Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Watch out for deer

Ouch. A buddy of mine and a group of other guys did a 100-miler this weekend here in southeastern Michigan. It was all dirt road riding in Michigan. On the way back... a deer knocked jumped out of the brush and smacked right into a rider. Both the deer and the rider went down... here's my buddy's report:

http://bikefitness.net/v2/blog.php/biker-deer-crash

BTW... all these guys are well over 50.

Funny you bring this up. Last week I was riding out on a gravel road about 8 miles out of town and I heard a rustle in the tall grass to my right and like a rocket, a deer shot in front of me, maybe 10 feet. I screamed like a nine year old little girl, because that is what i do when I lose complete control. The good news is that I had just taken care of my bladder, or otherwise I would have had another issue:o

We have hit three deer in our Toyota FJ in the last year. Actually two of them hit us. Just like my experience on the bike, screaming out of the bushes and slamming into the side of the car. Not a lot you can do about it. The one that missed me on the bike last week got me to thinking about how bad that would hurt on the bike.

OOH - I rode on the SIlver Comet today - 31 miles and saw an amazing deer leap across the path about 15 yards ahead. Incident free- but an incredible sight!

I had a nightride deer encounter this winter that convinced me to buy a better headlight. They seem a little less stupid in the daytime.

The new hazard seems to be the Suicide Squirrel. Suicide Squirrels (http://squirrels.cyoshimobile.com/episodes.php)

If they all live in Michigan then they should a known a deer was likely NOT just posible IMHO . Right in the middle of downtown Wyandotte if I ride late evening I can see as many as 25 deer a day in a 4 block area that belongs to BASF corp . Deer are every place in Mi ! I hope everyone was ok . A few months back they hads a couple a deer in a Detroit neighborhood .

e seem to have a bumper craop a rabbits this yr on my normal after dinner route ! I hit one last yr but he seem to be just fine I think he scared me as mu8uch as i did him :O)

Thats funny that this popped up... my ride home last night from work... about 0120 I had to shout at a buck that just stood in the road and looked at me. I'd have hit him if I hadn't said anything! Crazy stuff!!

Dan

at least it wernt a skunk

Wait until fall when they rut and hunting season. South Carolina has the longest season: August 15 to January 1.

I've had several close calls with deer on the bike. The closest time I scared a bunch of does and they screamed across the trail both in front and behind me. I've also had them just sit in the middle of the trail and stare at me like I was a UFO, I've found that if I say something aloud ("hello maam to does") they will bolt.

I think the chances of severe injury or damage in a collision with a deer are probably much less on a bicycle then in a car.

Yeah the deer seem a bit crazy. I was in the front of our group and I hear a noise in the feild to my left. Saw a deer bolting through it at high speed. I slowed down and let him win. Think he was racing me on a dare from a friend. Next time I WILL win