and once when I walked in at the same time. The best thing to do is just keep quiet - but not hide if you are at the site. When they walk up to you (they will probably have a GPS out) just say hi... -- Mace and a whistle might be good to carry for those that might be on the 'feel threatened' side icon_eek.gif depending on the area.

I know folks want to be discrete in areas so not to spoil others hunt, but sometimes that can't be avoided. And, it is fun to talk to other geocachers too!

 

Erawan

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It appears to me that the park ranger is doing a great favor to the geocaching community. I'd welcome an approach like that.

 

As for what one geocacher should do when another approaches, I've never heard of anyone hiding. Though I may stay back and observe someone who got there before me to see if he/she is in fact a geocacher or an inocent two legged visitor. How about "did you find it yet"? I've used that, if they aren't hunting the cache they just give you a funny look.

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I contacted the local office of the Texas Parks and Wildlife (State Parks Dept) and we walked through the whole thing together. They love it. In fact, I am looking for a big gnarley tree stump to hollow out and put within sight of the park gate so they can watch cachers through binoculars as they wander around looking. It has worked out so well that in the Franklin Mountain State Park (37 Sq Miles) we have 8 active caches. They love us, we love them. So much so that I became a park volunteer.

 

Get them all involved and familiar with it, and it shouldn't be a problem. We are so lucky in El Paso.

 

A REAL SUCCESS STORY!!!!

 

Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC).

El Paso, Texas.

 

Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom.

 

They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS!

 

[This message was edited by Desert_Warrior on February 18, 2003 at 07:53 AM.]

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I just try to blend in by not moving, If there is a convenient place to sit down it seems like people just pass by. If someone then starts looking my way I'll move along, I guess the key is to not look like you are actually where you are for any particular reason. I still don't see the point in hiding, it's really suspicious and anyone who catches you hiding is going to think your up to no good. Be they a cop, a kid, or whatever. Hiding is just down right suggestive that you are up to no good. If someone is at one of my caches I would expect them to act nonchalant, not suspiciously by hiding which just seems likely to draw attention.

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Thanks for the replies. My apologies to the first two respondents, who seemed to think that I was criticizing the ranger for wanting to inspect. I know that they're doing a hard job, and would rather have them work with us than resist us. I'd really like for this to be a good PR opportunity for geocaching, rather than a chance for them to have a reason to crack down on us.

 

No one else responded re: other SP cache inspections, so I'll assume that this ranger is either one of the first, and that others will fall into line soon, or that much like any other job that some people don't read all of the memoranda around the office.

 

And no clever geocaching argot? The answers did make sense, though I would have thought that someone might have come up with something creative to at least read about, if not try.

 

Budophylus

San Antonio, TX

5-star cache team member (because we can make the easiest 1/1 into a 5-* difficulty cache)

What started all of this? Well, I said to my friend: "I'm bored. Can't we find a new sport?" Now, hundreds of caches later...

 

[This message was edited by Budophylus on February 20, 2003 at 04:57 AM.]

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I was sorting thru some old VHS tapes and ran across the movie The Longest Day. Perhaps we could adopt those little metal crickets that the airborne troops dropped into Normandy with.

 

You know, one click would draw two clicks if the other person was a fellow geocacher. This would be particularly interesting when geocaching at night.

 

Failing this, how about an Elk call?

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quote:
Originally posted by Hiemdahl:

I was sorting thru some old VHS tapes and ran across the movie The Longest Day. Perhaps we could adopt those little metal crickets that the airborne troops dropped into Normandy with.

 

You know, one click would draw two clicks if the other person was a fellow geocacher. This would be particularly interesting when geocaching at night.

 

Failing this, how about an Elk call?


 

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE JERRY WITH THE BOLT-ACTION RIFLE?

 

What Would Yoda Do?

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Oddly enough, I was just watching Band of Brothers last week, and saw that same clicker in use again. I've got a similar one to that, but way too loud. I don't think you could find the originals except in antique/collector stores anymore. Having said that, I'll be near a surplus store today, and will have to stop in and look.

 

Budophylus

San Antonio, TX

5-star cache team member (because we can make the easiest 1/1 into a 5-* difficulty cache)

What started all of this? Well, I said to my friend: "I'm bored. Can't we find a new sport?" Now, hundreds of caches later...

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quote:
Originally posted by Lefty Skywalker:

quote:
Originally posted by Hiemdahl:Perhaps we could adopt those little metal crickets that the airborne troops dropped into Normandy with.

 

You know, one click would draw two.


 

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE JERRY WITH THE BOLT-ACTION RIFLE?


 

Hmmmmmm..... to make the double click with my Ruger KP-89 (which I always carry in the desert) I would have to work the action twice, wasting one of my 16 shots. Do you think we could make it TWO clicks for the challenge and ONE shot ... er cock ... er CLICK for the reply. icon_biggrin.gif

 

quote:
Originally posted by Budophylus:

I don't think you could find the originals except in antique/collector stores anymore.


 

On this note, check your local WELL-STOCKED (like Pets-Mart) dog supply store. Ask them for a clicker for CLICKER TRAINING your dog. Available, and not very expensive, plus more modern in construction, using plastics. Check it out! icon_biggrin.gif I would carry one, if they make it in desert cammo.....

 

Yes, we train geocaching dogs. Look Here: Von Bonehenge Great Danes.

 

Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC).

El Paso, Texas.

 

Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom.

 

They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS!

 

[This message was edited by Desert_Warrior on February 20, 2003 at 06:44 AM.]

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Yall in TX are lucky to be able to freely with permission place caches in the state parks here like everything our govt does is a tangled mess as caches are only allowed in the rangers office or welcome center and even if that and they are too stubburn to allow caches in the wild we thought abt getting a law passed throught the senate that would allow geocaching in state parks but it fizzled out.

 

Happy Hunting icon_smile.gif

-Amazingracer

 

"Life is tough, life is tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne

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[My question, and I'm sorry if it's been asked before, but I can't find it in any searches that I've tried: Should we have an international geocaching hail or greeting to warn off other geocachers? "Cache ahoy!" might bring the wrong person, if it's not a geocacher, thinking we'd said "Cash!". Maybe in TX, we could stick with the tried and true "DON'T SHOOT!". ]

 

Back to the basic question. Should we have an International geo-mating call? icon_wink.gif

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OK, I have to admit it: I don't know what a rutting elk sounds like. icon_confused.gif I did find a page of elk sounds, but don't know which of these would be rutting. Would any of these be rutting, or would there be any resource that you could point to? One has to know if one is to imitate.

 

Budophylus

San Antonio, TX

5-star cache team member (because we can make the easiest 1/1 into a 5-* difficulty cache)

What started all of this? Well, I said to my friend: "I'm bored. Can't we find a new sport?" Now, hundreds of caches later...

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So, that's the big guy's way of saying "Hey Bay-Bee!" Lots of us carry guns down here in Texas; I'm not sure that I want to make that kind of a sound and become a target. I'd rather go for the cricket clicker thing.

 

Budophylus

San Antonio, TX

5-star cache team member (because we can make the easiest 1/1 into a 5-* difficulty cache)

What started all of this? Well, I said to my friend: "I'm bored. Can't we find a new sport?" Now, hundreds of caches later...

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Well we have one Texan's opinion that the clicker would cause some ancient German soldier to cock his Mauser rifle, and you point out that some hunter might take a pot shot if you sounded like a bull Elk in the bushes.

 

The only elk I have ever seen here in Fort Worth is made out of bronze and is permanently mounted on a base outside of a resturant on South Hulen Street. But you may be right.

 

But I have pondered what the reaction would be if someone blew an Elk call in Dallas West End or Deep Ellum late some Saturday night.

 

OK then, what would constitute a good International Geo-mating call?

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How about something "muggle" related? That way it doesn't identify "caching" to non-cachers...yet would be recognized by cachers who never read this thread!

 

"Are you a muggle?" might be too forward and will elicite a "What?" or "What's a muggle?" from non-cachers as compared to "I'm not a muggle, I've got X finds!"

 

Then again a simple, "how many sats do you have?" would clarify the situation right quick!

 

Randy

 

(As compared to the rest of the country, around here you can pass people on a trail or in the woods without saying a word!)

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OK, after reading the other posted discussion, perhaps the term "mating call" was poorly chosen. icon_razz.gif "Recognition code", perhaps?

 

Budophylus

San Antonio, TX

5-star cache team member (because we can make the easiest 1/1 into a 5-* difficulty cache)

What started all of this? Well, I said to my friend: "I'm bored. Can't we find a new sport?" Now, hundreds of caches later...

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I don't know about you guys but I find the GPS a dead givaway when I'm in the vicinity of a cache. There is something about a GPS in hand near a cache that says "Geocacher".

 

But then that's just me. And muggles don't carry them at caches. If one did, that's just a geocacher about to be born.

 

As for the TX Park ranger asking to be guided to a cache. Great. Guide him in with red carpet. We just lost an entire refuge here in Idaho to geocaching.

 

Wherever you go there you are.

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I like just "found it" Wyatt; just by intonation changes both parties involved could use the phrase:

cacher one: found it???

cacher two: found it!

 

As for the TX Parks caches, the ranger responded positively to the caches in Buescher park and gave a resounding thumbs up to leaving them all in place and reportedly enjoyed the Geocaching experience immensely. Special thanks to Moosiegirl, TreyB and The Outlaw for taking the time to show the Ranger around as we could not make a trip to the park that weekend. icon_biggrin.gif

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