GCH4NR Operation Bunny Watch (Traditional Cache) in Kentucky, United States created by Lumberjack Tom and Smee3

This cache has been archived.

Lumberjack Tom: Okay, bunnies, you can now hop around this site totally unnoticed, at least for a while.

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A cache by Lumberjack Tom and Smee3 Message this owner

Hidden : 10/29/2003

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

At E.P."Tom" Sawyer State Park. Best parking is at the main lot at N38°17.141,W085°33.388. Take the paved trail to the soccer fields, then skirt the perimeter on the cross country trail that leads to the cache. Alternate parking lot off of Hurstbourne Parkway at N38*16.837,W085*33.942 gives you a shorter route, but will not expose you to nearly as many bunnies.

One of the great theological questions is, “What is Heaven?” Well, now you can find out what Heaven is—at least for rabbits. This cache is set in one of the densest populations of eastern cottontail rabbits in this area—the northwest quadrant of E.P.“Tom” Sawyer State Park.

This cache has been set out to honor our furry friends and to permit you to observe them in a nearly perfect habitat. The section of Tom Sawyer Park you will be visiting is widely acclaimed as a textbook example of the meadow/prairie ecosystem that rabbits love. Everything is here for them to thrive: abundant and varied food, plenty of water, large tracts of tall grass and low scrub and a dearth of major predators.

Tom Sawyer Park is frequently visited by birdwatchers, but if you really want to do some interesting nature watching, drop by to see the rabbits. Heck, the site of this cache offers a wonderful vantage point since it is in a small clearing with a hard surface and is adjacent to the mowed cross country running trail. The bunnies love to congregate there. If you have time, bring a lawn chair and a book, or maybe just pack your lunch and eat it at the site. (Bring extra lettuce and carrots. Just kidding.)

Be advised, though, that the rabbits are most likely to be active at dawn and dusk. During the day they are far less active, although it will be unlikely that you could make it to this cache at any time without seeing at least one. We walk the cross country trail quite a bit in the late afternoon and early evening and have seen, on average, 10-12 rabbits between the edge of the soccer fields and the cache site.

The cache is a 40 oz. plastic peanut butter jar covered with aviation duct tape. It contains a log book and a pen, a "What's this?" sheet, and a “bunny chain” of 24 small, numbered bunnies. First finder should take bunny #1, with subsequent visitors working down the chain. There is a pair of child’s scissors in the jar to remove the bunnies from the chain. Just for the fun of it, when you sign the log book, please indicate how many bunnies you saw on the way to the site and the approximate time of your visit. This will contribute significantly to our very slight body of scientific knowledge on this little-studied creature.

The cache also includes a Travel Bug picked up at Turtle's Caching in the Heartland. It is Pinky Bunbun, a cute little bunny very appropriate for this new cache.

Please stay on the athletic fields and the cross country trail leading up to the cache site. Taking a straight line from the either the main or lower parking lot will only slow you down.

The eastern cottontail is a miracle of survival and adaptation. If you would like to learn a little bit more about this gentle animal, perhaps as a prelude to a lifelong, in-depth study of its behavior and physiology, here are links to four informative web sites that you can copy and paste into your browser to get you started: (visit link) (visit link) (visit link) (visit link)

Tom Sawyer Park is a wonderful resource for all of us. Please keep it clean and respect its rules. CITO!

This cache was approved by the KENTUCKY STATE PARKS and placed with permission of KySP Permit Number 13107EP12.
-KY Admin

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Arne n pbeare. Jngpu lbhe fgrc!

Decryption Key

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

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)