Geocaching....

[Rankinswood]

I just checked the geocahe website where I searched on the post code for the nearest village to my woodland and found that there is a cache just across the road from my woodland that was hidden in the roots of a big beech tree that collapsed in the storms and fell across the road earlier this year. I was taken aback by the shear numbers of geocaches present within a 2 miles radius of our land noting that these were mainly hidden on private woodlands that have permissive footpaths granted under The Forestry Commission grants scheme rather than as statutory footpaths.

I can now envisage a new and largely uncontrollable countryside nuisance emerging from people who are on an artificial mission with the woodland owner expected to put up with the collateral damage and invasion of privacy.

Rankinswood

[Sair33]

Generally speaking, I think the type of people who geocache, are probably the type who do have some respect for the countryside.... I feel a bit of a NIMBY saying that I want to (politely) ask for the geocaches be removed from our land, as I have 196 'finds' myself, and thoroughly enjoy geocaching.
But having read the recent log on the cache on our land stating that GPS signal was poor under the trees and that they were wandering over a 25m area to try to find it (plus it's the kind of cache that relies on someone having written down coordinates correctly), I really am not keen
Thinking about it from a private land owners point of view (which I have to confess, I probably haven't done until owning land myself) I myself will be far more cautious in future about which caches I choose to find.

[Dexter's Shed]

I myself will be far more cautious in future about which caches I choose to find.

in the past (before woodland ownership) when you were searching, had you been looking for a certain spot, and come across "private woodland" signs or "no trespassing" would that have stopped you from looking, or made you more eager to find it??
just trying to get an idea if these people that respect the countryside, also respect private property

[Sair33]

Generally, the rules of Geocaching are that caches should always be placed close to footpaths or in an area with public access.
We have always been cautious not to venture too far off the footpath wherever we have been (partly because, in theory, the cache will not be too far from the path anyway), but I don't think I have ever been aware whether a woodland was private or public. Had it ever been clear that a woodland was private, then we certainly would have been extra careful not to stray too far off the path while searching.

I think the answer may be to put up a small sign at the entrance to the woodland stating 'Private Woodland - please remain on the footpath', but inevitabley, with or without geocaches, there are bound to be some people who feel it is their right to wander freely.

[Wendelspanswick]

Geocaching is not a new phenomenon, chances are it's been going on for years under your noses and you have never noticed. I started Geocaching with my children when they were small as an incentive to get them out walking in the countryside, about 15 years ago.
In all probability we may have stumbled unknowingly onto private property in the search for elusive caches but I can honestly say we have never climbed a fence or a locked gate in the search so if you are that worried about 'Cachers' you may want to think about dead hedges, fences and gates.
The whole point of Geocaching is low impact on the environment so if you have never noticed them before and only now that it has been pointed out to you why panic!

[Dexter's Shed]

if you have never noticed them before and only now that it has been pointed out to you why panic!

I'm not panicking, just curious, as it would explain a few weird responses we get, when we find walkers that have strayed from the public footpath, one studying bluebells out of season, and one looking for a train station

[smojo]

Just discovered Geocaching a few weeks ago and it's great fun. It gives you an opportunity to see places you wouldn't normally have been to. The rules are that you have to ask permission of the landowner if you want to leave one there and I would reckon most geocache "planters" will be more than happy to remove theirs if you ask them. I don't see a major problem or anything to get worked up about personally.

[Dexter's Shed]

Just discovered Geocaching a few weeks ago and it's great fun. It gives you an opportunity to see places you wouldn't normally have been to. The rules are that you have to ask permission of the landowner if you want to leave one there and I would reckon most geocache "planters" will be more than happy to remove theirs if you ask them. I don't see a major problem or anything to get worked up about personally.

if you ever get stuff pinched from your woods, be it even logs/firewood, and then see people trapsing around your woodland uninvited, I'm sure you'll change your tune

[smojo]

Dexter - no I don't want the buggers in my wood either. What I meant was it shouldn't be a problem getting the cache owner to remove it. Normally they wouldn't put it on someone's property without permission but I think the original topic was about someone buying a wood and finding there was a geocache already on it and not knowing what to do about it.

[Sair33]

I have now followed up on this.... the Geocaching website support team have been fantastic. They've closed the geocaches that are on our land (almost our land... we've exchanged at least! ) and have put a stop on any further geocaches being placed there. Excellent service all round.

I've already admitted that I'm a NIMBY of the worst sort, but just to reiterate.... Geocaching is great, I've nothing against it as a hobby