Cache site vandalism

[Mind Socket]

its actually very simply, place it exactly as you found it, no better or worse. than everyone will be happy.

Absolutely, it's the best chance you have of putting it back where it should be.

- Rog

[Geof]

I tend to think garden beds are best left as just that too .

In some cases I have built on site hideing places at 6am in the morning because I didn't want cachers muggling the gardens . It takes a bit of work but I hope it saves the garden and I know I always enjoy a cache that has a nifty hide .

If it's poor EPE a genuine good hint always saves the garden too.

If you want to place a spur of the moment cache always think of the results and it should stand you in good stead .

[Rabbitto]

On a few occasions we have had to return to a cache location after being first on the scene and have been very saddened to see the condition of the area after just a handful of cachers have been through since our visit.

<p>I agree and have been meaning to bring this up for a while in relation to a lot of recent topics which have gone before. I am going to step out right to the edge of the gangplank here with this but I believe -

<p>Hiders - If the area is sensitive to destruction you are absolutely, positively, 100% obligated to ensure that the cache goes into the most geocaching obvious place that anyone who has done even a small amount of caches will walk straight up to the cache hide and pull it out first attempt. If this is impossible to achieve, then a detailed description of how to find the cache has to be in the main body of the cache text (not in additional hints) No decoys - No clever hides - No haystacks.

<p>Remember that I am talking here about areas sensitive to destruction . Hider Onus will go a long way to negating Finder Carelessness.

[Geodes]

<P>BigglesBear recently logged the following dnf on a cache
<P>

We are sure that the gardners will not appreciate a geo highway through their lovely garden, so opted not to add to the problem

<P>I commend them for their thoughtful attitude, and hope that I can follow their example when faced with similar situations. After all, a few missed caches doesn't really affect your stats that much

[Mr Walker]

One of the joys of living in the country is that the lower population pressure allows one to be more flexible. I have come across a number of caches hidden in council flower beds( two on my last trip alone) There was little or no evidence of any damage to the beds because of the low caching numbers. I particularly liked the one right outside the front door to the council chambers which upped the challenge quite considerably. Despite arriving at the cache on a holiday monday, i was harangued by a ratepayer for 10 minutes on the failure of the council to maintain local roads. All this said, I support the main argument that caches should be replaced in situ, as found, unless this is explicitly not how the hider placed it (as may be indicated in the cache notes) Otherwise, clues and hints may no longer apply to the location, or method used to camouflage the cache.

[zactyl]

I dislike searching for caches (I get dizzy looking in logs, low blood pressure) so I put exact directions in the hints for my hides. If there's concern for the surrounding area, maybe be explicit on the cache page and forgo the hint. I did this for a cache near a playground, so there's no possibility of cachers sculking in the gardens.
Then there's the problem of GPS accuracy... I've bush bashed up the hill and back down to a cache that was right next to the path, following a wayward arrow.

[GIN51E]

my caches aren't often hidden hard as the whole point is to take the cacher to the area and i don't want them to walk away with a DNF

Creek Below! Q .E. D.

I did say often, plus there has been 12 Finds and 3 DNF's that would indicate to me that it isn't a hard cache to find.

If anyone is scared of not finding one of my caches simply PM me with your phone number and i will give you mine in return

[Mind Socket]

If anyone is scared of not finding one of my caches simply PM me with your phone number and i will give you mine in return

There's a spot for mobile # on your profile if you don't mind sharing it with the whole memberbase.

</announcement type="Community Service" >


- Rog

[GIN51E]

i would rather people asked for the number that way i can also get their number and know who is calling me

[pprass]

Here is a nasty case of geocaching irony (or a twist of fate where what has eventually unfolded relates back to a particular quote that was made)

I stated in mid June that I was disappointed how some cachers treat the area where a cache is hidden while searching. I said “….. saddened to see the condition of the area after just a handful of cachers have been through since our visit. Vegetation is destroyed, unsuspecting rotting logs are completely pulled apart, rocks are overturned and not replaced, hollows are dug out and leaf litter not replaced - in general it looks as though a demolition team has been through.Ââ€

[If]

Caching is no different to many outdoor activities. If enough people are attracted to something or somewhere then tracks are bound to form and the initial pristine surrounds impacted upon. Unlike a waterfall or lookout in a park nobody is going to construct a formed path to a cache, with rails and steps to try to tidy the area up and constrain the damage. So a cache placed 10 metres away from a point of interest or off a defined track will mean the area will be damaged despite the railings and fences. It is up to cachers to think about cache placement a bit more when dealing with sensitive areas. It is also up to cachers to think a bit more when trying to find caches and not just wildly stumble into the bush flattening everything without taking the time to appreciate the surroundings and workout the likely location from a distance.
Also while it is easy for those of us who are bushwalkers to tread lightly, we must remember that this sport is open to all. Many cachers have never been far from a footpath or car before and cannot appreciate the damage that they may be causing when venturing out.
We have a lot of freedom at the moment, but you can bet the fun police will be out to shut down or regulate the sport sooner than later.

[pprass]

..... then tracks are bound to form and the initial pristine surrounds impacted upon."

Thanks for a very well put point of view. However I am not taking issue to the fact that people make "geotracks" - I don't see that being much different to animal tracks in the bush. What I am concerned about is the destruction of an area by pulling apart vegetation, rolling logs and actually pulling logs apart. Dismantling rock piles and leaving them strewn about. That is what is upsetting. And as you say - the fun police will soon be after us.

[hydroflare]

And as you say - the fun police will soon be after us.

Need a licence to fish, a licence to pick up rocks, a licence to own a dog. Won't be long before you need a licence to cache (after having attended a Government-approved training course at your expense) ...

[If]

I tried to point out nicely that the area around any cache placed in bushland or near a lookout or point of interest (or for that matter, any cache) will be flattened by wayward geocachers. It is not an intentional but inevitable side effect of the sport. Just because the coordinates say you are right on top of the cache doesn't mean you will automatically find it. Therein lies the problem. Not immediately finding the cache in the obvious place inevitably means that a wider search will be initiated. Much to the detriment of the surrounding vegetation.
Unfortunately this degredation of the surrounding area attracts the attention of the local (curious) kids. So muggling of caches will happen.
Dunno what the solution is, just keep on caching