Fifty Plus (50+) - Racing the animals

Two days ago, while riding, I saw this shadow to my right. It kept up with me at 15 mph. I finally figured out it was a butterfly shadow.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a rabbit running beside me timed for some distance at 17 mph.

Yesterday, I almost got "prairie dogged" as two prairie dogs crossed the path in front of me. One ALMOST got into my front spokes. Yikes! Minced prairie dog. (We call them prairie rats around here).

Yesterday, a deer jumped in front of me crossing the trail.

And, I am always dodging snakes. Last summer, another bicyclist was directing traffic around a large bull snake completely blocking the trail.

Any other current animal stories?

I have an Egret. There is a spot where one of my offroad trails crosses a pond for about 1/2 mile on a causway (rail trail). Sometimes he/she will come out and pace me across the pond.

Same pond has a beaver house.

And snakes. :eek:

Squirrels, they start to dash across the trail, stop – run right and left, stop and then dart off again. You never know how to turn to avoid them. Two weeks ago a white peacock was right in my path – at first I thought it was a duck – took flight and before it got good air speed almost landed in my lap.

As I understand it, a Fox is in a race to the White House with a donkey and an elephant.

Well, as I have mentioned before, on almost every ride an antelope either crosses my path or paces me running along side the road (until they get get bored and dart off ahead). And, since the wind is blowing 40 mph this morning - I will not get to see that today. :(

As I understand it, a Fox is in a race to the White House with a donkey and an elephant.

and he is traveling by MUP.

I had a turtle run beside me for a while.

I'm so slow that even the turtles find me boring.

Well, in keeping with other posts about the perils of cell phones, I have to add a new cell phone danger -- the danger to pets.

Yesterday I was out about 6 a.m. on a ride and I come along a dog, wandering alone, in the middle of the street. He starts to chase me, and I start to outrun him, and then I realize that he's a pretty nice dog and possibly is out loose and alone (as a dog owner, I always stop for strays, and frequently get escapees back to their owners). So I circle back to the dog and stop. I get off my bike so I don't scare him, and I'm standing in the middle of the street, trying to get the dog to come to me, when after a little bit I notice a guy sauntering down the street a half block back, talking on his cell phone.

Me: "Excuse me, is that your dog?"
No answer, guy continues talking
Me: "Hey, is that your dog?"
No answer
Me: "Hey, you clueless idiot on a cellphone, is this your dog?"
(Actually, I didn't say that, but felt like it...)

The guy finally stops as he comes near me -- keeps talking on the phone....then I hear him telling the person on the other end to wait. He then looks up at me and say, "Oh yeah, sorry, that's my dog. Thanks for stopping."

I don't say what I feel like saying, (which is, "If you're going to let your dog run loose in the street while you talk on the phone, you don't deserve a fine dog like this,") I just say, "I thought he was lost," get on my bike, and go on my way....

I passed a cicada on Wednesday.

Not rectally.

It flew along side me for about ten yards. It kind of freaked me out. I imagined that millions of cicadas would descend on me in a show of unity to the one I was leaving in the dust.

Then I accidentally ran over another one. It got real creepy then.

Never had an animal "run" with me, but yesterday I played stare-down with the most beautiful large buck. He was only about 30 yards away on a remote rural road, and must be used to people riding by.

Seeing wild animals where I bicycle are rare sights. Today, though, I was privileged to see a pair of coyotes run across the road in front of me (not to close). Once in a while I will get to see a flock of wild turkeys at the park, but I haven't seen them for a while.

Squirrels, they start to dash across the trail, stop – run right and left, stop and then dart off again. You never know how to turn to avoid them.
I was riding the local MUP and came across a female roadie laying in the path in pain. I help her up, check for serious injuries, and give her my first aid kit. I asked what happened. She said she was trying to dodge a Squirrel and then suddenly she's going over the handlebars. I look at her bike and what's left of the Squirrel is still tangled up in her shredded front wheel and fork.

On my way home from work I ride three miles on an MUP through
the woods along Rt. 390. In the wee hours of the morning, usually
around dawn, I'll be joined by many startled squirrels and rabbits,
occasional chipmonks and sometimes a deer. Recently though, I've
been overtaking hundreds of little insects. Not so much fun!!

On the rural Wisconsin rail trails, I "run" with animals on just about every ride. Rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, birds, butterflies, bumblebees, and occasionally deer, cranes, and snakes. Our trails run between high banks and trees frequently, so when you surprise an animal or even a bird, they will usually try to outrun you down the trail.

As I'm usually riding along at 12-14, I stay in contact with some of the animals for rather long runs, sometimes for 300-400 yards.

Never had an animal "run" with me......

Well...maybe....
Do mosquitoes qualify as animals??

We saw a big pond turtle trying to cross the MUP last weekend. (Rats! No camera.) And a while back we saw a very nonchalant great blue heron on the edge of the very busy Sausalito MUP. It must have been very used to people, and the people on that path must always be very well-behaved to wildlife, because it completely ignored us as we took its picture. The ones in Sonoma County fly away when we get closer than a few hundred yards.

When I'm in KY - I ride along side many horses in Horse farms. They FREQUENTLY like to ride along side me particularily the colts. Really a magic moment.

We do not ride MUPs but have encountered all sorts of animals on the road.
In northern AZ had a doe come at us; she veered off and raced us for about 1/2 mile before losing interest; neat. Had a huge bull jump a fence in front of us, rushing across the road only to run into a vine overgrown fence; bouncing off that he turned around and full tilt when at the first fence and jumped it back into the pasture.
Stoker Kay has been 'divebombed' by a bird (must've had young 'uns nearby).
Roadrunners and coyotes are quite common and they seem to be curious while cutting in front of us. Nearly T-boned a young deer at 40+mph descending a Mule Pass in Bisbee, AZ.
Encounters with snakes, one cougar, a fox, a bob cat and yes, cows laying in the middle of the roadway on our early morning rides. Red-headed buzzards love to pick at roadkill but are extremely slow at takeoffs and did encounter some of those years ago. Wild pigs (javelinas) always have the right of way as do the occasional gila monsters (slow and poisonous).
Had a playful St. Bernard rush at us (picture pony-size) in Michigan but then getting the tandem behind us. Dogs of all sizes have chased and tried to run along side. Have been chased by honking geese in Indiana an a goat too. Stoker carries a whistle for such happenings and the shrill sound usually brakes up their concentration.
Hey every day can be an adventure!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy annd Kay/zonatandem

I had a turtle run beside me for a while.

Who won?

Dumb possums!

Chipmunks. I always encounter one who wants to race me when I'm on a trail here. As for insects, I've never encountered a cicada (post #10), which would be so awesome, but I have raced a few butterflies like DF. Mostly monarchs- those babies are pretty fast. I've also hammered through a group of carpenter bees- thank goodness none got in my helmet!

Who won?
It was too close to tell until I sprayed him with my dog repellent. After that he began to show signs of weakening. That's when I put the hammer down and smoked his reptile ass. :speedy:

Bring on those snails!:notamused:

I see lots of turkeys, many deer, ground squirrels, tree squirrels, snakes, a few dogs. I occasionally have to gobble to get the turkeys out of my way. Except for the occasional dog I don't have to outrun any of them.

Today I had come to a near-halt because a female coyote stepped into my lane. She was so focused on her prey (whatever it was; I never saw it) that she was unaware of my presence, even at 6'. I could tell by her semi-swollen teats and drawn-up waist that she was nursing pups somewhere. I could've stopped and taken a picture but I was afraid I'd disrupt her hunting mojo; her successful hunt was more important than my pic. She was so close I could see her yellow-green eyes, shaggy coat, bushy tail, every hair. She made my entire Mt. Diablo hill repeat ride worthwhile.

I've seen coyotes in my yard, along with foxes, but never yet on a ride. That would be neat.

We see lots of deer, turkeys, squirrels, jackrabbits, cottontails, snakes, etc. On one ride a turkey took off from my left and I had to actually duck to miss getting clipped on the head by it's wing.

I see lots of turkeys and have raced a few deer along the road (they always win), but last year I wanted to find out if you could get through to the next town on a local snowmobile trail in the summer time. While boogieing down a hill I caught a glimpse of something over the next hill, so walked back up to where i could see over the hill and there was a black bear soaking up rays in the middle of the trail. I called out and it took off into the bush. Think i would have run right into it had i not seen it, would have scared the s**t out of both of us.