Wildlife Encounter! Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

JamGuys: I'm sorry but it's time to let this one go. Out with the old, in with the new is my motto for 2013. Thanks to all who solved the puzzle and ventured out here to find the cache. I enjoyed reading your logs and here's wishing you a few wildlife encounters of your own!

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Hidden : 8/11/2008
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
3.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Congrats to John52 for being FTF!


WARNING! The co-ordinates above are FALSE! You'll need to solve the puzzle below to obtain the TRUE co-ordinates!

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Wildlife Encounter!

One of the more exciting aspects about geocaching for me is the potential for catching a glimpse of Oklahoma's native wildlife while out on the trail. The thing is, if and when it happens, it's usually totally unexpected and lasts but a fleeting moment so I'm usually caught off guard. Case in point, this cache. I've visited this location a few dozen times over the years and never encountered any deer although their tracks (pun intended!) abound in the area. It had been raining on and off throughout the day and I was soaked to the bone due to the rain and the high humidity. Anyway, I was just about leaving the cache site when I heard a rustling sound to my left. I looked around quickly and spotted a young white-tailed deer leaping away to safety through the high grass. A few minutes later, I heard a loud splashing sound and caught sight of a doe and two smaller deer escaping into the swampy terrain. However, this time I was able to squeeze off a few shots using the zoom feature of my small digital camera and offer the grainy image below as proof of my wildlife encounter!


Deer escaping from JamGuys

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Anyway, to celebrate these unexpected moments, I've put together a puzzle cache that many might find interesting as it concerns animals that can be found right here in the state of Oklahoma. You see, the true co-ordinates are:

North 35 AB.CDE, West 97 FG.HIJ

where A - J can be obtained by simply identifying the creatures below. But wait, there's more! To increase the challenge for the FTF hunters out there, I've decided to dispense with a puzzle co-ordinate checker for now, i.e. you'll have to trust that you've solved the puzzle correctly before heading out. And what if you didn't? Well, you could find yourself engaged in a potentially long and very frustrating wild goose chase but, as they say ...... no guts, no glory! The good thing about that though is that, in this location, you're bound to experience a few animal encounters of your own (even if they're only ticks and mosquitoes!) so good luck and enjoy the hunt!



A



B



C



D



E



F



G



H



I



J

Click to verify coordinates


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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

CACHE LOCATION: The cache is hidden on the south side of Arcadia Lake on land leased to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC). Approval to place geocaches here was obtained from Mr. Damon Springer, the ODWC Aquatic Education Co-ordinator, on 4/12/11.

Please be aware that this area is open to WALK-IN traffic only, i.e. you MUST park at the front gate on the west side of Midwest Boulevard REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE GATE IS OPEN (i.e. please do not drive in beyond the front gate unless you have another good reason to be there). Failure to do so will jeopardize our ability to maintain caches here.

Please also be aware that there is an archery deer harvest season in this area annually from October through December and it will then be illegal for you to enter the area without a valid deer hunting permit. The cache listing will be disabled during this time. Also, do keep an eye out for poison plants, ticks, snakes, and other potentially harmful creatures.

CACHE CONTENTS: The container is a 7.62 mm ammo can that contains a logbook, a pen, and a nice assortment of swag including a few wildlife-related items. I've also left a FTF prize which I believe is quite appropriate for this cache.

NOTE: The original name I'd selected for this cache was Wildlife Scramble! and that's what I wrote on the container and in the logbook. However, I've since decided to change the name to Wildlife Encounter! because that's the theme of this cache and it sounds better anyway.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

1. Fcrpvsvp vqragvsvpngvba vf xrl! 2. Gb vqragvsl U pbeerpgyl, cnl pybfr nggragvba gb vgf urnq.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
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N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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