I hardly ever encounter strange creatures; when I hear banjo music I pedal like hell. I once had a bird fly between my front spokes just above the ground when I was going about 12 mph. I was coasting downhill near Mt. Bachelor in Oregon and scared a large buck next to the road in the woods. He took off right next to me and I got an amazing view of his escape that went parallel to me for a few seconds. It wasn't so much running as controlled crashing, explosive efforts that make the best human athletes look pathetic.