Would you claim this find?

[+Gill & Tony]

I went for a 3.5/2.5 cache today. The description said "a small pill bottle with delicate camouflage" and asked the finder to be careful of the camo, in case it breaks. The hint was "If you find fish you are near"

 

At GZ I saw an obvious hide containing a small pill bottle, which did not have any camouflage. It had a scrap of paper with several names written on it. I signed it. Then it occurred to me that this wasn't D3.5, so I searched some more and found a larger container with a page inside saying "this is not the cache - it is a red herring". Obviously the "fish" reference.

 

So, I hunted some more, found nothing and came home. I e-mailed the CO explaining what had occurred saying I didn't think I had found it, but could he confirm. His reply was that he had been unable to do maintenance for some time and had wondered why everyone was saying that the cache was easy. I had found a second decoy, but the writing on the container had obviously rubbed off. He is going to do maintenance ASAP, but told me that if I wanted to claim the find, to go ahead as the problem was his fault, not mine.

 

I'm conflicted. I didn't find the real cache, so I don't want to claim a D3.5 for finding D1.5, but the CO has thanked me for pointing out an issue with his cache and has advised me to claim it, since I signed in good faith.

 

Advice would be welcomed

 

Tony

[+on4bam]

I'm conflicted. I didn't find the real cache, so I don't want to claim a D3.5 for finding D1.5, but the CO has thanked me for pointing out an issue with his cache and has advised me to claim it, since I signed in good faith.

 

Several times I "found" a cache that was gone, at least there was proof the container was gone. CO's have said to log it as a found but I always decline. Log not signed = DNF. If I really wanted to log such a cache I would visit again.

[+JL_HSTRE]

I'm not sure, although I'm leaning toward taking the Find. This is a good example of one of the reasons I dislike red herring containers. It's quite frustrating to find a geocaching container without being sure whether you actually found the cache.

[+narcissa]

It is really up to you. I would probably DNF and go back after the owner did maintenance unless it was really far away from home or something.

 

You did the right thing when many others didn't, by reporting that what you found didn't match the description. I don't think a reasonable person would begrudge you the find in this situation.

[+Mudfrog]

Sounds like a previous searcher wanted that smiley real bad and placed a throwdown.

 

I'm thinking that since you are asking, you're fairly sure that you didn't find the real cache. You did find something and the CO has said it is ok, but in the end, you didn't locate the container the CO wanted you to find. All up to you but i wouldn't claim a find on it. This one sounds interesting enough that i'd want to go back and try again after the cache's real owner replaces it.

[+dprovan]

First of all, once the CO grants permission to claim the find, I have no problem with you claiming the find, no matter what I might do.

 

Near my home, I'd DNF and wait for the cache to get fixed. If the CO hadn't responded, I'd assume that's as good as the cache is ever going to be and I'd claim the find.

 

If I'm away from home and am unlikely to be back again, I'd take the find every time. I did, after all, find a cache at the posted coordinates and signed the log.

[+briansnat]

The CO said go ahead and claim it, so I doubt many would give you grief for doing so. Personally I'm a bit of a pedant and don't believe that a find is something to be "claimed". The cache is either found or it is not, so in the specific case you mentioned I would probably log a DNF.

[+cerberus1]

I think something as you describe a personal choice.

We were caching with friends once and had similar (they sent pics), with the CO sayings thanks, please claim it as a find.

Our friends did, we didn't.

[+on4bam]

Near my home, I'd DNF and wait for the cache to get fixed. If the CO hadn't responded, I'd assume that's as good as the cache is ever going to be and I'd claim the find.

 

If I'm away from home and am unlikely to be back again, I'd take the find every time. I did, after all, find a cache at the posted coordinates and signed the log.

 

Why would the distance from your home make a difference? The same situation around the corner or half around the world makes no difference.

[+Path Pacer]

I wouldn't sign it because I'd want to find the real thing.

[+Team Hugs]

You may not have found the D3.5. But you exerted more effort than many others would have in that spot. Others would simply have claimed the throw down as the find and moved on, figuring that they just got lucky in making the find. Others would have neglected to contact the cache owner. Still others might've contacted the cache owner, but not with the level of detail that you provided. All of that, in my mind, would count for a couple of points on the difficulty level.

There's no wrong answer, of course. The only reason I wouldn't claim the find is if I was planning to make another attempt at the cache, presuming that the cache owner makes the needed replacement and that you can find your way back there once again. Anything less, and I'd claim the smiley instantly. You've certainly done your share for the sport this day.

[+dprovan]

Near my home, I'd DNF and wait for the cache to get fixed. If the CO hadn't responded, I'd assume that's as good as the cache is ever going to be and I'd claim the find.

 

If I'm away from home and am unlikely to be back again, I'd take the find every time. I did, after all, find a cache at the posted coordinates and signed the log.

Why would the distance from your home make a difference? The same situation around the corner or half around the world makes no difference.

I wouldn't hesitate to log the DNF near home because I know I'll go back, so I can log the find then. If I'm not going to be back, I'm more likely to accept the CO's offer.

 

Remember, the case here is the a cache was found, and although it wasn't actually the CO's cache, the CO has decided to accept finding that container as a valid find. While I understand someone not wanting to claim such a find, it falls squarely on the side of a legitimate find rather than a fictitious, CO granted find.

[+BCandMsKitty]

I'd claim it.

[+Gill & Tony]

Thanks to all who gave their opinions, but I've decided not to claim the find. I didn't find the container so that is the real point.

 

It is around a 3 hour round trip from home but the cache is close to the start of a 10Km trail with 20+ caches which my son and I have plans to tackle. When I go there with him we will try for the real container. Two sets of eyes being better than one.

 

Thanks again for the thoughts

 

Tony

[+WRASTRO]

I would also log a DNF since I didn't find the actual cache. Well done on the caching ethics front!

[+Gill & Tony]

I would also log a DNF since I didn't find the actual cache. Well done on the caching ethics front!

I did log the DNF.

 

The CO asked me if I could remove the second decoy. I couldn't, but I did contact a friend who lives near there, wh contacted another friend and the second decoy is gone.