How to hone your Geo-Senses

[+HunterandSamuel]

I loved reading this article. 

How to hone your Geo-Senses

 

"They say practice makes perfect, and this is especially true when it comes to geocaching. Have you ever been caching with someone and they already have the cache in hand while you’re still reading the description?"

 

 

Yes. My husband! He has  a natural geo-sense. We found 3 caches hiking recently and he honed in on all of them. lol  A good read! 

 

https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2020/09/how-to-hone-your-geo-senses/?newsletter=PM?newsletter=PM

 

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by HunterandSamuel

[+SamLowrey]

That sums it up, well.  I don't expect the coordinates to be closer than 15 feet or so anyway.

[+HunterandSamuel]

13 minutes ago, SamLowrey said:

That sums it up, well.  I don't expect the coordinates to be closer than 15 feet or so anyway.

 

 

When the buzzer goes off on our cell, we know we're close. It's an exciting feeling, usually about 15 feet. My fault is I then look outside the 15 feet and slowly hone in, my husband goes right to the hide spot. lol  He asked me recently if it bothered me that he finds most of the hides. I said no, I enjoy the hikes and smileys. 

[+barefootjeff]

I seem to have the opposite problem. Experience has taught me what to expect a cache to be so I subconsciously form preconceptions about what I'm looking for. That's fine if those preconceptions are right, after all that's what geosenses are, but when they're wrong I end up DNFing something that all the newbies log as a quick and easy find.

Edited September 15, 2020 by barefootjeff

[+niraD]

24 minutes ago, barefootjeff said:

I seem to have the opposite problem. Experience has taught me what to expect a cache to be so I subconsciously form preconceptions about what I'm looking for. That's fine if those preconceptions are right, after all that's what geosenses are, but when they're wrong I end up DNFing something that all the newbies log as a quick and easy find.

Yep. Some of my longest searches have been caches that were near "obvious" hiding spots, but that did not use those "obvious" hiding spots. After an exhaustive search of the "obvious" hiding spots, I finally took a step back, looked around, and found the cache hidden in a completely different manner.

[+Jayeffel]

On 9/15/2020 at 5:06 PM, niraD said:

Yep. Some of my longest searches have been caches that were near "obvious" hiding spots, but that did not use those "obvious" hiding spots. After an exhaustive search of the "obvious" hiding spots,

 Been there done that. Apparently some cachers take liberty with replacing a cache where they found it. I've have found a few that when replacing them I actually did not remember were it was exactly.

 

I had a cache that very few put back where it was, but seasoned cachers had better luck, they did not focus in one specific spot . This is an archived cache that was a fake bolt with a magnetic tip, I attached it to a GR post --the fifth from a telephone pole (so I could find it also ). Invariably when there was a DNF I would check and it would be anywhere within 20 feet. It finally was purloined.

[+MNTA]

1 hour ago, Jayeffel said:

 Been there done that. Apparently some cachers take liberty with replacing a cache where they found it. I've have found a few that when replacing them I actually did not remember were it was exactly.

 

I had a cache that very few put back where it was, but seasoned cachers had better luck, they did not focus in one specific spot . This is an archived cache that was a fake bolt with a magnetic tip, I attached it to a GR post --the fifth from a telephone pole (so I could find it also ). Invariably when there was a DNF I would check and it would be anywhere within 20 feet. It finally was purloined.

 

My bolt cache is on a power tower along a walking trail. I've had my cache move several times. The last time it shifted legs of the tower completely and 30 feet away. 

[+G0ldNugget]

On 9/15/2020 at 12:19 PM, HunterandSamuel said:

"They say practice makes perfect, and this is especially true when it comes to geocaching. Have you ever been caching with someone and they already have the cache in hand while you’re still reading the description?"

 

 

Yes. My husband! He has  a natural geo-sense. We found 3 caches hiking recently and he honed in on all of them. lol 

 

My husband is also a natural at this game. I've noticed his two skills that really make a difference:

1. He's got that uncanny ability to get into the COs head. Usually walks right up to the cache while I'm still fumbling with the description or compass.

2. He never gives up. He's relentless. It's like a competition he cannot lose. He will search and search and search until he 'wins'. My DNFs have decreased greatly since we have been caching together.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

17 hours ago, MNTA said:

 

My bolt cache is on a power tower along a walking trail. I've had my cache move several times. The last time it shifted legs of the tower completely and 30 feet away. 

 

The first time I found a decoy cache was on a public art piece with four legs about 30' apart.  Three of the legs had decoy containers.  

[+CAVinoGal]

Hubby and I often cache together (though we each have our own account) and it seems we also take turns being the one with the "geo-senses" honed on any particular day.  Some days I see nothing, and find nothing, and he spots them all right away.  Other days I seem to be the one to see the hiding spot or container as we walk up and he struggles.  I typically am ready to give up before he is if we have been searching for a time; he'll keep at it and often does come up with the cache.

 

We've been geocaching just over 3 years, though our son has been at it since 2004 or 2005 and we participated through him on family trips over the years.  We've seen a lot of different container types and hide styles, but there's always something new and different popping up. Pre-conceived ideas sometimes work, but not always, and can actually hinder a search if you are too focussed on a particular idea.  It's all part of the challenge to find (and hide) stuff!!

[+niraD]

39 minutes ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

The first time I found a decoy cache was on a public art piece with four legs about 30' apart.  Three of the legs had decoy containers.  

I did that with my first hide. The camouflage I designed blended in nicely, except that it created asymmetry that gave away the hide. So I created two sets of camouflage to restore the symmetry. One set of camouflage held the cache, and the other just had "THE OTHER ONE" written on it.

[+HunterandSamuel]

On 9/17/2020 at 1:56 AM, G0ldNugget said:

My husband is also a natural at this game. I've noticed his two skills that really make a difference:

1. He's got that uncanny ability to get into the COs head. Usually walks right up to the cache while I'm still fumbling with the description or compass.

2. He never gives up. He's relentless. It's like a competition he cannot lose. He will search and search and search until he 'wins'. My DNFs have decreased greatly since we have been caching together.

 

 

I love this! Thank you for sharing! Your husband sounds like my husband. It's their competitive nature.  lol  "Winning" at geocaching is a healthy sport, in my opinion. 

[+HunterandSamuel]

On 9/17/2020 at 12:01 PM, CAVinoGal said:

Hubby and I often cache together (though we each have our own account) and it seems we also take turns being the one with the "geo-senses" honed on any particular day.  Some days I see nothing, and find nothing, and he spots them all right away.  Other days I seem to be the one to see the hiding spot or container as we walk up and he struggles.  I typically am ready to give up before he is if we have been searching for a time; he'll keep at it and often does come up with the cache.

 

Thanks for sharing! I'm also the one to give up after searching for at least 20 minutes but he keeps searching and then finds it. I love hearing "I found it" from him when deep in the woods! lol Then I excitedly walk through brush to where he is, he'll call my name until I find him. lol

[+HunterandSamuel]

On 9/16/2020 at 6:29 PM, MNTA said:

My bolt cache is on a power tower along a walking trail. I've had my cache move several times. The last time it shifted legs of the tower completely and 30 feet away. 

 

We had our bolt cache placed on a sign way across the parking lot from our hiding spot. We at first thought it was muggled then searched all the signs on the bike path. What a relief to find it. But what we can't figure out is that the last person to find it and place it there had over 45,000 finds. Why would an experienced cacher do that? lol 

[+barefootjeff]

2 hours ago, HunterandSamuel said:

 

We had our bolt cache placed on a sign way across the parking lot from our hiding spot. We at first thought it was muggled then searched all the signs on the bike path. What a relief to find it. But what we can't figure out is that the last person to find it and place it there had over 45,000 finds. Why would an experienced cacher do that? lol 

 

That sort of thing seems to happen a lot when there's a group of cachers. One finds it, then hands it around the group for everyone to sign and the last one to do so gets to put it back even if they don't know exactly where it was. While they're scratching their head, the rest of the group have already moved on to the next cache so they just put it wherever might be a good spot for a cache to hide and dash off after them.

[+G0ldNugget]

49 minutes ago, barefootjeff said:

 

That sort of thing seems to happen a lot when there's a group of cachers. One finds it, then hands it around the group for everyone to sign and the last one to do so gets to put it back even if they don't know exactly where it was.

 

Thats why we have a simple rule when caching in a group. Whoever finds the cache has to put it back, since they know just how and where it was hidden. But the finder gets to sign the log first and gets first choice of swag.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

22 hours ago, HunterandSamuel said:

 

We had our bolt cache placed on a sign way across the parking lot from our hiding spot. We at first thought it was muggled then searched all the signs on the bike path. What a relief to find it. But what we can't figure out is that the last person to find it and place it there had over 45,000 finds. Why would an experienced cacher do that? lol 

 

when you place a cache in a public place like a parking lot, there's a pretty good chance that a non-geocacher using the parking lot will notice even the most experienced geocacher searching for, finding or replacing the cache.  Then, if they're at all curious, wait until the geocacher leaves then go checkout to see what's so interesting about the sign.  If the cache doesn't have a stash note, they might still figure out it was part of a game and assume that they were supposed to put it on another sign.  

[+Max and 99]

22 hours ago, HunterandSamuel said:

 

We had our bolt cache placed on a sign way across the parking lot from our hiding spot. We at first thought it was muggled then searched all the signs on the bike path. What a relief to find it. But what we can't figure out is that the last person to find it and place it there had over 45,000 finds. Why would an experienced cacher do that? lol 

I would not assume it's the last geocacher to find it that actually moved it. I would be more likely to assume a muggle did it. It could have been the last geocacher, though! 

[+HunterandSamuel]

21 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

 

That sort of thing seems to happen a lot when there's a group of cachers. One finds it, then hands it around the group for everyone to sign and the last one to do so gets to put it back even if they don't know exactly where it was. While they're scratching their head, the rest of the group have already moved on to the next cache so they just put it wherever might be a good spot for a cache to hide and dash off after them.

 

 

Ah, that makes perfect sense. Thanks. 

 

[+HunterandSamuel]

1 hour ago, Max and 99 said:

I would not assume it's the last geocacher to find it that actually moved it. I would be more likely to assume a muggle did it. It could have been the last geocacher, though! 

 

 

Thanks, Max! We were very happy to find it although it was across the parking lot from it's original location. A sigh of relief. They are not cheap to purchase and cachers in our area seem to love it. We do have a back up, the same type of bolt. Bought it from a guy in California who makes them himself. The first one didn't arrive due to wild fires there a few years ago so he sent us another one. Then the first one was delivered weeks after but he told us to keep it at no cost. Was very nice of him. 

[+Max and 99]

14 minutes ago, HunterandSamuel said:

 

 

Thanks, Max! We were very happy to find it although it was across the parking lot from it's original location. A sigh of relief. They are not cheap to purchase and cachers in our area seem to love it. We do have a back up, the same type of bolt. Bought it from a guy in California who makes them himself. The first one didn't arrive due to wild fires there a few years ago so he sent us another one. Then the first one was delivered weeks after but he told us to keep it at no cost. Was very nice of him. 

I understand! Those things are not cheap. I hate the cost involved when a cache container breaks or otherwise has to be replaced. I'm glad you found the bolt. 

[+ecanderson]

Something not mentioned, and we'll assume that 'honing' is in large part acquiring some experience ...

 

There are some fairly prolific COs out there who have a distinct style.  It might be a preference for hiding locations, or a preference for a certain container type.  "Honing" in this sense means paying attention to whose cache you are searching, and what you can recall of their caches that you have found before.

This doesn't work for some COs who come up with something different for each hide, but there are many COs for whom this technique will reveal new hides much more quickly. 

[+JustFindingOurWay]

On 9/20/2020 at 1:00 PM, ecanderson said:

There are some fairly prolific COs out there who have a distinct style. 

 

I think that this is commonly true and the result is often a regional style. I know that it isn't an option for everyone, but travel WILL hone your geo-senses because you'll run into new hide or camo techniques in different areas. If we're fortunate enough to spend a week geocaching in a new region, we'll usually find the first day to be the most difficult until we catch on to the local "style." Some regions read & comprehend the guidelines differently, holes drilled in public property, buried caches, etc which, once found, will impact your search techniques.

[+ecanderson]

Ouch.  Buried?  NA log!

[+colleda]

On 9/22/2020 at 9:54 AM, ecanderson said:

Ouch.  Buried?  NA log!

Like this one. PVC tube in the ground. Constantly vandalised, then moved, same again. Wet/missing logs. 59NMs, 4 NAs yet it survives. Why? Regional hiding style?

GC2WJXG

[+NYPaddleCacher]

11 hours ago, colleda said:

Like this one. PVC tube in the ground. Constantly vandalised, then moved, same again. Wet/missing logs. 59NMs, 4 NAs yet it survives. Why? Regional hiding style?

GC2WJXG

 

Who thought digging a hole in a cemetery was a good idea?

 

How about this one: