OKIE_55

Saw two deer crossing the trail ahead of me, then an hour later I saw two more about a mile away. Could be the same ones, but it was cool to see them. The camera has a wide angle lens, so they look way off. I was right on top of the second two.

otg 

I see deer ocasionally when I ride in the evening. Always pretty cool to see them, like they don't really know how to react to a bicycle. I'd hate to hit one, had a few close calls so far. The deer would most definately win.

Pete In Az

Ok... I'm blind.

I think I see something by the curve in the second picture. Other then that... I got bupkis ( I think that's how you spell it).

Retro Grouch 

I see so many deer every day on my school bus route that I don't even get excited anymore. Well - maybe a little excited. This time of year it's scary because it's still dark when I'm picking up the high schoolers. I can sometimes see deer on the side of the road but not soon enough to avoid one crossing the road right in front of me.

It's been 10 years since I've hit one - actually, he hit me. He ran right into the broad side of my moving bus.

DnvrFox

They are a major hazard when I am riding in the dark around here on the MUPS. We have herds of them intermixed with our open space.

thirdgenbird

they are a nuance here too. it is very common to get within 30ft of them without having them even pay attention to you. two years ago i came 6ft or so form hitting one while going 20mph+ (on my bike)

sam83

The unrestrained wildlife I regularly come across includes deer, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, turkeys, ducks, geese, cranes, buzzards, hawks, owls, snakes, ground hogs and all manner of bugs.

I’ve also come across eagles, bob cats, fox, lizards, snapping turtles, box turtles, soft shell turtles and cattle. Nothing like rounding a curve and to see a bull in your lane!

In the fields I see cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, mules, horses, and on occasion, zebras, gazelles, and bison. And I regularly come upon tractors, Amish buggies, and horseback riders.

There have been a few close calls, but this is pretty cool, no?

JimF22003

If I'm lucky I see them -- before I run into them. They're like giant stupid wood rats around here. Major hazard after dark.

John_V 

My back yard fence separates my property and a wilderness preserve that extends to the wilderness park MUP that I go to ride. Deer are all over the place including on the other side of my fence where they sometimes come and drink the salt water discharged from my water softener system. Since they can't be hunted on the preserve, they don't fear people and at times, that can be pretty dangerous when riding at the MUP. I have had several fawns jump out in front of me while riding. In any case, I think they are neat to watch and I always enjoy seeing them.

OldsCOOL

Around here you have to keep your eyes peeled at all times even when bike riding. In broad daylight and in town I had a deer bolt in front of me and had to nearly lock up the rear brakes....narrowly missed it as it passed 15ft in front of me. It isnt unusual to see them walking down the sidewalk in the late evening hours or near last light.

As an avid deer hunter it drives me nutz.

billydonn

Our abundant wildlife in the US is apparently not a worldwide phenomenon. I posted recently about riding with a guest from China. We saw some deer on one of our rides and he emailed his friends back home about it. He reports that they were aghast and did not believe him.

It is a real thrill riding among deer at night no doubt!

Allegheny Jet

While riding in Western PA last Friday my brother in law and I followed a pickup with an albino deer in the truck bed. The truck pulled into a local bar. I can only imagine all the patrons running out of the bar when the hunter announced "hey everybody, I just killed an albino deer". Bad karma indeed.

stapfam

Various points in the UK have Royal Parks and Forest's. They date back to the 1500's and were the hunting areas for the royalty of England. Not far from where I live there is Ashdown Forest. Not that you would spot it as a Forest as the trees- mainly Oak- were cut down to provide wood for the Royal Navy. It is mainly open moor but is still called a Forest- just like the "New Forest" about 100 miles west of here.

But on that "Forest" are plenty of Deer. You don't normally see them by the road in daytime but drive at night and they are everywhere. In fact with Ashdown forest being only just up the road- the deer are also down into my area aswell. You may never see them but you do see the after effects of them. Cars and trucks disabled with the front end completely smashed in and a lot of blood on the road. Never see any dead deer though---------

There is a reason for that. Deer are classed as a Game animal along with Pheasant and Hare. Goes back to the "Royal" connection where they were only allowed to be hunted by the "Royalty". Any "Commoners"- such as me-That kill any game and take it away are classed as Poachers. But the ridiculous thing is that I can kill a dear with a car by hitting it- but if I take it away- then I am poaching and will be prosecuted for it. So a deer has just ruined my day and I can't take it home to eat or sell. BUT the car behind me can. That person didn't kill it and all he is doing is collecting Road Kill.

But Riding around here in any of the local wooded areas at night and they will be seen. Just make certain that if it rutting season in late Autumn and you see a Stag--you still have the energy to ride in the opposite direction.-Or you have a mate with you that can collect the road kill so you can get something for the exertion you will be putting in to get out of his way.

Wogster

I don't know if your area is like ours, but a week before bow season starts, they are all over then place, during hunting season, there is nary a one on the whole peninsula, after hunting season is over, they are all over the place again. I don't hunt, but know guys who do, and that's what they tell me

Terex

The only good deer is a dead deer. In NJ, we have to "shoo" them out of the driveway at night if we come home after dark. My oldest daughter has had a big part of her life destroyed by chronic Lyme disease.

A buddy of mine was run into by a deer on a downhill on his bike. He's lucky he only had a broken hip. And didn't get run over by the truck behind him.

I've had a buck threaten to charge me while driving my Miata on Lindbergh Road (near the Lindbergh mansion). A deer ran into the side of my car in Ohio.

Kill 'em all, I say.

missjean

Last year I was mountain biking in some thick woods when I heard a crashing noise in the trees to my left. I slowed down, thank goodness I did, and a young buck ran out of the woods about 5' in front of me, ran down the trail for about 10' and crashed back into the woods.
Another time I came out of the woods into a small clearing and there was a doe about 15' ahead of me. I slowed to a stop and we stood there looking at each other for a few minutes until I said "one of us has got to make the first move" and then she bounded away.

B. Carfree

I don't mind the deer or the bears I encounter since they usually respond to voice commands; I yell, they get out of my way. I am mildly concerned that one of these days I'm going to encounter a cougar who hasn't been "trained" to avoid humans and their machines since I do a lot of riding out where there are no services or people.

Whenever I think of problems with deer I am reminded of one of the first times my wife and I toured in California's Lost Coast. My wife was one switchback ahead of me on a steep descent. We were going very slowly. A doe and fawn crossed just in front of my wife. The fawn got startled and tried to run, but it couldn't get any traction, just clickety-click. My wife tried to stop but didn't have enough braking power to do so quickly. Just before impact, the fawn got some traction and bolted out of the way. It was a slow-motion near-collision that had us laughing for a while. It did emphasize to us the importance of not traveling at speeds that over-drive one's vision.

qcpmsame 

We live in a rural village area and the dear and other wildlife are thick here. The deer, rabbits and others come up to our fence we have up in the back for the dog's run all of the time to get into the gardens. Drives the Setter wild. I watch the roads carefully when I am on the way to work at 0dark30 in the mornings going to work.

Bill

John_V 

This is so damn true! Several years ago, I used to be an avid hunter and have hunted most of the preserves here in Florida where they allow hunting during the season. During that time period, if you saw as much as one doe (which you couldn't hunt without a special stamp), you were lucky. To see a buck and nail it was very rare. I got more deer out of state then I did in Florida. It's almost as if they have hunting season marked down on their calendars and they go on vacation during that time.

OldsCOOL

That's the "rut" or mating season. Bucks and does running all over the place at all times of the day. Best time to hunt and the bucks are seasonally and truly stupid due to hormone overload.

When the rut starts or when cold nights are coming your way be on the lookout when driving.

bigbadwullf

Deer? More common than rabbits around here. We are so overpopulated with deer, we have had 3-doe limit in hunting season...........................PER DAY!!

zonatandem

Saw a huge bobcat yesterday.
Stood in the road in front of me about 25 feet and stared, then finished crossing the road into the woods. He's not too used to seeing bicycles!
This was in Catalina State Park, just north of Tucson, AZ.

qcpmsame 

Florida is encouraging hunters to get many doe tags and go to it. Over population is a problem and the threat of Chronic Wasting Disease among other diseases and parasites is large now. Many friends have given us meat form doe shots and we take it with relish. I am getting my late F-I-L Browning .300 mag rifle this week and looking into a club for my son and I to go with our bird hunting.

billydonn

Yeah man! We got too many stinkin species anyway!

Kurt Erlenbach

Saw this guy the other day:



Maybe he ought to get together with your deer, perhaps?