logging caches you can't find?

!mike · Post by **!mike** » 25 May 05 1:14 pm

I have decided that if it is a 1/1 and everyone else says "easy find" or similar, then I will post a DNF after I have had several attempts at it.
Personally I think everyone should be able to find a 1/1. I think some 1/1 should have a difficulty higher than 1 - but that is a different issue.

If it is a "hard" cache (by my standards) I will just put a "watch" on it and see if anyone else finds it.

Mind Socket · Post by **Mind Socket** » 26 May 05 11:03 am

I'd say a DNF is warranted if you can't find a 1/1 after 1 attempt, rather than several. In fact, regardless of the D/T, a DNF should be posted. It doesn't imply that you think the cache is gone unless you say so. "Couldn't find it" is worth mentioning even if "cache may be gone" doesn't hold.

- R

Freddo · Post by **Freddo** » 26 May 05 10:05 pm

As I said before if you looked for it and didn't find it tell us the story. You did the time, let the world know the outcome. As a cache owner it is useful data.

If something sits there and no-one takes the effort to let you know the story. Then you think everything is ok.

Especially the one and one's. These should be easy. If you DNF then something may be worth looking into.

I have an easy local one and one that hasn't been found since early April. If I don't get a DNF soon then I will have to wonder.

Don't be shy it is all part of the fun. Let your frustrations out. Explain how you got those scratches and why you were late for dinner. Again!

Post by **CraigRat** » 27 May 05 2:06 pm

Mind Socket wrote:I'd say a DNF is warranted if you can't find a 1/1 after 1 attempt, rather than several.

This is how I feel about this.

If you Did Not Find the cache, you should post a DNF whether you simply couldn't find it, or if it has gone missing!! You still Did Not Find it!!!

I've notice a trend latley in logs that people are posting "3rd time lucky" "easier to find this time"...etc. etc. without any previous DNF's logged.

It's very handy feedback to the hider if you log the DNF.

FWIW: I'll log anything that I've bothered to get out of the car to do.

Freddo · Post by **Freddo** » 30 May 05 8:13 pm

The cache I was disccusing last week was logged DNF on the weekend.

I checked out YYNZ RYQAHE tonight and it has gone.

Thanks to Jekyl for logging a DNF on a 1/1.

Now I will replace it.

I reckon a couple of other teams may have tried to find it in the last month. They missed it and never let on. Now we know why. But not whom.

Always log you DNF's. It tells the story. There is no shame.

Richary · Post by **Richary** » 20 June 05 11:59 am

To follow up on this, my cache Courage Under Fire hadn't been logged for a couple of months. It's been there long enough that most teams in Adelaide have already found it, so I expect a bit of a break between finds. But some of the new teams have been finding some of my other nearby hides.

I had told a non caching friend where it was and he couldn't find it (it's pretty obvious when you are there) so went to check on it and it had gone missing. However I also noticed there are now 7 people watching it. It seems likely that rather than post DNFs and let me know it isn't there, that people choose to watch instead and see when it comes back. When replaced will be interesting to see if there is a sudden rush.

So perhaps if one of yours has gone quiet and the number of watchers has suddenly increased, it may be worth a check.

Postman Pat · Post by **Postman Pat** » 17 July 05 8:29 pm

I Also post DNF all the time as you might be looking for the wrong thing or size,( like a micro cache instead of a tupperware container so you should do some reseach before hand I suppose

) and the owner then has a chance to set you straight without giving it all away.

rhinogeo · Post by **rhinogeo** » 18 July 05 11:57 am

I know of a cache that had been muggled (and therefore was not there to be found) yet was still logged as a find (by a certain geocacher who shall remain nameless) after the cache owner had confirmed that the 'location' had been found.

I would've logged it as a DNF - what would others do? Have you been in that position?

Horus · Post by **Horus** » 18 July 05 12:27 pm

rhinogeo wrote:. . . after the cache owner had confirmed that the 'location' had been found.
<p>
I would've logged it as a DNF - what would others do? Have you been in that position?

<p>
I'm anally retentive, so I would have put a DNF, as frustrating as it might be that it was missing and I spent ages looking for something that wasn't there, if I can't sign the log I can't claim a find. If you don't have a sticker/stamp/signature in the log book then I don't think you can claim it as a find. I'm sure there has to be a back story to it, there has to be more, you can't just say "I was next to a big tree with a hole in it, I'm guessing it was in there"? Kinda gives a new meaning to the word drive by

<p>
Just think how easy the game would become if we all did that

EcoTeam · Post by **EcoTeam** » 18 July 05 2:15 pm

I don't know why someone would spend countless hours and multiple attempts at a cache (I know people who think nothing of having 5+ attempts) and not even log a note!

You did all the hard yards, why not tell people about it?, isn't sharing the experience the fun of the sport?

I can understand why people don't put frownies for a multitude of reasons, but why not just a note?

EcoDave

The Garner Family · Post by **The Garner Family** » 18 July 05 3:26 pm

I found the velcro dots of a muggled cache that was (re)placed only days before I found it, but got muggled in that time. When the owner decided not to replace it, I changed my note to a find as I figured that the dots were probably harder to find than the cache. If he had replaced it I would have gone out again and signed the logbook...

Richary · Post by **Richary** » 18 July 05 5:56 pm

rhinogeo wrote:I know of a cache that had been muggled (and therefore was not there to be found) yet was still logged as a find (by a certain geocacher who shall remain nameless) after the cache owner had confirmed that the 'location' had been found.

On the other hand, I logged one that had been replaced by the owner after some no finds, and he had checked it and found it missing so put a new one there. Problem is I found the old one. Turns out it had moved to the other side of a bush

vitesse · Post by **vitesse** » 18 July 05 8:22 pm

richary wrote:To follow up on this, my cache Courage Under Fire hadn't been logged for a couple of months. It's been there long enough that most teams in Adelaide have already found it, so I expect a bit of a break between finds. But some of the new teams have been finding some of my other nearby hides.

I had told a non caching friend where it was and he couldn't find it (it's pretty obvious when you are there) so went to check on it and it had gone missing. However I also noticed there are now 7 people watching it. It seems likely that rather than post DNFs and let me know it isn't there, that people choose to watch instead and see when it comes back. When replaced will be interesting to see if there is a sudden rush.

So perhaps if one of yours has gone quiet and the number of watchers has suddenly increased, it may be worth a check.

we might be one of the 'new teams' you refer to.
to be honest we haven't gotten around to looking for this one.
when i'm in the suburbs, we usualy don't get started until late and after about 4 caches the CFS kicks in (the illness not the fire service).

we didn't log 'power up people' or 'like a iceberg' as DNF for two reasons. we were going past the next day anyway and i had a gut feeling they were just being too clever for us. after sleeping on it we found them quickly the next day.
we did log 'blast from the past' as DNF because we did everything there except play a game of footy. as it turns out it had crept from the crypt.
ours and another DNF led the owner to go and look. which is i guess the main point for a DNF.
we will log any 'interesting' DNFs in the future to help 'tell the story' as others have mentioned.