Contacting Land Owner

[curlingfan11]

Anybody out there that has hid geocaches and has contacting the land owner? I have noticed that a lot of people don't contact the landowner. How would you contact them? If a geocache is in the park, would you contact the Parks And Recreation Manager?

Edited May 10, 2016 by curlingfan11

[+cerberus1]

We've contacted whoever was the head of the areas we wanted to hide, in person.

Too easy for them to say "no" in an email, or phone call.

Seems the majority thought showing up in person showed how serious/interested we were in working with them.

Lucked out with two large tracts, where department heads were also geocachers.

We've built enough of a rapport with most that most have told us unless something's really unusual, we no longer need to contact 'em.

 

We lost one good-sized area...

The other 2/3rds attended three township meetings before "they could fit her in".

Finally got her say, was approved, and placed a hide fitting their guidelines, and still meeting Groundspeak's.

 

Within a year, a couple C&D pill bottle/gladware droppers dumped a bunch on the property without asking, areas the township wanted left alone were trampled (really trampled...), and now they hate all those rude cachers in general.

 

Contact the landowner.

Edited May 10, 2016 by cerberus1

[+Meow&Purr]

^ What they said.

 

Definitely contact the landowner in person. If they are unfamiliar with Geocaching then make sure you have a great explanation beyond "hide and seek for adults" "treasure hunting on your property" "like an Easter egg hunt" etc. Have your idea planned out, container in-hand if at all possible so they can see what you plan to do.

 

Be prepared...and be prepared for them to say 'no'. Be respectful, be polite, be prepared.

 

If it is a park, know their regulations before going in. If it is a private landowner explain why you want the general public on their land as opposed to somewhere else in this huge world.

 

I'm sure there's more.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Meow&Purr

[+The A-Team]

If they are unfamiliar with Geocaching then make sure you have a great explanation beyond "hide and seek for adults" "treasure hunting on your property" "like an Easter egg hunt" etc.

Whatever you do, don't use the "T" word. "Treasure hunting" conjures up images of chests buried in the ground and people digging them up, which is nothing like geocaching. The front page of this website has used that term since its beginning way back in 2000, which is very unfortunate and I'm sure has led to problems.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Anybody out there that has hid geocaches and has contacting the land owner? I have noticed that a lot of people don't contact the landowner. How would you contact them? If a geocache is in the park, would you contact the Parks And Recreation Manager?

 

I suppose it depends on the type of park. I'll assume that it's a city/town park you're interested in using for a cache. I don't know where you're from (Canada, I assume from your handle) but even the smallest cities/towns have a web presence these days where you're likely to find a phone number for someone that manages city/town parks. If it's a state/provincial/national park there's probably a web site specifically for that park with contact information.

[+ByronForestPreserve]

There might be info under your region of who to contact here: https://wiki.Groundspeak.com

 

And good for you for contacting land owners.

 

The more I talk to other agencies about geocaching, the more I hear that someone has a membership just to monitor listings that show up without permits or permission. I've been told a few times of someone whose duty it is to check the geocaching map once a month just for that, and I'm talking park districts, county conservation/forest preserves, city land managers, and so on. These days, I'd assume that the owner or manager will absolutely at some point figure out that a cache is on their land. Never assume that they won't care, and I think in regard to geocaches, the phrase "Better to ask forgiveness than permission" does not apply.

[+Pond Bird]

We've contacted whoever was the head of the areas we wanted to hide, in person.

Too easy for them to say "no" in an email, or phone call.

Seems the majority thought showing up in person showed how serious/interested we were in working with them.

Lucked out with two large tracts, where department heads were also geocachers.

We've built enough of a rapport with most that most have told us unless something's really unusual, we no longer need to contact 'em.

 

We lost one good-sized area...

The other 2/3rds attended three township meetings before "they could fit her in".

Finally got her say, was approved, and placed a hide fitting their guidelines, and still meeting Groundspeak's.

 

Within a year, a couple C&D pill bottle/gladware droppers dumped a bunch on the property without asking, areas the township wanted left alone were trampled (really trampled...), and now they hate all those rude cachers in general.

 

Contact the landowner.

 

Yeah found the Erie Canal trail works people rea like that you don't need to contact them unless somethings unusual along the trail.

[+niraD]

Whatever you do, don't use the "T" word. "Treasure hunting" conjures up images of chests buried in the ground and people digging them up, which is nothing like geocaching.

+1

 

That's why I describe geocaching as a high-tech scavenger hunt. IMHO, a scavenger hunt is a much better description of what we do.

[+noncentric]

Whatever you do, don't use the "T" word. "Treasure hunting" conjures up images of chests buried in the ground and people digging them up, which is nothing like geocaching.

+1

 

That's why I describe geocaching as a high-tech scavenger hunt. IMHO, a scavenger hunt is a much better description of what we do.

+1

 

I'm also not a fan of the "treasure hunt" analogy and prefer the term scavenger hunt. Here Here

[+cerberus1]

Whatever you do, don't use the "T" word. "Treasure hunting" conjures up images of chests buried in the ground and people digging them up, which is nothing like geocaching

+1

 

That's why I describe geocaching as a high-tech scavenger hunt. IMHO, a scavenger hunt is a much better description of what we do.

+1

 

I'm also not a fan of the "treasure hunt" analogy and prefer the term scavenger hunt. Here Here

+ many.

I believe the biggest issue with the free muggle app is the hobby's continued marketing of, "Join the world's largest treasure hunting community", and kids spending weekends looking for it.

Some find trackables, along with other swag as "prizes" (since few read how to play), while others find leaking pill bottles, wonder whatdaheck, and go back to playing slither or hungry shark.

[PhillyRiver]

I'm about to launch a cache (in partnership with another account) in a recreation area for which I secured permission both by email and in person, which led to many good things. First I contacted the Board of the area by email. They loved the idea and they wanted to go along while I looked for hiding places, to learn about geocaching. I traveled two hours and stayed overnight to meet with them. Walking the trails and historic sites with the two people who probably knew them best was fascinating. They had not realized that there were already about 10 geocaches on their property, but that didn't seem to bother them. I could have placed mine without permission, but now my nonprofit can connect with their nonprofit for future educational projects. And, I heard some facts about the area that weren't available any other way.

 

There is another cache I placed in public lands for which there is a long list of rules. I read the rules carefully and did not see anything that would suggest that geocaching is a problem. Fishing, hunting, walking, boating, etc. are allowed. You have to get a permit for an event involving a group of 10 or more people. As geocaching groups would not typically be that large, it appears that permission was tacitly granted by this rule sheet. If the cache is removed some day by a dissenting bureaucrat or ranger, it may not have mattered whether one person gave me permission, if years from now another person doesn't like it. If that happens, I'll change it to a puzzle cache. That said, it would have been better if I'd gone to see the bureaucrats in person, and I will when I'm near their office.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

If the cache is removed some day by a dissenting bureaucrat or ranger, it may not have mattered whether one person gave me permission, if years from now another person doesn't like it. If that happens, I'll change it to a puzzle cache. That said, it would have been better if I'd gone to see the bureaucrats in person, and I will when I'm near their office.

 

It's nice to see examples like this when a cache owner reaches out to land managers to get permission and builds a good relationship. Note the bolded part however. You can't just change a cache listing from one type to another. You would have to archive the old cache and list a new one.

 

 

[+cerberus1]

If the cache is removed some day by a dissenting bureaucrat or ranger, it may not have mattered whether one person gave me permission, if years from now another person doesn't like it. If that happens, I'll change it to a puzzle cache. That said, it would have been better if I'd gone to see the bureaucrats in person, and I will when I'm near their office.

 

It's nice to see examples like this when a cache owner reaches out to land managers to get permission and builds a good relationship. Note the bolded part however. You can't just change a cache listing from one type to another. You would have to archive the old cache and list a new one.

Looks (to me) that the CO didn't "reach out", and now kinda, sorta plans on doing so, "when near their office".

 

- But I agree on not being able to change the cache type.

[Bigwill1999]

I wouldn't worry about asking permission to put geocaches on public properties, such as on a bench or in a tree of a public park, or near a bus stop. I would ask, however, if the location was easily identifiable as a private owned, carefully maintained property, such as in a company's or person's front yard, or on a privately owned building such as a school, an apartment, or a church. I might also contact if the cache was really big and noticeable, so that they would know what it was. But it is certainly better to make as much contact as possible, because that will most likely allow you to go "bigger and better" with your caches.

[+niraD]

Anybody out there that has hid geocaches and has contacting the land owner? I have noticed that a lot of people don't contact the landowner. How would you contact them? If a geocache is in the park, would you contact the Parks And Recreation Manager?

Around here, a number of parks and open space districts have official geocaching policies. If your cache complies with their rules, then you have permission to hide it.

 

But my approach for contacting other land managers is to find the official contact number/address for the organization that manages the property, and ask who the person is that I should contact to discuss placing a geocache on the property. I don't ask for permission at the beginning; I ask for the person who can give me permission.

 

And it's nice to speak face-to-face with the land manager. You can discuss ideas, clear up misconceptions about geocaching, etc. in a much more open manner.

[+ByronForestPreserve]

I wouldn't worry about asking permission to put geocaches on public properties, such as on a bench or in a tree of a public park, or near a bus stop. I would ask, however, if the location was easily identifiable as a private owned, carefully maintained property, such as in a company's or person's front yard, or on a privately owned building such as a school, an apartment, or a church. I might also contact if the cache was really big and noticeable, so that they would know what it was. But it is certainly better to make as much contact as possible, because that will most likely allow you to go "bigger and better" with your caches.

 

That is a slippery slope. What is "public?" Most parks around me require permits for caches, and it certainly doesn't matter what size. I find that people generally have no idea who owns or manages various properties, and assumptions can often be wrong. Just recently, a new cache appeared on forest preserve property, for example, and in the description it says it's a state park. Nope! But had it been, the DNR absolutely requires a permit. It's clear that CO doesn't understand permission requirements (yes I sent a polite message).

 

Let me tell you about what happened to caches on our property before I geocached-- Restoration staff: "We found this weird box under a log. Don't know what it was, so we threw it out." A year later: "Dang, someone keeps leaving containers in the woods, and we keep having to pick them up and put them in the dumpster!" Versus now: "Hey, I saw a cammo bison tube hanging in a tree and figured it was a geocache, and we were going to do some tree trimming there, but we made sure to leave it where it was."

 

None of these examples were larger containers, and all were found by staff.