Commuting - WTH-a porcupine?

So I'm riding my usual MUP commute today into work. The route follows a river the entire way and has a lot of underpasses where it crosses under the roads, and these areas are usually pretty dark but short. I begin approaching one of these underpasses this morning, trying to make sure there's no debris washed onto the trail by the river, and I almost run over a porcupine on the edge of the trail. Scared the heck out of me and him both. Luckily, I dodged him and he moved back, so we avoided each other, so no harm except my soiled laundry.

After that, the rest of my 17 mile trip seemed like a breeze.

So I'm riding my usual MUP commute today into work. The route follows a river the entire way and has a lot of underpasses where it crosses under the roads, and these areas are usually pretty dark but short. I begin approaching one of these underpasses this morning, trying to make sure there's no debris washed onto the trail by the river, and I almost run over a porcupine on the edge of the trail. Scared the heck out of me and him both. Luckily, I dodged him and he moved back, so we avoided each other, so no harm except my soiled laundry.

After that, the rest of my 17 mile trip seemed like a breeze.Yup, them suckers are hard to see in poor light. The spines seem to blur the outline or something. Missed one of them twice in the same location, by about 3 inches!

That would have been one heck of a flat tire story.

That would have been one heck of a flat tire story.

+1

Good wildlife spotting story. Mine are always so much more mundane. :(

The only one that's actually scared me lately was about 2 years ago, riding to work at 4AM down a gravel road a mile or so from any houses through a swampy forest, some kind of raptor dive-bombed me. I didn't see him, I just heard a screech what sounded like about 2 feet above my head, and felt a wind blast as he flared out to go up again. I assume that he thought some piece of me might be something yummy he could grab.

The screech from a couple of feet away, in the middle of a dead silent, pitch black night did startle me a bit, I admit.

Sounds like the dive-bomber was an owl, they're active at night. That would have scared the crap out of me!

A friend who was riding next to me hit a big land crab on a night ride - that would normally be a flat tire story, but he got lucky. The crab, not so much.

Had a young coyote come up out of the river valley onto the mup just ahead of me. He saw me and waited till i got level with him and i still cant believe it he actually trotted along side me for a few yards. It was like he was checking me out not, snarling or anything just looking. Just being a lil nosey critter. I hadnt yelled or made any noise as i knew he saw me coming and i expected him to disappear real quick. When i saw he wasn't into jumping at me or acting like a dog with prey drive or anything i just kept same speed and watched to see what he was going to do. Then he just stopped and in my mirror i could see he just sat down. Nobody around, wished id had my camera. I grew up around them so have no real fear of them. I did actually stop and start making a bunch of noise so he would run off scared as they are getting too brave with no fear of humans,concern for others made me scare him off after. Was a pretty neat thing though.

I saw a coyote on the way to work yesterday. Scared the crap out both of us.

I saw a coyote on the way to work yesterday. Scared the crap out both of us.


If you were the Texas Governor you'd fill 'er full o' lead..:D:rolleyes::roflmao2:

I see coyotes once in a while. They don't let me get very close (I'm not trying, but I have stopped to try to get pictures - if I ride on by they'll watch me, but if I stop they'll trot away).

There's nothing like fixing a flat in the middle of nowhere and looking over to see a pack of 6 coyotes looking at you at night. No they did'nt bother me, but I carry pepper spray from there on out!

Do you have Armadillo tire! You can always write to Specialized telling the how a Porcupine kick the crap out of their Amadillo. :lol:

Do you have Armadillo tire! You can always write to Specialized telling the how a Porcupine kick the crap out of their Amadillo. :lol:
:roflmao2:

I've seen a possum, several raccoons, and a couple deer on my commutes... all in town.