flagged vectors

[GeoVet]

Only having hidden 4 caches, I'm kinda new, and am curious if any any others have found trail markers leading to their hidden caches. I've found plastic bread / shopping bags tied to the brush leading in a direct line to my cache, with one directly over the site. One or two plastic bags caught in trees is not all that unusual, but to have a straight-line delineated and the cache site marked seems to me, well, rude. The "flags" were not on a used trail but rather on a compass-bearing-bushwacked route. Anybody else experience this? Of course I took them down, the cache was unmolested, and life goes on. But what purpose was served?

[+briansnat]

I've heard other reports of this practice and its simply a bad idea. I guess whomever is doing it is thinks they are doing people a favor, but it's an eyesore and only gives additional fuel to those who are looking to ban our sport on public lands. It may also lead non-geocachers to the cache and expose it to plundering. It was great that you took them down and I urge anyone else who encounters this to do so.

 

Besides, what do these people think our GPS units are for? Do they really think we're so stupid we can't find a cache without their extra help?

 

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues" - Abraham Lincoln

[+Smitherington]

I certainly don't want the flags! That defeats the purpose for including the coordinates. One could just say - Go to Park X and follow the flags.

Unsightly. Takes the fun out of geocaching. Bad idea.

I have not encountered flags while I have been caching. And I'm glad.

[GeoVet]

OK We all agree it's a bad idea. But what purpose was served? What's the point? I just can't get it. Any ideas?

[+Sissy-n-CR]

On our last trip we came across a cache with a log that said something about 25' northeast (or something) of a pair of red silk panties.

 

It was getting dark and the coordinates were off. I was casting about looking for the cache and spotted the red panties tied up in a tree and remembered the log. We then found it no problem.

 

The coordinates were 95'-100' off and it would have taken us a little more time to find the cache, but we would have found it. The knickers were a mixed blessing; it cut our hunt short, but it also allowed us to find a cache with coordinates 100' off and fast approaching darkness. They were far enough away from the cache to not compromise it.

 

The obvious marking of caches and routes is not cool, though.

 

CR

 

[Lyra]

seeing a post, along with a picture, if I'm not mistaken, in which someone complained about rocks being lined up in a big arrow pointing directly at the cache hiding place.

 

Unknown what the motive might be.

 

Always wear proper caching safety equipment!

[+Sissy-n-CR]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyra:

seeing a post, along with a picture, if I'm not mistaken, in which someone complained about rocks being lined up in a big arrow pointing directly at the cache hiding place.

---

 

The hider of a cache we hunted one time made an arrow with sticks pointing to the cache. We still had a very hard time finding it as they had found a hole about the size of the container and covered it with pine straw. It made it look like level ground. It was under a bush so it's not likely that someone would step on it. The only reason we found it was the previous person had not quite covered it and I just so happen to spy the blue lid through the cover.

 

Sometimes, even arrows pointing directly to the cache will give it away.

 

CR

 

[dsandbro]

I've frequently found the trail of footprints and disturbed ground to the cache is a dead giveaway.

 

Friends don't let Friends geocache drunk.

[team bubbletree]

Is it possible that these are trails/spots that hunters are tagging? I know they sell those ties and markers in most outdoor shops for hunters some even glow at night when hit by a flashlight. If this isnt the case it is just very poor judgement on someones behalf and could make cachers look like litterbugs.