Commuting - Bushes

And so, at 6am I'm moving along ... you wouldn't believe how fast the road goes by at continuous 14-26mph, yeah I know I've gotten a bit fast. Need more power still but I can cruise above lame-duck speed now.

And then, the bushes next to me explode with activity. I took a glance back but it was too dark and I was too far to see what was back there. Maybe a deer tried to jump me, who knows....I didn't see any deer and I see plenty when they're around. The road was too dangerous (crazy drivers and dark out, blind curves everywhere) for me to spin back around and take a look.

Anyone encounter animals on your commute?

not on my commute, but on my ride yesterday I heard some rustling in a tree, and then, BANG! whatever it was hit a road sign.

Deer, ground hogs, a few rabbits, too many squirrels to count. I brake for the deer, the ground hogs seem to be smart enough to stay off the bike trail, and I rely on the smaller game to get out of my way on their own. At a former work site, there was a resident flock of Canada Geese I'd have to dodge sometimes. Latest encounter was one bolting out of some woods, crossing street I was on, and into some low woods & brush. At broad-daylight 4PM, no less. Sometimes I think I bought turn-light-into-day commuting lights not to be seen, not for the ninja joggers and bikers, but to spot the darn critters.

We have tons of urban rabbits that are a hazard when they are young but the older ones don;t even flinch when you pass them... squirrels are suicidal little beggars while the chipmunks tend to be pretty wary.

When I bomb through the valley I use a bear bell to alert bigger animals like deer and have seen coyotes although these keep some good distance from humans.

It is the porcupines and skunks you have to watch out for... :D

No but I know this thread is going to be comical.

I've come across squirrels, a few skunks, and a coyote. Squirrels always run. Skunks sometimes hold their ground meaning I have to find another way. The coyote held its ground until I charged it and it ran off.

I went by two deer this morning. All of the hunters are up in the woods west of town, but the deer are in town or in the rural farm/mixed use land where you can't hunt.

Missed a squrriel by inches Friday.

My current commute? Cats, squirrels, birds, and the occasional raccoon. There are many more two-legged critters though.

My old commute? Deer, turkey, dead bloated things on the side of the highway that sat for weeks. Ugh.

Just the city rats... But they're big buggers.

Rabbits will rattle bushes enough to make you think a giant animal is running through.

Moose, all of the time. They're too big to be in any way scared, so they ignore you unless they think you're a threat, in which case they charge you. I see wildlife regularly, despite being in the city (beavers, muskrats, all kinds of birds, squirrels, the occasional fox and a bear every few years), but only moose get in the way, and frequently at that. Nesting seagulls can be a pain, too. They nest atop some of the shorter buildings downtown, and will divebomb you as you ride by.

My biggest hazard are ducks, both on the ground & in the air. Usually, they like to sit all over one segment of the path that I ride to work and not clear off. Thankfully, I have yet to hit (or be hit by) one of them. This past week, however, I narrowly dodged some airborne waste disposed of by two mallards as they took flight; I'm glad I got to the brakes quickly, to say the least. Otherwise, on my urban/suburban commute it is the usual mix of rabbits, suicidal squirrels and chipmunks with the occasional skunk to keep me on my toes (actually, only twice, but it is always exciting).

I saw a badger the other day! First badger I've ever seen in Missouri and it was right off the bike path. ;)

Rabbits will rattle bushes enough to make you think a giant animal is running through.

Fo real! Same with squirrels! I think they actually make MORE noise, because they are right down in the leaves whereas a deer is just scamperin' through with their little a$$ hooves!

I see more skunks and coyotes on my commute than I'd like. The worst are the dogs. At least most coyotes are afraid of you.
I've also seen rabbits, squirrels, armadillos, a bobcat and a few snakes.

This is about the extent of it for me:


http://www.vimeo.com/26501678

No animal encounters, just intimidation attempts from various types of trees and shrubbery.

There are several construction projects going on around town, making the local river MUP a wildlife sanctuary for all the animals flushed out of their homes. After dark I see bunnies, skunks, raccoons, armadillos, river rats, foxes, coyotes, and probably some other animals besides. A full-sized coyote seen from up close can be rather startling :eek:

A bobcat ran across me by my Montana home once....they look so innocent but having seen their videos makes me think twice trying to pet one. Other then that, squirrels and chipmunks. The Canadian squirrels are crazy. They'll dart across the trail and you think you're safe....right as you get close to it, it darts back across....almost made me crash once. I swear it's like they're daring each other calling each other 'chicken'

Almost forgot about the snake....It looked of the garden variety.

A Møøse once bit my sister...

Squirrels definitely play chicken.

Otherwise, people are my biggest obstacle with a heart beat here in nyc.

A Møøse once bit my sister...

No realli!

A Møøse once bit my sister...

Those møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti

Seen a couple of rabbits and foxes and once a brown bear but it was 100 m away and running to a neighbouring street.

My Ringadingling Bell doesn't work against these creatures.

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/841/shoppingcarts.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/shoppingcarts.jpg/)

What about the Red Hartebeest?

I routinely get chased by a chihuahua on my route home.

Hit a dog once.
Ran over a cat.
Ran over a 'possum.
Near misses with all of the above as well as a raccoon, a deer, a homeless guy sleeping on the MUP and the most fearsome of all, a skunk.

... squirrels are suicidal little beggars

Haha...exactly...I dodge at least 3 every mile this time of year. Some of them don't even run to the side but try to outrun me on the path for 10 feet before they move over.