Waaah, Boo Hoo Hoo!!

2.5k · February 17, 2005

I suppose it is inevitable that it would happen sometime, but I have just visited one of my caches and it has been muggled.

I am upset and annoyed and just generally fed up. I am also not terribly suprised, I guess.

How does everyone else cope. Can one get post muggling stress councilling?

February 17, 2005

I suppose it is inevitable that it would happen sometime, but I have just visited one of my caches and it has been muggled.

I am upset and annoyed and just generally fed up. I am also not terribly suprised, I guess.

How does everyone else cope. Can one get post muggling stress councilling?

Me too, 2nd time, it sux. AWOL

February 17, 2005

We give you our full sympathy, as we know how it feels as one of ours was constantly muggled

On the bright side (for us) as we were one of the one's that couldn't find it we now dont feel quite so useless

A muggled cache is a fact of life these days, and dont let it put you off replacing it.

If it turns out to be a recurrent event make it a micro as the spot you had was lovely.

February 17, 2005

Commiserations Alibags.... we know the feeling.

February 17, 2005

I had caches muggled. One of them had 96 hits in about 6 months and was waiting for it to reach the ton. The sad part was that it was full of travel bugs and of course these just vanished. I was sick about this. Recently I have replaced it with a micro. up the 'road' a bit.

2.5k · February 17, 2005

I know that it is something that we all must go through from time to time. I have already got another small cache all geared up and ready to go. Now, can I get out of bed early and place it tommorrow, or will the duvet win (again)?!!

No Ollies, looks like you were not useless at all.

Is it against guidelines to place the cache inside an armed mantrap? What do you reckon?

1.6k · February 17, 2005

Bad luck Alibags - I feel your pain; another one of my caches has gone missing (I think). For some reason if it has the word "chase" in, it never lasts very long

MarcB

February 17, 2005

If it is any comfort, International Dialling is a seven cache multi. My first cache went missing before it was even submitted. Since then two more have been muggled, and the final stage was washed away in the storms a few weeks ago. To add to that, the footpath to another one of the caches is presently shut for maintenance, and it looks like they are dramatically cutting back the copse the cache is located in. Just hope it is still there when they finish.

You just have to smile and carry on.

6.2k · February 17, 2005

The more you hide, the bigger the chance of Mugglage Ali. You are a victim of your own success (as well as theft*) and will just have to work harder to make your hides 'perfect'

SP

*Has anyone ever been prosecuted for removing a cache? It's there with the landowners permission, and it's taken away without yours. It must be theft, so why not report it to the police...?

February 17, 2005

Bad luck Alibags - I feel your pain; another one of my caches has gone missing (I think). For some reason if it has the word "chase" in, it never lasts very long
MarcB

Bet that one has been kicked off the hill by some unsuspecting cacher.

3.7k · February 17, 2005

A cache (GCMJET) that I placed less than four weeks ago was situated at about 1700 feet on a steep, rough hillside. It was an ammo box, hidden in an area of boulders and scree, well away from the nearest path and invisible from the normal hiker's route.

On arriving at the co-ordinates, I checked before I removed it from my rucksack: no-one was around. I placed it carefully under a couple of large rocks, which I gently shifted back so that the weathered side was upwards and there was no sign that they'd been moved.

I retreated six feet, and started to worry that I couldn't really identify the hiding place, as the box couldn't be seen from even two feet away, so I took a couple of photos to use as spoilers. These were photos of nearby rocks, which would only be useful if you were standing very close to the cache, and didn't identify the cache itself. I walked on to the summit, then half an hour later returned to re-check the co-ordinates.

The cache co-ordinates were not available in the description: you have to use a sketch map puzzle and a decoding table to obtain the position. I'd say it was one of my most inaccessible caches, a long, hard climb from the nearest road: particularly at this time of year! And yet it was less than a week before it disappeared, before the first find.

How frustrating is that? (I've replaced it, but not at the original site). I've had no contact from the thief, who has the FTF prize (USA Geocoin), cache swaps, log book, contact details, info sheet etc. I've no idea how anyone could have found it by accident, and there's no history of cache plundering here. Mysterious.

HH

February 17, 2005

hehe I could just see myself going into the local Police Station round here..

"errmm i left this lunch box in a hedge..."

They are too busy dishing out asbo's

Joking aside though.. Sorry to hear about the lost Cache's... I am very new to this and am in the process of putting together my first cache for hiding. Amongst the treasures i am planning to put in is a small beaded necklace once bought by John Lennon for Cynthia and passed from her to my other half...

I would be gutted if it fell into the wrong hands. It would put me right off placing 'love' into a cache...)

6.2k · February 17, 2005

I have one word for you: Aliens.

SP

Edited to say the necklace sounds a bit too nice (and valuable) for a cache. We are lovely people, as 99% of folks are, but you do need to think about the 1% who'd pinch your ears if they came off easily, when thinking about cache contents.

Edited February 17, 2005 by Simply Paul

February 17, 2005

How frustrating is that? (I've replaced it, but not at the original site). I've had no contact from the thief, who has the FTF prize (USA Geocoin), cache swaps, log book, contact details, info sheet etc. I've no idea how anyone could have found it by accident, and there's no history of cache plundering here. Mysterious.

HH

That is just too weird... Could you have been watched...?

1.7k · February 18, 2005

We`ve only had a few micro`s go missing, but they are easily replaced. Although one micro got hit with a strimmer, it was hidden in some grass, and wasn`t a pretty sight after that. Another was on the iron work of a bridge, which got painted, and the magnetic micro went missing. But just moved it a little until the painting for finished them replace it back into it orginal position.

Never had a final cache go missing yet, but we usually hide them too well, and regular checks on the ones we have while in the area is always a good idea, as we usually find that some people don`t usually rehide them that well, needs a few more twigs and leaves to hide it.

Although my sympathies go out to you.

Pengy

1.1k · February 18, 2005

Is it against guidelines to place the cache inside an armed mantrap? What do you reckon?

Hmm, is there an icon on the cache attributes for "Armed and dangerous"?

I can see the cache listing now...

Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to bypass the laser sensors, disable the fragmentation grenades and evade the large rolling boulder. Once past this, the cache is a tupperware container under the pile of logs :laughing:

Or you could set up a webcam burglar alarm to inform you of visitors.

Some of the dog walkers you mention on the cache page must have bloodhounds

2.5k · February 18, 2005

I don't think it matters how well you hide them, if somebody just happens to sit on that rock or nip behind that tree, or their dog takes a fancy to that pile of sticks... I am glad that none of yours have ever been muggled P&T though, it's not nice.

I do agree that regular mainenance visits are a must because you need to try to minimise the cacher's trail that builds up (picture me plaiting bracken at a certain cache of mine, which has been parted like the Red Sea by cachers visiting the spot). Also it's nice to check the way your carefully and artistically covered cache becomes covered with a pile of parallel sticks of equal length. Another cache of mine has a spoiler, which regularly gets spoiled (wonder if that's why it's called a spoiler?) and yet another climbs down from it's tree and ends up at kneecap height (must be geocaching gnomes!). This is all done by cachers, so no wonder you get even worse behaviour from muggles!

I did expect this cache to last longer than 9 days though :laughing: but that's just the way the cookie crumbles, I guess.

Anyhow, the good news is that it is now replaced and in a slightly different spot and as it is physically attached to the location, no danger of it migrating either! (famous last words)

Thanks for the group hug chaps!

2.9k · February 18, 2005

It's very sad. I have found my caches completely uncovered on maintainance visits :laughing: and MarcB has cursed one of mine as well. It was chock full of goodies and has not turned up. The replacement is surviving very well in another part of the wood. The original hiding place was in our opinion less likely to be muggled than the new one yet the new position has had more visits.

A note on the necklace. Never place something of sentimental value in a cache or turn it into a TB you can only be dissapointed.

3.9k · February 18, 2005

Someone in the Travel Bug forum was bemoaning the fact that their TB had been muggled; someone else pointed out that, in the scheme of things, the ultimate fate of any TB is to be muggled. When you think about it, he was dead right, and the same applied to caches too.

Of course, if it gets muggled after a good innings, you have different feelings from when it disappears within a week. My first cache was muggled within two weeks, I replaced it, two more weeks and it happened again, so I replaced it at an offset location, after two months the whole place got cleared up by the farmer, it's now on its fourth incarnation. (And my first TB lasted exactly 24 hours...)

When you're starting out, you don't always realise just how stupid muggles can be (never mind the vicious "rogue cacher" who probably took Happy Humphrey's cache). If I had found a cache before I knew what it was, I would have thought "wow, cool", and put it back, perhaps with a log book note. I'm still slightly amazed (but no longer surprised) that the kind of person who goes for a nice walk in the country, would randomly trash a cache.

By the way, has anyone thought of writing to some of the people who can no longer chase foxes around the countryside, and see if they fancy looking for tupperware instead ?

2.3k · February 18, 2005

And yet it was less than a week before it disappeared, before the first find.

Have you got any enemies??? :laughing:

2.9k · February 18, 2005

I also forgot to mention that when you discuss caching with people, the most common misconception is that when you find the cache you take the cache.

I have to explain that you open the box swap and sign then rehide.

This might not be clear on the main website as it encourages you to search for caches not guidelines.etc.

The cache above does sound abit strange but you may of been watched from a distance with binoculars etc?

February 18, 2005

By the way, has anyone thought of writing to some of the people who can no longer chase foxes around the countryside, and see if they fancy looking for tupperware instead ?

Thats not a good idea,as the caches would get torn apart by the hounds. If this was done, you would need to place some red paint or ink in the cache for the ritual of 'blooding' the newbies to the hunt. :laughing:

3.7k · February 18, 2005

I have one word for you: Aliens

This seems to be the most likely explanation in the case of the missing Barrule cache...

may of been watched from a distance with binoculars

Possible - but unlikely. The valley below in almost uninhabited (one farmhouse a mile away), and even if they were watching (the chance of that would be tiny), they'd still have to find it - not easy when so well hidden. I suppose the "rogue cacher" theory is the most realistic, but why pick this difficult cache when there are several easy ones around?

Or it could be something more sinister - the cache site was close to the haunt of the Big Buggane of North Barrule, and exactly where the White Horse has been seen...to say nothing of the nearby aeroplane crash... :laughing:

HH

3.3k · February 18, 2005

On arriving at the co-ordinates, I checked before I removed it from my rucksack: no-one was around. I placed it carefully under a couple of large rocks, which I gently shifted back so that the weathered side was upwards and there was no sign that they'd been moved.

Maybe you dreamt placing it? :mad:

February 19, 2005

My new Lactodorum cache has been reported muggled this morning.

I think that just about equals Alibags' 9 day record.

All the more upsetting since we released our first TB into it on Monday.

:huh: Boo Hoo Hoo indeed!

February 19, 2005

Our very first cache only lasted four days! It was not the most remote of areas but unfortunately it seems the council decided to cut back all the hedges in the park for the first time in years! Think it then became a bit obvious to passing kids. Bad luck, huh. We moved on have have since planted 9 more but the most annoying thing was the fact that the 'people' who wrecked it left a note saying "We've robbed all the stuff!"

Nice, huh? :huh:

Still fancy turning this one back into a micro one day.

James

February 19, 2005

It's OK! Lactodorum lives!

It was apparently found by a newbie - who decided to take it home first! :huh:

He then decided to relocate it for the next person... Just off to put it back where it should be...

Looks like I've found myself a newbie to adopt!

Sighs of relief all round...

6.2k · February 19, 2005

Replaced not one but two of mine this morning. Gurrr. Still, I have lots out and about so it's only to be expected - especially how I've found some of my own caches so poorly rehidden sometimes... :huh:

SP

1.7k · February 19, 2005

It's OK! Lactodorum lives!
It was apparently found by a newbie - who decided to take it home first!

I certainly do !! Not that I remember going anywhere though

1.7k · February 19, 2005

i had a cache out for over 6 months, trialling it out, whilst I obtained the land owners permission for it, it was actually found 3 times by muggles, the last one walked off with the first micro. After it was listed, I used a artificial stone key holder as the first micro. Until some one kindly re hid the note with the coords for micro 2 on it, and walked off with the key holder. it taught me to be a bit more devious with micro 1 (ask Cave Troll :huh: , who I was stood next to, when he said its not here )

Dave

February 20, 2005

I know how you feel - I've just come back from checking some of my caches and two of them have gone missing. I haven't dared check the others yet :laughing:

February 20, 2005

Sooo sorry Alibags!!! ((((HUGS)))) How long has it been? I had one removed by a sweet little old Muggle and he had it at his house for a week wondering what to do with it!!! He eventually texted me and I explained and he brought it round to my house! Reset it in elsewhere in the park. I was gutted when my Alice TB went missing...pinched my a Cacher!!! Shocking! Not sent another one out...but will in time :laughing:

2.9k · February 20, 2005

One of ours has gone today as well. Buggers cut the tree down it was hidden in

1.8k · February 20, 2005

markandlynn wrote:
One of ours has gone today as well. Buggers cut the tree down it was hidden in

Some people will go to any lengths to steal a cache. <_<

I'll get me coat... :lol:

3.8k · February 20, 2005

I had a cache once, a smallish 1 litre tupperware box, that fitted neatly into a hole that I'd painstakingly chiselled into a two and a half foot long lump of pine tree trunk about 15 inches in diameter. This was cunningly placed in the undergrowth alongside another fallen pine tree. It worked well and kept the local cachers amused... until someone stole it...... No, not the tupperware box... the whole bl**dy tree trunk!!! <_<

1.8k · February 20, 2005

The structure under which my first cache was hidden was burned down by vandals - but I was able to recover the cache from the sand underneath. Mind you it went for good the second time until temporarily revived for Alex last month.

2.5k · February 21, 2005

well, my replacement cache has been looged this weekend, so the cache is dead, long live the cache! :huh:

I was also pleased the one other of mine that had had a couple of DNFs was still alive and kicking, so I have enhanced the clue for that one (don't want people to search too long at this location due to net curtain twitching, police phoning locals).

I am a bit worried by developments at this cache. The anglers who seem to know all about it sound friendly enough... but I expect this one to get muggled at some point (eg when they tell their kids all about it, etc).

1.4k · February 21, 2005

it disappeared, before the first find.

How frustrating is that?

I can commiserate with that.

My Eastern Sultanate cache was also looted before FtF.

I thought it was a remote location, with a couple of miles of off-road driving many miles from the nearest village before having to bale out and walk the last half-mile across very rocky desert.

I think it was almost certainly muggled immediately after I placed it, by someone who had observed me at the location while I took a series of averaged position fixes with the GPSr and wrote up the front page of the log.

Walls may have ears, but in that part of the world rocks have eyes :huh:

Cheers, The Forester

1.1k · February 21, 2005

I suppose it is inevitable that it would happen sometime, but I have just visited one of my caches and it has been muggled.

I am upset and annoyed and just generally fed up. I am also not terribly suprised, I guess.

How does everyone else cope. Can one get post muggling stress councilling?

I thought I'd lost a micro a few weeks ago.

After a couple of DNF's, I visited the cache to check it out and couldn't find it.

Rather angrily, (another GC micro-container gone...) I returned home, prepared another and planned to re-plant it the next day.

Hmmm... back on site and located the original about 9 inches from where I first left it.

Goes to show one can do 'too' good a job in hiding the things!

2.9k · February 21, 2005

markandlynn wrote:
One of ours has gone today as well. Buggers cut the tree down it was hidden in

Some people will go to any lengths to steal a cache.

I'll get me coat...

LOL

I think it was revenge it was quite an evil hiding place . Just been back today and found an even better place :lol: . Just got to construct a new container.

February 21, 2005

well another one has bitten the dust - that makes three of mine this weekend :-(

1.8k · February 21, 2005

One of mine was under a fallen tree, and one day the tree was cut up into logs. The log the cache was under was left in position, and the rest of the logs were stacked neatly next to it. I was able to retrieve the cache and rehide it nearby before the logs were removed.

February 21, 2005

I thought I'd lost a micro a few weeks ago.

After a couple of DNF's, I visited the cache to check it out and couldn't find it.

Rather angrily, (another GC micro-container gone...) I returned home, prepared another and planned to re-plant it the next day.

Hmmm... back on site and located the original about 9 inches from where I first left it.

Goes to show one can do 'too' good a job in hiding the things!

For the recent Winchester event, I placed a permanant cache, consisting of a few clue locations, a micro, and an ammo box.

The micro was in a cracked tree trunk... the Bramblers, who had found & rehidden the micro were on the way back, and passed a groups searching for it. "Oh, we'll show you where it is, its.......... oh, no its not!". Someone else had found it, and rehidden it somewhere slightly different!

We returned the following weekend. We know where we originally hid it. We know where the Bramblers found it the first time, and then the second time.... but it STILL took us 5 mins to find it! (its in a slightly easier place now, a few feet away)

So, yes, it's often very easy to think you've lost a cache, when you haven't!

We also lost one that was next to a fence... and they re-did the fence!

Paul

3.8k · February 22, 2005

I have a 120 size film container hidden in a hole in a tree that the first couple of finders reported as being found on the ground a foot or two from the tree. The hole wasn't deep enough to be 'home' to some forest critter but I suspected that a squirrel had probably hoiked it out anyway. I bought an aerosol spray of harmless, non-toxic, environmentally friendly (they said) 'pet repellent' from a local pet shop and sprayed that all around the hole when I replaced the cache. That cured the 'squirrel' problem but the cache has only had one finder in the last eight months so maybe it was a 'cacher repellent' as well :surprise:

Waaah, Boo Hoo Hoo!!

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