Travel Bug Dog Tag Bushwacker's Bonus

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Owner:
SeaAggies Send Message to Owner Message this owner
Released:
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Origin:
Florida, United States
Recently Spotted:
In Totally Tubular

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Current Goal

This simple staff is not to be owned, but to be shared. Use it for a while and add your mark if you wish carve it. Paint it. Adorm it and then pass it on. Hide it in a bushwacker-worthy spot near a cache in Brevard or Central Florida, and post the coordinates in the cache or on the page. It is fair to find it more than once, but give others a chance too.

About This Item

Bushwacker's Bonus

This "bug" was started by Capaldo and I was the first stop on its journey. As part of my adornment to the stick I placed a travel bug tag on it so it's path can be documented. Treat it well!

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Tracking History (16688.5mi) View Map

Dropped Off 3/14/2008 Blue Man placed it in Makinson Island South Florida - 45.77 miles  Visit Log

OK, it took a little longer than I expected to move this one along. I have created 2 new caches that must be visited in order to find the final coordinates to the facsimile Bushwacker's Bonus. The first to find the facsimile can trade it for the real McCoy!
Grab It (Not from a Cache) 1/22/2008 Blue Man grabbed it   Visit Log

Like many of you, I have been watching the Bonus ever since it was created. I have seen it at events and in the hands of others but I never felt right about "discovering" this one because it's something out of the ordinary. It seems as if geocaching has strayed from our roots of ammo cans in the woods and the Bushwhacker's Bonus is a validation of "old school" caching.

Tosohatchee is one of my favorite places and I knew I had a very good chance of being the first to get there. There is nothing like a Boonie Man cache and it's tres appropriate that I had to visit 2 of my favorites in order to find the stick. I made a quick detour before work and managed to visit both stages in a short amount of time. The first stage was quite familiar and I swapped some travel bugs at the cache. The first step of this one was a CD with the second stage coordinates encrypted upon it. I tried getting it to play on my vehicle's CD player but I guess the format was wrong...

The second stage was definitely worthy of the Bushwhacker title. I was worried about getting my clothes wet and muddy so I left them hanging on a tree while I waded Taylor Creek! It took several false starts but I finally found the right bush to whack and the correct angle to grab the facsimile from its hiding place. I only saw one small cottonmouth on the way out and I left a red Jeep TB in the Blazes cache as a memento.

The last stage of this quest was to retrieve the actual stick from its caretaker, Dale and Barb. I found myself in Merritt Island a few days later and dropped by the SCGA HQ before heading out on the river with some trainees. I had a nice chat with Dale and he showed me the artwork of previous finders. I have something in mind as my mark of distinction and a new hiding place in mind that is definitely off the beaten path. It may take me a few weeks to make it happen but it should be entertaining.

Thanks again to the creators of this Bonus for keeping our geocaching ideals alive. There's nothing I enjoy more than a good bushwhack and finding a prize like this at the end of it only makes it that much better.

  • The far side of Taylor Creek
  • Preparing to cross There's nothing more uncomfortable than hiking in wet muddy clothes!
  • One step away from the cottonmouth encounter!
  • Final location of the facsimile
  • The small stick with my larger pole
Write note 1/20/2008 rnrgrl posted a note for it   Visit Log

We found this staff after a tip from Cache of Cache & Keri who called us to say it was up for the taking if you found "Up for the Challenge?" We were, we did and we found the stick.
We took it home to Northern Palm Beach Cty. but knew we had to bring it back to central FL when we hid it. This time, we called Cache and he graciously accepted our request to help us find a worthy place for it.
Today, along with Cache, we hid the stick. Here are the details for those of you who wish to find it next...
There are TWO stages to finding this stick and if you chose to search for it, you will be visiting both sides of the Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area. This area is open from 8am to dusk, 365 days a year. The north side requires visitors to sign in and pay a small fee. The south side is free but also open from 8am to dusk.
Both stages of this challenge are located near some classic boonieman caches. At times, the trails in either area can be wet.
The coordinates for the first stage are:
N 28 26.708
W 080 56.981
Hint for both: PUVZARL
Once you have found BOTH stages, contact myself OR Dale n Barb for the actual hiking stick. It will be handed over to the finder once both stages have been found and delivered.
Good Luck!

  • Crossing Taylor Creek to hide the stick..
  • Cache takes the easy way!
  • "Stick" spoiler! (looking up)
  • At stage one for stick hunt placement...
  • Handing over the stick for safe keeping..
Discovered It 1/20/2008 Hipointer and Capiti discovered it   Visit Log

Thanks Rnrgrl for sharing the stick with us. We would really like to take it up to the middle of our Moat Mountain Progressive Challenge Series in NH, but I guess that would be too hard for any Floridians. It is not so much the 9.7 mile hike or the 2500 feet of altitude gain, but the 3-5 feet of snow on the trail. What would Floridians do?? Maybe you can try the Challenge in the Summer when you visit.
Write note 1/19/2008 rnrgrl posted a note for it   Visit Log

The stick is carved and we are bringing it up this weekend to hide it!
Discovered It 1/5/2008 Gator Man discovered it   Visit Log

Not sure if I've held this one before, so I'm making sure I log it now!!!

GM
Write note 12/30/2007 Capaldo posted a note for it   Visit Log

Congrats to rnrgrl for grabbing the stick! Certainly a worthy holder. IMHO, JD is a bit of a stretch of the intended parameters; Brevard or nearby would be a better fit.
Retrieve It from a Cache 12/30/2007 rnrgrl retrieved it from UP for the challenge? Florida   Visit Log

Myself, Froggy girl, and Zeke the Peak rose to the challenge put forth by Dale n Barb and told by (as well as escorted by) Cache of Cache & Keri yesterday by finding and retrieving this TB. Once we add our names to it, we will place it in a worty spot within the parameters specified...Is JD too far South?

Dropped Off 12/28/2007 Dale n Barb placed it in UP for the challenge? Florida - 89.08 miles  Visit Log
  • Our addition to the stick
  • Our addition to the stick
Discovered It 11/4/2007 Auntcack3 discovered it   Visit Log

Discovered at Florida's only geocaching store. Thanks.
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