What should I do?

[+scottinmo]

I found a cache today. It is approved and on the geocaching map. Others have found this cache lately too. However, when I got back to my truck the landowner pulled up alongside of me. He has never heard of Geocaching and wanted to know what I was doing on his property. Once I told him about geocaching he said it was no big deal. However I know that it bothered him that someone was on his property and he didn't know it. What should be done in situations like this? I'm very new to geocaching. I found my first one this past New Year's day.

[Andronicus]

Personaly, I would contact the reviewer who approved the cache (found as the first log at the bottom of the caches page), and let him know about your interaction with the land owner. Obviously, based on your discussion, there was no permission given for this cache. Assuming that GZ is actualy on this landowner's land, this is a major guidline violation, and the reviewer will most likely take appropriate action.

[Pup Patrol]

I found a cache today. It is approved and on the geocaching map. Others have found this cache lately too. However, when I got back to my truck the landowner pulled up alongside of me. He has never heard of Geocaching and wanted to know what I was doing on his property. Once I told him about geocaching he said it was no big deal. However I know that it bothered him that someone was on his property and he didn't know it. What should be done in situations like this? I'm very new to geocaching. I found my first one this past New Year's day.

 

You could contact the cache owner and tell him/her about the incident.

 

You could write more than "tftc" in your cache log, and that would be one way to record the incident. Other people would read your log, and be made aware of the situation.

 

You could post "needs maintenance" logs for caches that are soaked, in addition to the "found it" log.

 

Help Center → Finding a Geocache

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=25

 

4.2. What log type should I use?

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=534

 

3.4. I found a geocache on private property

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=541

 

 

B.

[Pup Patrol]

I see you did mention it in your log, and the cache owner has replied on the cache page:

 

Not sure who you talked to but I can guarantee that my father, the landowner, knows all about geocaching and HAS been geocaching himself. He and my boys found the location for this cache.

 

And the cache page says:

 

Permission was received to place this cache.

 

Was that there when you read the cache page?

 

There's even a Reviewer Note from back in 2012:

 

All future finders and I appreciate you getting the required permission.

 

http://coord.info/GC3CZQX

 

 

B.

[+wmpastor]

In light of these comments, maybe the actual cache at ground zero is perfectly okay, BUT the finder chose a way to get there that involved crossing private property.

 

If that mistake is likely to be repeated by others, a note on the cache page should indicate good and bad access routes.

[+scottinmo]

Well, this is confusing now. I can only tell you about the events that happened today. I parked along the road that is in the description. The description says to park there because the other road has more traffic. I walked the main road until I was directly across from the cache. I crossed the ditch, walked about 20 yards or so, found the cache and left the way I came in. I saw the landowner leave from his house and start driving my way. He got to me just as I was getting in my truck. Maybe the guy was just messing with me, but he sure seemed serious.

[+MountainWoods]

Everyone is going to have their own opinion, of course, so I guess I can throw in my 4 hay pennies.

 

I would do one of two things, with the second most likely:

 

Send a message to the CO stating some of the things that are happening (again, if you already did it) and ask why there seems to be two land owners for the same land!

 

Skip it. Put it on your ignore list. There are a lot of caches out there. GCs that are questionable to me just get put into the "don't bother with it" part of my brain.

 

You will never find all caches. Not all caches are worth trying to find. Many (perhaps most) are. But there are just some that are personal write-offs.

 

You may always wonder "Why did the CO tell me it was OK, but I get these looks from...?" and never find the right answer if you take the second approach. But that's why I say I'd put it in my "don't bother with it" part of my brain. Some things are always going to be mysteries.

[+Chrysalides]

Which house did the landowner come out from? What does he look like? No need to tell us, share the info with the cache owner. I'm curious, naturally. But it's none of my business.

[+NanCycle]

We had a situation once when the landowner drove out from his house and asked what we were doing--it wasn't on his property but it was very close by. Turned out he was the father of the CO and was just messing with us; we ended up having a nice chat with him.

[+scottinmo]

On the app, I added a note for the CO to see and read. I'm hoping it was the dad trying to have some fun today.

[+Chief301]

I archived one of my caches a while back because you had to drive by one old guy's house (who was not the landowner), who had appointed himself the guardian of the road and stopped and questioned a few cachers demanding to know what they were doing back there. After a couple such reports I decided that archival would be prudent.

[Pup Patrol]

I archived one of my caches a while back because you had to drive by one old guy's house (who was not the landowner), who had appointed himself the guardian of the road and stopped and questioned a few cachers demanding to know what they were doing back there. After a couple such reports I decided that archival would be prudent.

 

Does he go out and harass people walking their dogs? Or doing any number of things that are none of his business?

 

I'm stunned that people can get away with bullying others and no one reports them for threatening behaviour or harassment. What a strange world we live in.

 

B.

[+cerberus1]

I archived one of my caches a while back because you had to drive by one old guy's house (who was not the landowner), who had appointed himself the guardian of the road and stopped and questioned a few cachers demanding to know what they were doing back there. After a couple such reports I decided that archival would be prudent.

 

Does he go out and harass people walking their dogs? Or doing any number of things that are none of his business?

 

I'm stunned that people can get away with bullying others and no one reports them for threatening behaviour or harassment. What a strange world we live in.

 

B.

+1

One time CJ had me do one of those silly roadside C&Ds (I think it was that day grid thing) and a guy walked over and said he was calling the cops.

I told him to go ahead. He huffed and walked away.

The property I was on was the CO's (and a friend of mine).

[+dprovan]

The discussion has gone to the specific, which is fine, of course, but I think the general answer is important: this calls for a Need Maintenance log describing the events you encountered. That's true regardless of the statement of permission in the description. Yeah, OK, too bad you didn't notice the explicit permission in the description, but the only real importance of that would be asking the guy who he was so you could include it in your log. Someone told you they didn't give permission. That's a maintenance issue. The owner does have permission, so he can easily file the Owner Maintenance log to respond. Well, unless it turns out his father's sold the land, in which case it's good you brought the change of ownership up.

 

This is a good example of why you shouldn't jump immediately to Needs Archived: the CO has a reasonable response, so there's no reason to bring a reviewer into the picture yet.

[Cascade Reviewer]

As a reviewer, when I see that someone has submitted a cache that is on private property (their own, a relative, or a friend), I suggest that they talk to the neighbors. Geocachers can be off a bit and go on the wrong property, or neighbors can get upset when they see strangers stopping and doing odd things near their property.

[+wmpastor]

Which house did the landowner come out from? What does he look like? No need to tell us, share the info with the cache owner. I'm curious, naturally. But it's none of my business.

This isn't anywhere near the Hatfield & McCoy estates, is it??

 

But seriously, maybe the homeowner with the cache has some issues with a neighbor. The neighbor hopes for peace & quiet, yet since he can't mind his business he looks out the window and sees mysterious strangers doing a drunken-bee dance near the property line. He would not be the first property owner to conclude that "druggies" have come to town.

[+scottinmo]

I think you should tell the owner of the cach what happened. Then they should take care of the rest I guess.

 

That's what I did. After reading replies here, I posted a note in the "recent logs" on the phone app. Thank you to all who responded to my question.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I archived one of my caches a while back because you had to drive by one old guy's house (who was not the landowner), who had appointed himself the guardian of the road and stopped and questioned a few cachers demanding to know what they were doing back there. After a couple such reports I decided that archival would be prudent.

 

I agree here.....a month ago in Florida we found the second of 3 caches on a remote gravel road....a guy stopped in a church van and knew about the caches but said the road was private ( which I doubt )....he was nice but we blew off the third cache and left.

Legal or not as a CO you want to create a good geocaching experience.