Fifty Plus (50+) - Well, Scratch one squirrel

I was bombing down one of the local mups on my usual circuit this evening. There were a lot of squirrels out on and off the path. I saw a young one right in the middle of the path and was reassured when he made a move to the side as I neared. The problem was that he add a second move in the opposite direction just as I was passing. Didn't even have time to react. Just "Thump, thump" with both wheels. Unfortunately there was nothing else to do but kick the carcass off the trail and under some brush.

I have had a number of near misses over the years, but this is the first time I have taken one out. Be careful out there the young ones don't understand people on bicycles. They seem to instinctively get what pedestrians and dogs are but they don't seem to figure us out.

Some dogs are dumb...I ran over one.

For that matter I was once witness to a person looking at a bike coming at her and stepped out in front of it. Talk about stupid?

Sorry if I offend anyone, but I hate squirrels. Squirrels did $500 worth of damage to my roof. I don't bother trying to avoid them...haven't run one over yet, but if I do, I won't loose any sleep. (Well, I don't go out of my way to avoid. It's probably safer just to run them over than to swerve and crash.)

Well, fortunately I remained upright on two wheels. Most of the time that I have heard of dog or people strikes, the rider comes a cropper. Can be fairly unpleasant untangling yourself and your bicycle from an angry, scared animal.

Two weeks ago I was bombing down a hill and confronted a deer. It had that "deer in the blinkies" look in its eyes. It was disturbing. I missed it, but not by much.

I'm reminded of the "Seinfeld" squirrel episode where George runs over a squirrel. He is then persuaded by his girlfriend, an animal lover, to spend thousands for medical care.

Sorry to hear of the squirrel's demise, but at least the thread didn't start with "Well, scratch one cyclist/bike!"

Glad you and bike are okay.

Squirrels are good to eat.

I got me a bunny rabbit last year. Stayed upright as well.

Check out this trail encounter:

http://forums.mtbr.com/general-discussion/fell-rattlesnake-777162.html

Tree rats, I got one once. Only the rear wheel, he must have survived as I didn't see the vermin on the return trip.
The less of the things the better.
Mikey Bikey, $500 is nothing. I've been battle them for years.

My favorite equation: Tree rats + air rifle = fun + no tree rats :)

For sheer destructive potential nothing comes close to beavers. The can turn a pleasant meadow into an inland sea.

I got me a bunny rabbit last year. Stayed upright as well.

Wow. That was one tough bunny rabbit.

Check out this trail encounter:

http://forums.mtbr.com/general-discussion/fell-rattlesnake-777162.html

This is the one I thought you meant . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez-wYNFUeas :eek:

http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae333/gizzsdad/Squirrel.jpg

For that matter I was once witness to a person looking at a bike coming at her and stepped out in front of it. Talk about stupid?

This has happened twice to me; In both cases the woman was looking directly at me.

First time I was descending Mt Evans at 45mph. I missed her by 2-3 feet.

Second time was two days ago; Woman standing in bike lane with a dog, so I move out into car lane; Still looking straight at me, she darts out in front of me, forcing me to abruptly swerve back into bike lane to avoid her.

I like wild critters, including squirrels, and try to avoid running over them.

gizzsdad: I'm looking at this photo and trying to figure it out. Is that the tire tread/cords hanging out of the tire near the varmints head? I can see some fur on the spokes which makes me wonder if it took a second for the spooks to finally grab him and pull him into the fork crown and than lock the wheel. Did the wheel lock and cause a fall?

I ride the Clive Greenbelt everyday commuting and I swear those are some of the most suicidal squirrels I've ever seen. They'll ran across the path in front of me only to dart back across right in front of me at the last second. I fear one of these days I'm going to collect one of these tree rats.

fasthair

fasthair: Can't really comment too much as this was the friend of a friend - I just enjoyed the pic. I don't really care for the damage squirrels do to my lawn, but I tolerate my wife feeding them during the winter.

Squirrels are good to eat.

Hard to clean tho.

I like wild critters, including squirrels, and try to avoid running over them.

I am an animal lover as well but not at the risk of my own life... if I have to hit the animal to save myself... I think of it this way - at least some other animal (crow, coyote, fox, bobcat, etc) will have a meal tonight. You always have to look at the positive and not dwell on the negative!

If you want to avoid squirrels, this will scatter them AWAY from you:

http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/public/zqYc1xHTOe-A-9iqvPXgGYfLv6X5ORsObguXgMBFM0i2uq2jeBUpXYKlKOUy3cFzBUFfJ5pb4cc9PcSyfZhsZ3i5zl0S29veLyERX5KiM8vhrlaRo pCVXL3K2xW_DnAQZIInzs4K (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=incredibell&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=11120137468150337589&sa=X&ei=-fNxT4uiJ86htwf70vzxDw&ved=0CGAQ8wIwBA)

A squirrel ran into the road and got run over by my front tire on Saturday's ride. He didn't appear to be hurt very bad as he ran back into the woods and up a tree. Don't know what happened to him after that. Squirrels are all over the place at the wilderness park that I do my daily rides in. At times it's very hard to avoid hitting them as they just dart everywhere.

I've learned that if I head straight at them, they seem to know better what to do, and I've had fewer near hits are a result.

Say something or ring your bell as you approach. I think the sound helps them decide which way to go. At least it has for me driving a truck yrs ago. Used to hit a lot of rabbits. Started honking at them. Cut way down on the number who decided to jump in front of me at the last second.

I am an animal lover as well but not at the risk of my own life... if I have to hit the animal to save myself... I think of it this way - at least some other animal (crow, coyote, fox, bobcat, etc) will have a meal tonight. You always have to look at the positive and not dwell on the negative!

Well, yeah... if it comes down to me or them I guess its gonna be them. But I do the best I can not to harm them, including slowing down sometimes. Hitting one could cause you to crash and get hurt of course.

Was this the guy?
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x40/TWLBA/squirrel-nutkin.gif

I've learned that if I head straight at them, they seem to know better what to do, and I've had fewer near hits are a result.

I assume you are referring to squirrels, but I wonder it that also works with women...

I assume you are referring to squirrels, but I wonder it that also works with women...

Does NOT work with Canada Geese, I can tell you that. They are stubborn and pretty fearless. Probably does work with squirrels... mostly.

Does NOT work with Canada Geese, I can tell you that. They are stubborn and pretty fearless. Probably does work with squirrels... mostly.

Back when I lived in Schaumburg IL, one of those dumb things ran across the MUP and I rode right over it. I was amazed how firm it was. Last seen, it was sitting in the pond squawking unhappily.:D

Back when I lived in Schaumburg IL, one of those dumb things ran across the MUP and I rode right over it. I was amazed how firm it was. Last seen, it was sitting in the pond squawking unhappily.:D

You're lucky it didn't bite your kneecap off!:lol:

242912I don't hate squirrels but they do seem to run into the road at the wrong time. First time I saw this picture I wasn't surprised.:eek:

Yes, I do enjoy hunting and eating squirrels but little "thump, thump" just wasn't big enough to provide much of a meal and going after more squirrels with a bicycle on purpose didn't seem like a good idea.

What's with all the squirrelly snuff porn?

My favorite equation: Tree rats + air rifle = fun + no tree rats :)There it is. (1000fps+4xScope=surplus bird feeder seeds)

The squirrels around my neck of the woods seem to know not to wander onto the MUP. But this time of year, when the streets are wet, the worms start crawling out onto the MUPS and roadways. This is when you're washing dead worms off the bottom of the downtube. Or if you don't wash them off in time, you're scraping dried crud of worms off the bike...

Luis

Squirrels may be cute, but they're just rodents; and rodents are the rightful prey of higher predators such as crows and buzzards. I'm glad to hear nobody was hurt this time. (The squirrel doesn't count.)

The only difference between a squirrel and a rat is the squirrel has a better publicist. I don't call them squirrels. I call them tree rats.

The only difference between a squirrel and a rat is the squirrel has a better publicist. I don't call them squirrels. I call them tree rats.

When I lived Schaumburg IL, they had rats-with-wings, aka "Canadian geese".
Crapped all over every square foot of horizontal surface.
It was so bad that Motorola on at least one occasion called in industrial cleaners to
hose down the parking lot due to goose crap being tracked indoors.

I don't try to run over any critter. But I've gotten 1 dog, 1 opossum, a couple of cats and near misses with a raccoon, a goose, a rabbit, a couple of squirrels and a skunk. I stayed upright in all cases except the dog. That was a painful encounter.

There it is. (1000fps+4xScope=surplus bird feeder seeds)

+ the Cometa Exact Heavy, 10.4 grain in .177.

Was riding my 35 pound steel wheeled 1970's Free Spirit today when two squirrels tried to cross then recross in front of me. One hit my rear wheel, thump, it ran off into the rocks. I don't think i would have went down if i hit it with my front wheel, its good ole heavy guage steel.

A squirrel ran into the road and got run over by my front tire on Saturday's ride. He didn't appear to be hurt very bad as he ran back into the woods and up a tree. .I wouldn't be so sure about that. I saw a squirrel take 2 shots from a small caliber air rifle. It then ran up a tree, jumped to another, then ran all the way up that one. At which point it expired. Later examination showed the first shot had taken out it's heart, the second all but severed it's neck, but it still ran up 2 trees for at least 15 seconds. Tough little critters.