How Long You Been At This?

[ArtMan]

I just noticed that today is the 2nd anniversary of my first benchmarking trip, on Aug. 4, 2002, when I recovered my first three benchmarks.

 

That day I was three for three.* (Little did I realize how rare a 100 percent recovery rate would be; my average over these past two years is just 55 percent found, and some days it's a lot worse).

 

What about you? When did you start? And what's your overall percentage? I'm not particularly competitive about this, just curious....

 

~ArtMan

____________

*HV1695, HV1697 and HV7765

[+rogbarn]

What about you? When did you start? And what's your overall percentage? I'm not particularly competitive about this, just curious....

My first find was just over two years ago, on June 8, 2002. I found the benchmark closest to my home, about 2/10 of a mile away. Overall, I am 158 for 260 or 60.8%.

 

Edit: include date of first hunt

Edited August 4, 2004 by rogbarn

[Z15]

I found my first one sometime in 1974.

[+California Bear]

Looks like my first hunt was 3/7/2003 but my first find wasn't till 3/9/03.

 

My find rate is 43.9% but that includes a slew of notes I posted about not being able to look for marks located inside of a Navy Base near me.

 

If I take all those out (after all, I never really looked for them as they are in a restricted area), my rate goes up to 54.6%.

[+seventhings]

First find = 03/08/2003

Found = 758 (first finds = 481)

Not found = 380

Find rate = 66.6% (Found / Found + Not found)

Notes (inaccessible) = 91

Destroyed = 48

 

Disks = 479

Rods = 57

Stones = 33

Intersection stations = 162

Other = 27

 

Disks + rods that are SCALED coords = 56.7%

 

Not in the above are,

Not in Geocaching/not in NGS = 53

Not in Geocaching/in NGS = 4

 

will

 

p.s. - Were it not for the trailblazing efforts of ArtMan and Black Dog Trackers in VA, DC and NJ, my "first find" rate would be much higher but my overall find rate would be much lower. I have had to travel great distances to get out from these guys' shadows.

Edited August 4, 2004 by seventhings

[mloser]

I remember looking for benchmarks when I was a kid, but searching based only on an X on a topo map proved futile.

My first GC.com mark was on 1/28/04 and was one I had previously found for a school project I was helping my daughter with.

 

Found = 278

Not Found = 144

Destroyed = 16 (not all submitted to NGS however)

Notes = 19

Found percent = 66% which has stayed pretty consistent for the past couple of months too.

[+happycycler]

Congrats seventhings for passing me up!! Great Job!!

 

First two finds on 10/23/02

My first search was a few days earlier, I did not take the description along and could not use the GPS yet. (And the survey stations did have ADJUSTED coordinates.)

 

All Found Logs = 756

All Logs = 1298 (includes Found, NOT Found and Notes)

 

Approx. 58% find rate -- and remember that I only search for the easy ones, I increasingly become more of a *drive by* specialist.

Edited August 4, 2004 by happycycler

[+Black Dog Trackers]

First log: 8/6/2002

 

Found: 236; 57%, 'first-finds': about 95%, intersection stations: 0%

Didn't find: 178; 43%

Mark destroyed: 6

Notes: 42

 

Probably like most of you, I had noticed benchmarks for many years before this site existed, and didn't have to look up what a benchmark was or looked like.

 

I don't do a whole lot of BM hunting, but always enjoy it when I get a chance.

 

I have personally met two other major benchmark hunters and participants in this forum: seventhings and el camino.

[+ddnutzy]

I found my first benchmark on 12-3-02 while looking for a virtual cache. I have about a 95% successful find rate. I have found 211 marks, 10 did not find, and 8 destroyed.

[+California Bear]

Hmmm. My find rate seems to be a bit below average. There may be two reasons for this:

 

1) I really suck at this

2) I am looking in an aera with lots of development where they tear things up without checking what is there first.

 

For my own pride's sake, I am going to go with #2. Orange County here in CA is constantly under construction. As a matter of fact, there is a park being built right on the spot where I found my first mark. The whole area is blocked off so I can't confirm if the graders they have been running over the bluff have taken it out.

[+seventhings]

CA Bear -

 

My experience suggests that, while your Reason #1 (for having a low success rate in finding benchmarks) may very well be true, your Reason #2 is more likely the case.

 

I regularly search in areas that have been subject to much development (Northern Virginia/Fairfax County), as well as in areas where the development has not been nearly as hot and heavy (rural southern Delaware, southeastern Maryland and a few of the older, more established towns in New Jersey). There is a significant difference in my find rates in the two areas, with the higher degree of success being in the area with less road-widening and parking lot paving. And my success rate is even higher for my searches in rural Colorado and Utah.

 

I've also found that my success rate in finding marks is strongly correlated with the effort and detail I put into preparation and planning.

 

Oh, yeah. Another thing. My success rate has imroved significantly since I started carrying a metal detector around with me. I am no longer deterred by sub-surface marks.

 

will

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

You won't believe this but I found my first Benchmark 35 years ago,when I was 10 years old.

In the Chirichaua Mountians in Arizona.

I was with my Dad who was always taking us exploring for ghost towns and gold mines,javalena and deer hunting.

We were deer hunting this particular time and I wanted to go to the top of the Point nearby so I could see better,there in the rock was this brass thingy I called it and asked my Dad what it was and he explained it to me,what a benchmark was and how they worked,I have been hooked ever since.

 

I have found many many more since then have logged a few here and have many adventures yet to come,I know that no one goes to these remote areas so maybe they will stay unlogged till I can get back and once again explore the country,and log the mark and tell you guys the rest of the story.

 

Until then

 

Happy......................................................Geotrails