When do you log a "couldn't find it"

[TikimanHSA]

I may be completely wrong in the way I look at this and it just occurred to me today. When do you log a "couldn't find it" entry? Do you log it this way even if you plan to go back and try again? I was just wondering since I am pretty new to this. the way I do it is if I give up trying to look for the cache then I'll log it as a "couldn't find it" entry, but if I go look and can't find it once I always go back (at least so far) until I find it. It just bugs the bejesuts out of me not to find it. Am I wrong? If so I'll change, if not I'm going to keep on keeping on!

 

Let me know what you think,

TikimanHS

 

Later,

Hunter

[+CacheCows]

If I go as far as taking one step from the parking area towards the cache, I consider the hunt to have started. If on that specific hunt I fail to find the cache, I log a 'No Find', even if I plan on coming back later.

 

_________________________________

Member:

[BrandonSi]

Same here. If I find it later I'll come back and log it as well.

[+georgeandmary]

quote:

---

Originally posted by TikimanHSA:

I may be completely wrong in the way I look at this and it just occurred to me today. When do you log a "couldn't find it" entry? Do you log it this way even if you plan to go back and try again? I was just wondering since I am pretty new to this. the way I do it is if I give up trying to look for the cache then I'll log it as a "couldn't find it" entry, but if I go look and can't find it once I always go back (at least so far) until I find it. It just bugs the bejesuts out of me not to find it. Am I wrong? If so I'll change, if not I'm going to keep on keeping on!

 

Let me know what you think,

TikimanHS

 

Later,

Hunter

---

 

Anytime I'm defeated by the cache I log it. Even if I'm going back to the cache again. The only time I didn't log it was when I couldn't get within 5 miles of the cache because I couldn't find the correct dirt road. I kept running into private property signs.

 

I have a friend who never logs his no finds. He just logs how many times it took him when he finally does find it.

 

He might write "found it on my second try...." or something like that. I kind of bothers me that he doesn't log his "couldn't find it". Especially when I know he failed to find one of mine.

 

george

[King Pellinore]

if I tried to find it and didn't write in the log book, then it's a no find. Seems my no-finds are frequently the easy ones! go figure.

 

King Pellinore

[+My Blue Heaven]

Fortunately I haven't had to log that many as not found but my policy is that if I am in the area of the cache and can't find it I log is as not found. If I can't get into the general area for some reason I might log it is a note but usually I don't do anything if I don't actually look for the cache.

 

I have seen a trend in logs here in Southern Arizona that people log caches they couldn't find as notes and state that if someone else finds the cache they will change their log to a can't find but won't do it if the cache might be missing.

 

I look at my log entries as my personal cache hunting history. It doesn't matter to me if I log caches as not found. I don't consider it any sort of shame.

 

Do whatever feels right to you.

[TikimanHSA]

I always state how many attempts in my find log but I will log no finds from now on. Like I said I'm still new to this, so thanks for the input.

 

Later,

TikimanHSA

 

Later,

Hunter

[TikimanHSA]

I always state how many attempts in my find log but I will log no finds from now on. Like I said I'm still new to this, so thanks for the input.

 

Later,

TikimanHSA

 

Later,

Hunter

[+Salvelinus]

I don't consider it a no-find unless you have given up looking for it and may need additional information to find it.

 

There may be many reasons to give up the search before its found. I am currently working on a multi-cache in which it began snowing heavily before I could spend any time looking for part 2. I wanted to leave (with the intent on returning) before the roads got too bad for travel. I do not feel this was a non-find (although technically it was) and logging a partial experience didn't seem worth it unless I felt the placer may benefit

 

Its like a rained out baseball game where the ___lady never got a chance to sing. The game will be finished at a later date and the stats won't be official until then.

 

I will return to attempt to finish the cache and when I do, I will log the information about the abandoned visit along with the rest of my experience. But, until I have "given up" and am hearing that ___ lady singing, then I don't log it as a non-find.

 

 

"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day...

Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime"

 

[This message was edited by smoochnme on March 28, 2002 at 01:18 PM.]

[+bigcall]

I agree w/smoochnme. My thought is that if I gave something an honest effort to complete the find then it's a no find.

 

If I either don't have the time to complete it as occurs with some of the lengthier multi-caches or conditions (weather, darkness, etc.) prevent me from looking in depth I consider it a game that's still in play - not a failure.

 

Understand that the info on the partial search may be of value to the owner and others, but I would only log a note if there was something of value to report.

[+bigcall]

I agree w/smoochnme. My thought is that if I gave something an honest effort to complete the find then it's a no find.

 

If I either don't have the time to complete it as occurs with some of the lengthier multi-caches or conditions (weather, darkness, etc.) prevent me from looking in depth I consider it a game that's still in play - not a failure.

 

Understand that the info on the partial search may be of value to the owner and others, but I would only log a note if there was something of value to report.

[+martinp13]

If I get to the "the cache is in this clearing" stage, it's either a Found or Not-Found. If I only get halfway up the trail to the cache area for some reason, I may or may not log a note. In my mind, it's a "cache log", not a "hunt log", so I need to be close to the cache to have anything "cache-related" to post.

 

I have no shame about posting Not-Founds... it's not like you get a (-1) on your record or anything. If I go back and find it, I add a Found log too, and leave em both there.

 

> Martin (Magellan 330)

Don't have time to program and record your shows while geocaching? Get a TiVo!

[+martinp13]

If I get to the "the cache is in this clearing" stage, it's either a Found or Not-Found. If I only get halfway up the trail to the cache area for some reason, I may or may not log a note. In my mind, it's a "cache log", not a "hunt log", so I need to be close to the cache to have anything "cache-related" to post.

 

I have no shame about posting Not-Founds... it's not like you get a (-1) on your record or anything. If I go back and find it, I add a Found log too, and leave em both there.

 

> Martin (Magellan 330)

Don't have time to program and record your shows while geocaching? Get a TiVo!

[+My Blue Heaven]

quote:

---

Originally posted by smoochnme:

There may be many reasons to give up the search before its found. I am currently working on a multi-cache in which it began snowing heavily before I could spend any time looking for part 2. I wanted to leave (with the intent on returning) before the roads got too bad for travel. I do not feel this was a non-find (although technically it was) and logging a partial experience didn't seem worth it unless I felt the placer may benefit

---

 

I agree. If you had finished all the legs of the cache and then couldn't find the cache at the final location that would be a not found log. The opposite sort of thing happened to my multi cache which was the first one hidden in Tucson. I had multiple teams log it is a find after getting to the first leg. Their logs then said that they found it for now but would finish the rest of the legs when they had time. I deleted all of those logs as they didn't finish the cache.

 

Scott

[Zuckerruebensirup]

I had one cache that I couldn't find, and I logged it as such. Twice more I went back to look for it, but didn't get to the cache location until dark. I didn't log the subsequent no-finds, but mentioned them once I actually DID find and log the cache successfully.

 

I've heard people say that they go back and delete their not-founds once they've successfully found a cache, but for me, I prefer to let the record stand. I agree with MBH and martin, and don't consider it a shame to have a not-found on record.

[+shybabe924]

I always log if i can't find it...bcuz if you don't, then the owner of the cache would never know if they should check to make sure it's still there. Not everyone maintains their caches, some just check the logs to make sure they're still existing....and some don't even do that!

 

[+Belleterre]

'Not Founds' make great log entries. Check out http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=15526&logs=y&decrypt=. It has more NF logs than founds. After the 3rd NF, I rechecked things, added a spoiler photo and e-mailed encouragement to the cachers. Still got 2 more NF's before the dam broke.

[Milgren]

I recently attempted a cache and decided against finishing the hunt, once I saw how close it was to a fence that separated me from a highway on-ramp, and logged a 'Not Found'. In the log entry, I mentioned why I didn't complete my journey to the cache, so that those cachers who had qualms about crossing fences would be aware (on part of a fence nearby, there was a big 'No Trespassing' sign).

 

My log was deleted shortly thereafter by the cache owner, who sent me a message explaining that the cache was reachable from my side of the fence, and that I should try again. I admit that I didn't try too hard to reach for the cache, and I certainly don't mind leaving a 'Not Found' log, but since I apparently failed the attempt, I feel that my original log should've been allowed to stand. I then posted a less descriptive 'Other' report, figuring that when people reached the area and saw the 'No Trespassing' sign, they could judge for themselves. I will probably try the cache again, but I still won't go entirely under the fence, and if I find that I must cross it to get the cache, I'll try to log another 'Not Found' stating exactly why.

 

I guess the point of this overly long story is that a 'Not Found' can be useful in alerting other cachers to special circumstances like this, should they choose to read the logs.

[+Macro]

I post a "can't find" after my first unsuccesful attempt. I always return...every cache I have gone after I eventually found...even if it took 3 trips!

 

Posting your experience is important. A "cant find" can be just as helpful to the next hunter...knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do...at least in Geocaching.

[+rdw]

This has been discussed before, but I'll chime in again.

 

I post a find only if I sign the logbook ONLY if I write in the logbook or find the required info. I have come within feet of a cache but didn't sign it, so that was a not a find but rather an Other.

 

I post a Not Found only if I have gotten to the area and searched for a reasonable amount of time, which depends on the difficulty of the cache.

 

All other caching experiences are logged as Others.

 

rdw

[+mookie]

I agree with the others who said "if you didn't sign the logbook, you didn't find the cache". (Provided there is a logbook and somebody didn't steal it. If so, that's another thread )

 

I think there has been threads on missing/stolen caches that the cache owner was not aware of, and somebody looked for it and couldn't find it. There is a local cache like this and the log read something like "didn't know the cache was gone, but we went to the coordinates so we would have found it if it hadn't been stolen, so we are logging it as a found". I guess this is a personal choice but one I wouldn't have made.

 

I think some folks get so caught up in the numbers and feel that "couldn't find" is something to be ashamed of. You're the only one that knows the truth, do what you think is right.

[+mookie]

I agree with the others who said "if you didn't sign the logbook, you didn't find the cache". (Provided there is a logbook and somebody didn't steal it. If so, that's another thread )

 

I think there has been threads on missing/stolen caches that the cache owner was not aware of, and somebody looked for it and couldn't find it. There is a local cache like this and the log read something like "didn't know the cache was gone, but we went to the coordinates so we would have found it if it hadn't been stolen, so we are logging it as a found". I guess this is a personal choice but one I wouldn't have made.

 

I think some folks get so caught up in the numbers and feel that "couldn't find" is something to be ashamed of. You're the only one that knows the truth, do what you think is right.

[+mikemtn]

I have been curious about how many Couldn't find it's some of the top cache finders have. Finally figured out how to find this info at Dan Miller's stat place. I checked the first 25 on the leader board and 4 of them with 375, 278, 256, 251 caches found have no Couldn't find it's. Guess if you're good enough you don't have to worry about when to log a no find. This is trivia only and not in any way meant to apprear I'm being nosey with people's stats.

 

_______________________________

Thanks, Mike

 

It's Purple Martin Time in Tennessee

[BassoonPilot]

Let's see . . . as of today, I have 322 "finds" vs. 10 "couldn't find."

 

Of those 10:

 

6 of them I found on a return visit.

 

2 caches remain MIA; they haven't been replaced by their owners or archived. (I remain hopeful )

 

1 I couldn't begin to search because of the crowd in the area, and there are no new caches in that area (it's 140 miles away) to justify a return trip. (Very popular, very scenic location. This cache remains unfound.)

 

1 was in an area the I felt wasn't worth a return visit. (It remains unfound.)

 

As others have mentioned, some of the best and most informative reading is "found" in the "Couldn't find" logs.

[BassoonPilot]

Let's see . . . as of today, I have 322 "finds" vs. 10 "couldn't find."

 

Of those 10:

 

6 of them I found on a return visit.

 

2 caches remain MIA; they haven't been replaced by their owners or archived. (I remain hopeful )

 

1 I couldn't begin to search because of the crowd in the area, and there are no new caches in that area (it's 140 miles away) to justify a return trip. (Very popular, very scenic location. This cache remains unfound.)

 

1 was in an area the I felt wasn't worth a return visit. (It remains unfound.)

 

As others have mentioned, some of the best and most informative reading is "found" in the "Couldn't find" logs.

[+travisl]

If I get to the parking lot, it's either gonna be logged as a found or not found.

 

''Other'' is reserved for notes or return trips after a find.

 

I log every visit. It helps the cache owner know that the cache has been seen or not seen, and it helps other seekers know how difficult it may be to find the cache.

 

Example 1: The second cache I ever looked for was missing. I did, however, find the ferry schedule that was listed as part of the cache contents. The cache had been looted and sacked. I found what was left of the cache (the schedule), so counted it as a find, but noted the details in my log.

 

Example 2: I went searching for a cache at midnight. The gate to the parking lot was closed, because the park closed at dusk. That got a ''not found''. When I returned a few weeks later (during the day), I found the cache and logged a smiley face

 

Example 3: I searched for a micro-cache that had bad coordinates. I didn't find it the first time, and logged a not found. The cacher fixed the coordinates after reading my log, and I returned five hours later and logged a ''found''.

 

I never, ever, ever, ever delete my logs because it shows the history of my hunt.

 

Exception: If I'm hunting a multi cache and run out of time, I'll log it as an ''other'' (or won't log it at all) if I didn't have time to look for the final waypoint. I've done this a few times when I go hunting on my lunch break. In retrospect, I should make sure I log it every time.