Caches disappering REALLY fast!!!

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 8:37 pm

We have lost 10 of our 11 caches in the past three weeks. I have no clue what is going on but it seems to weird to be random. Has anyone ever run into something like this before. Any ideas....AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

[This message has been edited by jjjtba (edited 07-10-2005).]

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:03 pm

no, we haven't experienced this, but i just wanted to say i'm so sorry! geez, i freak out when my travel bugs don't move. having that many caches stolen would probably put me over the edge.

i'm so sorry.

Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:31 pm

What's the general area where your caches are turning up missing?

Sucks that it's happening though

Nick

------------------
of The Cacheseekers

http://www.cacheseekers.com

Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:10 am

"The general area"....would be half of Racine County. From the South to North of the city of Racine, and just past the interstate to the West near junction of Hwy 20. I suppose thinking "big" picture, that's not that big an area...but it's definately far enough apart that it just isn't an accident that it is happening. It includes two ammo boxes, one tupperware, and seven pill bottles. Variety of locations and difficulties.

[This message has been edited by jjjtba (edited 07-11-2005).]

Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 6:41 am

I can verify that as well. I had noticed that Baffled & Bewildered was disabled, then a couple caches in the Cheaper by the Half Dozen series and then Tin Cup Distance 3. The latter was hard to figure since it was a well hidden ammobox in an area that isn't visited quite often. Plus a puzzle was needed to solve in order to have the right coordinates. Then the other day, I heard from Auntienae and TamCo who were in Racine for some cachehunting, and couldn't find CBHD-JR and CBHD-John. I went out to the site of the latter to help them find it to no avail. We later looked for a couple others, which I had previously found last winter, and they were gone. On a hunch I looked for Tin Cup Distance 1 & 2 and both were gone, and #2's hiding place was smashed up as well. I'm convinced this was a sick, deliberate act on someone's part, and why..who knows.

[This message has been edited by brkster (edited 07-11-2005).]

[This message has been edited by brkster (edited 07-11-2005).]

Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:59 am

Just a thought... We met a fellow cacher on the trails in Bayfield last fall. He said he had told his brother in Alaska about a geocache near his home. He sent his brother the coords and told to try and find it. The next thing he knew his brother sent him an e-mail with a photo of the cache and contents dumped out on his kitchen table. He thought the object of the game was to capture and keep the cache. His brother told him to take it back immediately. So maybe, just maybe this is a newbie that thinks the object is to keep the cache.
Timberline Echoes

Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 11:49 am

This is just a thought...you do work at a school and you have introduced this to many students...any chance that this is a current or former student bent on causing you some discomfort?

Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 1:39 pm

Nothing is out of the relm of possibility, however...most of the students were beginners with limited experience, didn't own thier own GPS, and no car to get around in. But like I said, nothing is impossible at this point.

[This message has been edited by jjjtba (edited 07-11-2005).]

Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 6:24 pm

The thought of a newbie who thought of claiming the cache as a prize had crossed my mind, but there are seven different cachers who logged the last finds of each of those caches, plus I would think that a newbie would understand how to log finds on line. The student thing isn't a bad idea either, but for them to find "Tin Cup 3" and "Baffled" would require solving some pretty tough puzzles in order to find the exact coords for each cache. At this point, I'm not aware of any of my caches or any other caches in Racine that are missing. That could change, but I hope not.

[This message has been edited by brkster (edited 07-11-2005).]

WGA Member Joined: 2005-05-11 Posts: 210 Location: WI, USA

Have you checked the "nearest caches" listed on Geocaching.com to see if anything else in the area turned up missing? (You can also look at your cache history to see if they've been disabled, assuming you previously found them and remember the names.)

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 6:41 am

I've heard of an individual cache here and there that's been pilfered, but this is the first time I have seen ten go down like this in a general area, in a relatively short period of time, and all caches owned by the same owner.

WGA Member Joined: 2005-05-11 Posts: 210 Location: WI, USA

I had a few minutes to look at the general area--Brickster you're right, it seems someone is targeting caches by jjjtba and leaving other people's caches alone. Looked at the log history in the area and didn't see any obvious patterns.

(Edited to "improve post quality.")

[This message has been edited by Opossum (edited 07-12-2005).]

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:05 am

Sounds too coincidental. Anyone you know a good prankster who might be getting back at you?? Either a joke or NOT, it's still a lot of work UNdone. Hope you get this resolved.

WGA Member Joined: 2005-05-11 Posts: 210 Location: WI, USA

I'd have to guess the person isn't a prankster, as a prankster probably wouldn't have smashed up a cache location as Brickster observed, but who knows?? As much as this affects the hider, the bad part is this also affects the people searching for the caches, who have no relation to the hider. It's basically bad for everyone.

(Edited to "improve post quality.")

[This message has been edited by Opossum (edited 07-12-2005).]

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:56 pm

well, i lost two caches in about a month, and both of them have survived over a year. and i see that swordmaster has lost his new one--that i haven't even had a chance to go and hunt yet. these are in hales corners and greenfield.