How Often Are Caches Muggled?

[+WeWereWaz]

I am curious how often (overall) caches are discovered & trashed. Did a search and found no similar topic in the forums.

 

We recently found a cache that was hidden within sight of a trail (maybe 150 ft off the trail & visiable from maybe 600 ft of trail, so pretty open), determined where the cache was (hidden under a log), and waited until there was no one visible before retreiving. Then we moved maybe hundred feet away from the hiding place to check out the container, log, etc. And again, waited until there was no one in view before re-hiding. While we were discretely checking out the cache, a number of folks passed by on the trail. The cache came up missing for the next searcher (it has since been found, but with TBs missing). I feel bad about this, but felt at the time that we were being stealthful & discrete.

 

My questions are:

How far away do other cachers move from the hiding place before logging?

What did we do wrong (if anything)?

Should I feel responsible for this cache being trashed?

Do chache placers take visibility, etc into consideration when placing caches?

 

Thanks.

 

Team Wazonmadiapah

[+IVxIV]

It sounds like you did everything the best you could to ensure the cache would be safe for the next finder. But sometimes Sh,, um.. I mean, stuff happens

 

On a cache by cache basis, once I figured out approx where it is I wait around until there are no muggles in the area, go quickly to the cache spot, extract it & take it around 50-100 feet from its hiding spot. I also make mental notes on "how" it was placed in the hiding spot so I could return it the same as I found it. Once logging the find I would again wait for a muggle-free moment, dash to the hiding spot and replace the cache.

 

I too am concerned that the next cache seeker will have a cache to find so do these things carefully. And I would hope the cacher who was "in front of me" was as dilligent

[+StarBrand]

In General, I have 50 cache hides placed over the last 3 years 3 months. If I remember right 3 have been muggled and 1 destroyed by a bull dozer. But keep in mind that I live in a very rural area. One of my longest lasting caches is actual the one that I thought would be muggled first. It is only 35 or so feet off of a popular pathway.

 

1. If there are muggles around, I generally wait to retrieve it until I see none. I usually don't move very far away but on occasion have moved up to 100 feet or so to not look so obvious but moving away and back can look suspicious too.

 

2. Doesn't sound like you did anything wrong - in fact your visit may have had nothing to do with the disapperance. People just stumble into our caches from time to time.

 

3. NO

 

4. I scout out an area for cache placement over a number of visits to do my best to avoid high visibility but we cannot always know what a change of seasons will bring or a new trail or just some kids off playing somewhere.

[+AtoZ]

Some times it is the cache owners fault as they did not take into consideration the possiblity of folks passing by why someone was viewing/hunting for the cache. I like to give folks some degree of not looking like well you know stumbling around in the bursh mumbling to themselves, staring at some gizmo in their hand. There is one cache I did where three trails intersect and all and it is almost impossible to see people coming and it was a busy place maybe the cache is stil there. But it happens. Also maybe a cacher trashed the cache who know?????

cheers

[+Gas Guys]

If it's a busy area, I'll take the cache away from the hiding spot to somewhere where it looks "natural" for someone to be sitting (i.e. on a log or rock) and then I return it when the area is clear of muggles. Then I try to hide the cache as well or better than I found it.

 

Still, I get quite nervous and usually watch the cache on the website until someone else finds it so that I can be sure that I didn't compromise the location.

 

I have problems with paranoia...

[+fly46]

Out of all the ones I've hid, I had one go missing that was probably muggled, one go missing because the shrub it was in was taken out, and another one that may or may not be missing but the container seems to be a hard one to find.

 

Of all the containers I've gone looking for, I think three were muggled out of well over 300.

[+Greymane]

I understand taking this all into consideration, but sometimes it is just the risk you take. I wanted to place a Virtual because it was at THE most active spot in our little town. There are shops and stores all around the little park. The Virtual was denied, so I made it a micro.

 

After careful consideration, it is certainly possible to retrieve the cache without looking obvious, but not easy. Still, the challenge is part of the game.

 

...and if it gets muggled, I am out a magnetic key holder. Oh, well.

[+VegasCacheHounds]

What I find odd is that one of my caches, Deep Down Body Thirst in Red Rock Canyon, was quite the scramble to get to, and IMHO was fairly well hidden, was muggled twice before I decided to archive it. Now, on its own thats not too odd, but there is another cache, hidden in a Pringles can under a pile of rocks, that is right next to the scenic overlook area nearby. Thousands of tourists are within feet of this cache every week. It was next to impossible to retreive this cache without being seen. Yet it is still there.

That ticks me off. Kinda makes me want to make the other cache dissappear. Kidding, just kidding.

[+The Leprechauns]

I think it's all in the selection of the hiding spot. If you hide 'em good, they are less likely to get muggled.

 

I own 25 physical caches; all but three of them are at least 16 months old. I've only had problems with three going missing. One was a micro in an exposed high traffic area, magneted to the bottom of a drinking fountain in the village square. When I saw orange cones around the fountain and plumbers working to fix it, I knew the cache was toast. Another micro is at a scenic overlook that receives heavy tourist traffic. I've replaced that one three times. Even a one inch long "crack vial" type micro got taken. But it's worth it, people HAVE to see the view of my city from this spot.

 

Most of my caches are out in the woods in low-traffic areas, and don't have any part of the container exposed in plain view from a trail. Only one of those has ever gone missing. A junior arsonist burned the fallen tree that hid the cache container.