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Full
Name: Marc Kramer
Geocaching Screen Name: exoticdvm
Birth State: NY
Marital Status: In a relationship
How did you get into geocaching?
My best friend from back home on Long Island introduced me to it
in 2005. He was talking about a treasure hunting game and GPS coordinates;
I didn’t really make much of it at the time. We hid a container
together out on Fire Island... and later discovered that our stash
was in a protected National Seashore and the cache was nixed by
the publishers! I didn’t try geocaching again until a year later
when the two of us made some finds in Gardiner Park (Bay Shore,
NY). After that I was hooked, bought a GPS, and started caching
like crazy in South Florida with my adventurous girlfriend, Eliana
(Nana5MHK).
What's the meaning behind the screen name?
I am an exotic animal veterinarian by occupation. DVM = Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine. So .... exoticdvm.
Do you cache alone or are you part of a team?
Typically I cache with Eliana. We were both caching maniacs for
our first 500 finds and would find just about everything together.
After one too many park-n-grabs, she began to lose interest in urban
caching and now only comes along for old school caches in the woods
or those that involve an intense physical challenge. I’m still hooked
on the game and will take whatever caches I can get my hands on.
How many caches have you found and how many have you hidden?
We are just over 1100 finds, and together have hid around 15.
Have you cached in other states or countries?
We have cached in 35 US states, 3 Canadian provinces, Mexico, Costa
Rica, Puerto Rico, Grenada, and Trinidad & Tobago! Last year we
took an amazing 8-month road trip from Florida-to-Alaska and back
in our 1978 VW Bus, and cached a lot along the way.
And if so, how do those caches compare with caches you have found
here?
Caches in the USA are definitely the most creative and someone is
maintaining them. I love nabbing finds and collecting caches in
other countries, but the caches typically aren’t maintained as well
as they are often hid by foreigners on vacation. At least in Central
America and the Caribbean, anyway.
Besides geocaching, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Hiking, birdwatching, photography, kayaking, nature appreciation,
and anything that gets me outdoors.
What kind of wildlife have you encountered while geocaching?
Some of the more memorable ones have been venomous snakes (water
moccasin), bear, and alligator. Might have seen a Florida panther,
but it was a very flitting moment. We have seeked out and found
just about every type of animal out there. Thankfully we are still
here to tell the tale.
What advice would you offer new geocachers/hiders?
Don’t go crazy hiding more caches than you can realistically maintain.
Wait until you find 50 caches before hiding your first.
What do you say when muggles ask what you are doing?
Looking for my lost pet ... or sometimes I just tell them about
geocaching.
What is your favorite cache container?
Ammo cans in the woods are definitely my favorite.
What is the strangest thing you have ever found in a cache?
Part of a porno mag was an unexpected find.
What was your most memorable caching find/experience?
Being FTF on the SeaAggies creative and challenging 5/5 “Ghost Orchid”
cache in the Fakahatchee Swamp was a huge thrill and accomplishment
for us. That has to be my all-time favorite.
Urban hides, love em or hate em? Hate em. But I’ll still
find em.
Are you planning on attending Cacheapalooza 4 in December?
YES!!!
What what would you like to see more of at the event ?
I think it’s been great as is!
And finally, Garmin or Magellan? Garmin, baby!
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