Birdhouse in a public place.

[+TwistedCube]

So I wanted to place a Birdhouse in a tree, but the only problem is that said tree, is near a sidewalk and a street. It is not in anybody's yard so who do I ask for permission? (Note: I am NOT nailing the Birdhouse to the tree, or going to hurt the tree in any way.) Another likely candidate for a tree would be in a Park. If I do that would it violate any guildlines?

Any answer to any of the questions that I asked Is greatly appreciated!  

[+bflentje]

12 minutes ago, TwistedCube said:

So I wanted to place a Birdhouse in a tree, but the only problem is that said tree, is near a sidewalk and a street. It is not in anybody's yard so who do I ask for permission? (Note: I am NOT nailing the Birdhouse to the tree, or going to hurt the tree in any way.) Another likely candidate for a tree would be in a Park. If I do that would it violate any guildlines?

Any answer to any of the questions that I asked Is greatly appreciated!  

It might not appear to be someone's "yard" but it could still be someone's private property. Most all counties in the US now have online GIS systems allowing you to confirm property ownership. I would suggest that as a first step.

[+cerberus1]

32 minutes ago, TwistedCube said:

So I wanted to place a Birdhouse in a tree, but the only problem is that said tree, is near a sidewalk and a street. It is not in anybody's yard so who do I ask for permission? (Note: I am NOT nailing the Birdhouse to the tree, or going to hurt the tree in any way.) Another likely candidate for a tree would be in a Park. If I do that would it violate any guildlines?

Any answer to any of the questions that I asked Is greatly appreciated!  

Here, sidewalks used by the public are usually maintained by the town they're in, along with planting the trees that are lined along it.

If I wanted to place a birdhouse in one, besides asking whoever was in charge in the town they belonged to, I'd also ask the homeowner/business in front of/near it, since they'd probably notice "people keep bothering that birdhouse" and calling the town manager or even the cops.

Most parks today have some policy on geocaching or other outdoor activities, and we'd go to that park's manager to ask for permission. 

[+L0ne.R]

2 hours ago, TwistedCube said:

Note: I am NOT nailing the Birdhouse to the tree, or going to hurt the tree in any way.

Applause for not nailing/screwing the box into the tree. So many don't care or make up excuses for nailing (or drilling) into trees/fences/posts for this game. 

[+yrcko]

I generally think that a birdhouse is a bad idea. Your cache may be perfect, no harm for birds. But every cacher who found it may remember that a birdhouse is a possible hiding spot. If s/he sees a birdhouse at the next hunt it will be checked. Unfortunately it does not show a cache but three nestling. At least the third geocacher will find three dead nestlings.

(Un)happy Hunting

Yrcko

[+cerberus1]

1 hour ago, yrcko said:

I generally think that a birdhouse is a bad idea. Your cache may be perfect, no harm for birds. But every cacher who found it may remember that a birdhouse is a possible hiding spot. If s/he sees a birdhouse at the next hunt it will be checked. Unfortunately it does not show a cache but three nestling. At least the third geocacher will find three dead nestlings.

I kinda get where you're coming from, though something as simple as a dark painted circle (no hole) should fix that.

 - But a large area that's ACE property and state game lands, has a lot of bluebird houses on many trails.  With the one cacher asking for similar I'm aware of, they didn't allow that JIC.

On the same property, a new cacher (at the time) placed a cache in a fake nest, and it was approved by the property owner.

That (to me), has more issues than an obviously fake birdhouse...

[+niraD]

2 hours ago, yrcko said:

I generally think that a birdhouse is a bad idea. Your cache may be perfect, no harm for birds. But every cacher who found it may remember that a birdhouse is a possible hiding spot. If s/he sees a birdhouse at the next hunt it will be checked. Unfortunately it does not show a cache but three nestling. At least the third geocacher will find three dead nestlings.

Similar cautions apply to many camouflaged geocaches. I think a good rule of thumb is that it should be possible to identify the camouflaged container as a geocache without doing anything that would be damaging or harmful if the camouflaged container actually were the thing it is camouflaged as.

[+TwistedCube]

4 hours ago, yrcko said:

I generally think that a birdhouse is a bad idea. Your cache may be perfect, no harm for birds. But every cacher who found it may remember that a birdhouse is a possible hiding spot. If s/he sees a birdhouse at the next hunt it will be checked. Unfortunately it does not show a cache but three nestling. At least the third geocacher will find three dead nestlings.

(Un)happy Hunting

Yrcko

I was going to place the cache there as Stage 1 of a multi cache. Stage 2 would be in a tupperware container. In the Birdhouse, there would be a doorbell in which the sound leads to Stage 2.

But I get your point.

Edited September 12, 2017 by TwistedCube

[+Manville Possum]

I have found several nice birdhouse type geocache containers without a hole for birds. Mine is clearly marked with more than one official geocache stickers, and placed to be found.

[+nextlogicalstep]

On 9/12/2017 at 10:34 AM, yrcko said:

I generally think that a birdhouse is a bad idea. Your cache may be perfect, no harm for birds. But every cacher who found it may remember that a birdhouse is a possible hiding spot. If s/he sees a birdhouse at the next hunt it will be checked. Unfortunately it does not show a cache but three nestling. At least the third geocacher will find three dead nestlings.

(Un)happy Hunting

Yrcko

How likely is it that you get to GZ and there's a birdhouse though?? I can't imagine that actually happening.

Edited September 14, 2017 by nextlogicalstep

[+Team Microdot]

24 minutes ago, nextlogicalstep said:

On 12/09/2017 at 6:34 PM, yrcko said:

I generally think that a birdhouse is a bad idea. Your cache may be perfect, no harm for birds. But every cacher who found it may remember that a birdhouse is a possible hiding spot. If s/he sees a birdhouse at the next hunt it will be checked. Unfortunately it does not show a cache but three nestling. At least the third geocacher will find three dead nestlings.

(Un)happy Hunting

Yrcko

How likely is it that you get to GZ and there's a birdhouse though?? I can't imagine that actually happening.

I've experienced that on several occasions - and bat boxes also.

[+hzoi]

8 hours ago, nextlogicalstep said:

How likely is it that you get to GZ and there's a birdhouse though?? I can't imagine that actually happening.

Seen it dozens of times.  Problem is, if a cache is close to a birdhouse and the description doesn't specifically say that it ain't a birdhouse, some folks will keep logging finds on the birdhouse.  (But that's what the "Found It = Didn't Find It" thread is for.)

[+RufusClupea]

9 hours ago, nextlogicalstep said:

How likely is it that you get to GZ and there's a birdhouse though?? I can't imagine that actually happening.

Actually, it happened to us 2 days ago, and it's happened once before (that I can think of). 

If birdhouses are a bad idea, who's going to tell WVTim?

Edited September 14, 2017 by RufusClupea

[+thebruce0]

On 9/12/2017 at 3:45 PM, niraD said:

Similar cautions apply to many camouflaged geocaches. I think a good rule of thumb is that it should be possible to identify the camouflaged container as a geocache without doing anything that would be damaging or harmful if the camouflaged container actually were the thing it is camouflaged as.

This, and if someone tears apart a container that isn't it because they think it is just well camouflaged, that's really on them. An owner shouldn't make it so camouflaged that people could think other caches may be that camouflaged. But a CO ultimately can't control what a finder does in order to locate the cache - sometimes the most obvious containers could still be missed, either by user error with inaccurate device location (searching not at gz) or just simply missing the camo, sign, or obvious cache.

As a finder, you should follow your conscience about how much to search something you think might be well camouflaged like a fake birdhouse.

* There was a time when I was led to believe a cache was in a fake birdhouse, and the coordinates I had took me to one. I was right on top of it, and couldn't believe it was anywhere else. Scanned everywhere. As I examined it, noticing natural content like it was in use, running through my mind were ways the CO could make the birdhouse a little field puzzle with excellent camo. The more I examined, the deeper and closer I got to "this..just can't.. be it..am I damaging a bird home?"  I gave up, and revisited the puzzle, to find that I had made an error, and the actual coordinates were some 20-30m away.

There are some things a CO can't control. As a CO we can only do our best not to lead people on to how "well camouflaged" some common object could be as a cache container to the point that is pushes their own search limitation towards actually damaging something they shouldn't.

Fake magnetic outlet covers, LPCs, bird houses, sprinkler heads, all of these styles of hides have had issues; especially the whole digging controversy.

Edited September 14, 2017 by thebruce0

[+Manville Possum]

10 hours ago, nextlogicalstep said:

How likely is it that you get to GZ and there's a birdhouse though?? I can't imagine that actually happening.

We have 3 still in play.

[+Wet Pancake Touring Club]

<tangent>

This thread has given me an idea for an evil hide. Build a fake birdhouse (painted circle instead of a hole). Mount it on a 4x4 post. Drill a long hole into the end of the 4x4 to accept a metal post. Glue a magnet to a 35mm film can. For the metal post, build a cavity in one end to hold the 35mm film can. Put the metal post into the ground, log book end up. Slip the 4x4 over the metal post. And the hint would be: Magnetic.

<\tangent>

[+Manville Possum]

5 minutes ago, Wet Pancake Touring Club said:

<tangent>

This thread has given me an idea for an evil hide. Build a fake birdhouse (painted circle instead of a hole). Mount it on a 4x4 post. Drill a long hole into the end of the 4x4 to accept a metal post. Glue a magnet to a 35mm film can. For the metal post, build a cavity in one end to hold the 35mm film can. Put the metal post into the ground, log book end up. Slip the 4x4 over the metal post. And the hint would be: Magnetic.

<\tangent>

 

I was agreeing until the magnetic 35mm film canister. A fake birdhouse can hold an actual log book and SWAG.

[+niraD]

1 hour ago, Wet Pancake Touring Club said:

<tangent>

This thread has given me an idea for an evil hide. Build a fake birdhouse (painted circle instead of a hole). Mount it on a 4x4 post. Drill a long hole into the end of the 4x4 to accept a metal post. Glue a magnet to a 35mm film can. For the metal post, build a cavity in one end to hold the 35mm film can. Put the metal post into the ground, log book end up. Slip the 4x4 over the metal post. And the hint would be: Magnetic.

<\tangent>

If you wanted to place a container larger than a micro (not everyone does), then you could build a compartment for such a container into the top of the 4x4 post. The fake birdhouse could have an obvious door and mechanisms that look like some sort of puzzle to unlock that door. But the door would be fake, with no way to open it, and the way to access the container would be to lift the fake birdhouse straight up and off the 4x4 post, revealing the compartment in the post.

[+thebruce0]

6 minutes ago, niraD said:

If you wanted to place a container larger than a micro (not everyone does), then you could build a compartment for such a container into the top of the 4x4 post. The fake birdhouse could have an obvious door and mechanisms that look like some sort of puzzle to unlock that door. But the door would be fake, with no way to open it, and the way to access the container would be to lift the fake birdhouse straight up and off the 4x4 post, revealing the compartment in the post.

Until someone logs a NM that the puzzle doesn't work and the box is broken because it lifts right off to get the cache

[+The A-Team]

9 minutes ago, thebruce0 said:

Until someone logs a NM that the puzzle doesn't work and the box is broken because it lifts right off to get the cache

...or someone forces the door open and leaves a log inside "to help the owner, because there wasn't a log".