General Cycling Discussion - Close encounters with Animals

I have read the threads about dogs and I read one about a killer squirrel but except for the occasional dog I had never really had any close encounters with animals until recently.

On Mothers day there was an organized ride here called the Michigan back 40. It takes place mostly on dirt roads. As we came to the top of a rather large hill three deer ran full out across the road about 15 feet in front of us. Needless to say it scared the crap out of us. That is about as close as I ever want to get to a deer running flat out.

Today something happend that was kind of funny and made me think of posting this thread. I was on my way home from work when a chipmunk ran across the road straight in to the sidewall of my tire. There was this hollow thunk and the chipmunk bounced off and just sat in the road dazed for a few seconds before running into the bushes. I couldn't stop laughing for about a half a mile. The chipmunk didn't appear to be any worse for wear. I am just glad it didn't get caught up in the spokes. What a mess that would have been.

Just wondered if anyone else has had any scary or comical encounters with animals on their rides.

Steve

try a herd of buffalo just outside Erie pa..lol just how fast can one pedal?
now that was an interesting ride :D

Originally posted by juciluci
try a herd of buffalo just outside Erie pa.. :D

I grew up about 45 miles from Erie. I can't imagine seeing a herd of buffalo there period, let alone having to out run them on a bike. That must have been some ride. A herd of Buffalo definelty beats 3 deer.

the truth is... i was shocked to see them.. i believe there is a farm for them close to the road.
then of course driving through buffalo on my way home today... the landscapers just off the I90 had trees with Buffalo statues standing amongst them... i thought i was having deja vu :)

i saw a deer too... but this time it was alive... hwy 79 is loaded with red smears... first time i drove through i thought it was a horrible accident... after the 7th or 8th smear i started to figure it out :rolleyes:

I was "herding" cattle on a ride a while ago near Murwillumbah. Of course, I had absolutely no control over where they were going and, being the wimp that I am was trying to avoid getting too close to them, but it was kind of funny. I have also had numerous close encounters with Kangaroos and Wallabies early in the morning, not to mention brush turkeys which are absolutely psychotic (and can also open a back pack and steal an unwary traveller's food!).

got chased by a cow yesterday, good thing i still had a little bit of juice left for a fast "acceleration" sprint to about 40kmh(still going uphill), after the long uphill... What can I say, I was scared!
I have an aluminum bike with red decals with red tires, red handlebar....

does red really make them mad????

As far as I know, they're colorblind. It was probably just in heat.

Originally posted by juciluci
the truth is... i was shocked to see them.. i believe there is a farm for them close to the road.

Last year, I unexpectedly peddled by a camel farm. Camels--in Wisconsin! I nearly fell off my bike rubbernecking when I realized...

But back on topic, I was threatened by a Canada Goose once, but besides that, nothing but dogs and playful (safely fenced-off) cows.

My closest encounter was with a Fly. It went rite in to my eye. Can it get any closer then that?:D

as a kid a dog pulled me off my bike....i love dogs but to this day they make me a bit nervous when i am riding...i carry police grade cp spray because of that

i ran over a rattlesnake about 15 years ago...killed it...it was 3 ft long and sunning itself (i guess) on a big rock...i thought it was a root....my buddies behind me called me back to see it....i hate those things

about 3 weeks later a power crew had just ran a bulldozer along our favorite downhill run at the same park and uncovered a den of copperheads....did not hit them but saw this writhing mass of snakes about 3 feet away....we all skedaddled the other way



i had avoided any close calls until this month when i hit a squirrel with my road bike...it lived with at worst a grade 2 tail contusion ...he did not stay long enough for a formal exam. the next day a rabbit darted between my tires on the same stretch. i was going about 35mph and i thought i was going down.....

Originally posted by Chuvak
My closest encounter was with a Fly. It went rite in to my eye. Can it get any closer then that?:D
Oh yeah? Well what about swallowing one? :eek:

I had a too close encounter with a bee last summer. I was riding along a busy street at about 15 mph when I saw a bee flying straight at my head. There wasn't time to duck and I heard him hit my helmet. I thought that he'd just hit and bounced off but NOOOOOOO - he managed to wedge himself into one of my helmet vents. I could feel him against my scalp struggling to free himself. Of course, being a bee, he decided to sting me. I pulled over to the side of the road, ripped off my helmet, and started to vigorously brush my hair. A cyclist going the other way looked at me like I was crazy - I just pointed to my helmet and said "BEE!" He just laughed and said "I know!" The bee stung me just at the hairline and I had to spend the next few days at work explaining why I had a red welt on my forehead. Got quite a few laughs. :roflmao:

Originally posted by iamlucky13
As far as I know, they're colorblind. It was probably just in heat.

I don't think i make as a cute cow.... :lol:

I posted this:
I had a snake rear up at me once. I found sprinting abilities I never knew I had.

I was riding with a group across Australia when two emus came for a run with us. One on each side.

They ran along at the pace we were going and the rest of the bunch thought it was great. I had to quickly inform them that emus are extremely stupid and likely to cut right through us to get to each other.

Fortunately they soon left us to run elsewhere. about a year ago in this thread. (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?threadid=6053)

Some very interesting encounters in there.

As a young'un a friend and I threw stones at an african bees nest (we soon found out how aggressive they are). The swarm came right out and it's amazing how fast you can ride on a sandy track when you are sufficiently motivated!

I'm always on the lookout for deer, who have a habit of coming out of the woods at the last moment when I am going down a hill at 35 mph. Last year, I was driving a school bus at night and I saw a deer standing by the side of the road. I slowed and went past him. I'll be damned if the dumb animal didn't charge right into the side of my bus! I stopped, but the deer was nowhere in sight. But I guess he had an Excedrin headache after that encounter.

I posted this in another thread.


A couple years ago I was riding up a gravel road and I felt something heavy hit the top of my helmet, like a coconut or something. I look around to see what it was and I see a large bird flying around in circles making crazy noises. For a second I think maybe the bird took a swipe at me, then I dismiss it. Just as I do so the damn thing swoops straight at me at 100 miles per hour! I duck just in time and realize that it is one pissed off perigrine falcon! I thought maybe it would leave me alone once I got past it but it kept coming! Over and over, it would swoop down and aim itself right between my eyes and I would duck at the last second! I slowly walked my bike back the way I came, never taking my eyes off the demon bird as it continued to try and decapitate me. Pretty soon a friend joined it, so now I had to watch out for 2 guided missiles! After avoiding about 20 attacks, I had eventually moved out of their territory and they left me alone. I didn't go back there for several months. If I didn't have a helmet on they probably would have scalped me. They must have had a nest nearby or something. It was pretty scary at the time but I can laugh about it now :lol:

:) I once had a duck flying 15' to 20' beside me, At a speed of 28 to 30MPH for over a 1/4 of a mile.

I had a squirrel come out on me when I was on my road bike doing about 20 mph. I ran over it and it got wedged between my wheel and my fork. My fork buckled and I went into (not on) the pavement. A farmer woke me up after I got knocked out and the ambulance came to get me.

Ended up with a fractured scapula.

I have also had deer, turkeys and chipmunks run out but no collisions. Deer really scare you because they are so big and quick.

Must be a Michigan thing!!!

Here is a non-riding one. I was walking down the street in Pasadena, CA and a squirrel falls out of a tree about six inches in front of me. He hit the sidewalk with a big "OOMPH". It took him a few seconds and he slowley made it back to the tree. One more step and he would of landed on my head.

I almost always see wild Turkeys in the fields near the road and an occasional deer off in the distance.

The other day i was riding head down and when I looked up there were two Great Blue Herins (spelling?). For those of you who do not know, these are very tall birds.

In any case I looked up and these things were standing as tall as my head and they scared the hell out of me!:eek:

Originally posted by Gojohnnygo.
:) I once had a duck flying 15' to 20' beside me, At a speed of 28 to 30MPH for over a 1/4 of a mile.

If you wait about three months I'll be flooding the forums with stories of magpie attacks in all probability. I had my right ear cut open by one of those bastards last year.

How about this story from the Anchorage Daily News (http://www.adn.com/alaska/story/3134656p-3158972c.html) :
"Moose attacks cyclist on Hillside ENCOUNTER: Protective cow with calves breaks Kathleen Laughlin's wrist."

Earlier this year I chased a wild turkey down the road for about 50 ft. before it figured out it couldn't outrun me and finally took flight. I've almost crashed into a deer on a descent after a hairpin turn. On another occasion a herd of deer casually walked across the road a few feet ahead of me as I struggled up a 16% grade at not much more than walking speed.

Originally posted by Chris L
If you wait about three months I'll be flooding the forums with stories of magpie attacks in all probability. I had my right ear cut open by one of those bastards last year. I don't think that duck wanted to attack me.I think he just wanted to race and he could have easily dusted me.

Since my wife and I built a house out in the country we have had many furry and feathered visitors. Said furry visitors include: squirrels (from which I have created a new game called Squirrel Ball), Raccoons, Skunks, Porcupines (although not furry, more....prickly) but the largest of them all made our acquaintance just last weekend on Saturday night (May 3).

Story goes like this:

I was just drifting off to sleep at roughly 10:30pm when my better half gives me a poke in the back (damn that woman got sharp elbows).

"Doug" she hissed "what's that?"

"Huh?....Whaaaa?" I moaned.

"I heard a thump" she replied.

So I lie there and listen and I am just about to reply back with my opinion on her sanity when I heard a THUMP BANG RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE right under our bedroom window.

I bolt upright in bed and say "That's an animal and a bigun!"

"Go see what it is" Wendy exclaims.

Well, I being a believer in gender equal rights turn to Wendy and shoot back "Me!!? YOU go see what it is!!"

One side note here, do not underestimate the power of THE LOOK from a woman. More terrifying than ANY bear. So with a more...healthy shove of her elbow, and her stare burned into my retinas, I pick myself off the floor, run out to the kitchen in my skivvies, flick on the back patio light, open the door and step out onto the patio.

"BLEEDIN' JAYSUS ON THE CROSS! IT'S A BEAR!!"

Yes a big black bear, knocked over our green bin (Halifax requires you to recycle food waste in a green bin which they pick up and dump in the composting facility). The aroma of rotting carrot peelings and stale bread had attracted the creature (monster?) to a possible late night snack. Well, apparently my scream is quite frightening and the bear takes off into the woods behind our house. I jump back into the kitchen and slam the door, about 5 pounds heavier in the back end of my skivvies.

Soon the bear returns and stops just on the edge of our lawn, rubbing it's neck against a tree, and, I swear, not only hungrily eyeing me, but smiling as well (Honest!).

"Holy crap" my wife cries. "Wait, don't do anything I wanna get a picture!"

"Well, hurry up, he's hungry"

So after Wendy snaps a picture with the digital camera I stick my head out the door and give the bear a good tongue lashing, particularly expounding my opinion of its mother whilst banging a wooden spoon on a frying pan (I read this somewhere as a good bear deterrent). It takes off into the woods.

Well, we talked about what to do now, particularly with regard to the green bin. Surely, if we left it there the bear would return. I was elected by majority vote to go out and move the green bin into the shed. However, Wendy being the brave sort decided to go with me......and let me lead. To my advantage, which I did not disclose, I know about the old adage of 2 men going fishing in bear infested forest. One is wearing sneakers and is asked why he would wear such a thing on his feet in the woods. "In case of bears" was the reply. "But...you can't outrun a bear" said the second fisherman. "No", says the first, "I just have to outrun you". So after a good look through every window to ensure it has not returned, and with my wife in her slippers, me in my tightly laced Reeboks and each with a flashlight, we head out and move the green bin to the shed, fortunately without incident.

The next day we call the Wildlife guys who told us that they have reports of a black bear knocking over green bins in a settlement which is about 2km up the road from us. We both suspect it is the same bear...

Apparently, my bear repelling skills is unsurpassed, haven't seen it since, and, I like to think, has not yet stop running from fright of the frying pan and wooden spoon.

Originally posted by digger

"BLEEDIN' JAYSUS ON THE CROSS! IT'S A BEAR!!"


That reminds me of when I was a kid and we used to go camping almost every weekend. There were many black bears around but they didn't usually bother the campers. They would mostly hang out at the dumpsters until the campground installed bear proof dumpsters. Anyway one night we were sitting around the campsite probably 10 to 15 feet away from the fire. A large black bear came out of the woods and walked between us and the fire like we weren't even there. We were so stunned we just sat there. So much for bears being afraid of fire. Later that summer they had to relocate and or Kill many of the bears in the area because there were so many and they were getting so bold.

I live in Northern MI and I've had all kinds of wildlife in my way. I often see deer, and sometimes they are running across the road just in front of me. Once, A skunk ran across the road right in front of me. Once, A BEAR did, lol. That was a month ago. A black bear... maybe 1-1.5 years old. (I saw another cub a week later, but it stayed in the bushes next to the road) Thank goodness he ignored me.

When in Virginia and mountain biking a group of us ran into a snake. I believe it was a water moccisun (sp?). We each passed it one at a time. There was one frat guy with us who wanted to kill it so we let him go last.

I have had falcon's pace me for 1/4 mile in Oregon. I have seen dead deer, live Lhama's and Buffulo, but never been chased by any of those. My experience with dogs was with a crazy dog named Mona when I was a kid and worked in a cemetary. This dog had a rep for chasing buses - head on. One day I was leaving work riding down a small hill and Mona came charging at me. Normally I would just get off the bike as I knew the dog and could control her. But I had no time. I hit her with a glancing blow to the side. She rolled over and I had to turn violently to not spill. She was fine and didn't learn a thing from the experience.

-Duncan

About 5 years ago I was on a night ride, MTB singletrack through the woods. There were 4 of us 2 with good lights and 2 without, myself being without. Lights in front and rear, no lights in the middle. We stopped and turned off the lights for a break, catch our breath and listen to the night sounds. That lasted about 30 seconds before we hear thrashing and hissing above our heads. On came the lights and look up into a tree. Big ole boar coon sitting there swatting at the other no lighter's head. Only about 6in away from him. He took off in the dark like you wouldn't believe. We didn't catch him until he hit the parking lot. Of course we were all laughing so hard we could barely ride.:D

My last 3 rides, each time I darn near hit a squirrel. They always seem to run out from the direction I'm NOT looking, and give me just enough time to swerve to avoid them. Sometimes, I think that car insurance commercial with the two limb rats high-fiving each other after causing a car to go off the road is true, and that's the way they really think and act.

Originally posted by iamlucky13
As far as I know, they're colorblind. It was probably just in heat.

In that case dont you wish you had of stuck around?
:D

o.k. Part of this story didn't happen biking but still pretty funny day.
Early in the morning I had to take my 1yr. old horse to the vet to get a check up. She apparently thought it was about as much fun as going to the dentist. She threw a fit! She kicked out and hit my leg then proceded to run into me and knocked me down a small incline onto my butt. I developed this nasty bruise on my leg as well as my butt.
Later in the day I went on short easy bike ride. As I was coming down a hill a wasp hits me right on my lip and stings me! I have never been stung before and it hurt!!! So I started for home with my lip now swelling to the size of a small grapefruit (apprantely I have a small allergy for wasps which I didn't know about until this happened) Had a swollen lip for two days!!!
At this point both my lip and my bruises from earlier were both aching. I just wanted to be home. I was about 1/2 mile away when I went under a tree and a bird pooped all over me! EWWW!
On my shoulder and down my leg!!!

Now that my friends is what you call a bad day with the animals!
HaHa! ;)

A couple of years ago, while holidaying in BC, my s/o and I were mtn biking and rode into a previously logged area. This black fur ball comes shooting out of the bushes at the side of the logging track and bolts down the road about 100 yards before darting up the opposite hillside. Following close behind came mama bear. She ran up the opposite hillside and then stopped, stood up on her hind legs and started sniffing the air. Needless to say, we started making all kinds of noise and backing our bikes up slowly. It was our lucky day that day because mama bear decided to follow her cub instead of trying to eat us! :eek:

More recently, while riding one of my favorite trails in the Kananaskis, a white tail bounded across the trail right in front of me and never looked back. I guess it didn't know I was there.

A groundhog snapped at my husbands leg as he road past. Hubby didn't evev see the groundhog. It was rather funny.

Riding through a wildlife sanctuary twice a day, 5 days a week, year round; I get to see lots of deer, raccoon, squirrels (red, grey, and flying), chipmunks, shrews, weasel, turtles, salamanders, songbirds, woodcock, owls, raptors, and most often of all, wild turkeys. This past winter they often were flying across the road in one spot, and seemed to wait for my arrival. Instant turkey pie, or instant concussion, if we do collide.