Least scary wild animal attack ever
05-04-19, 06:17 PM
#52
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I wouldn't mess with a groundhog or a Canada goose. I don't know much about groundhogs, but I know geese can be nasty, and I've seen them attack.
I'm surprised at the vultures. I know them to be very gentle, but I guess that one felt threatened.
And ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwKV9dJzqDs
I'm surprised at the vultures. I know them to be very gentle, but I guess that one felt threatened.
And ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwKV9dJzqDs
I mean how friggin cute is that ?.
05-08-19, 01:44 PM
#55
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05-09-19, 05:31 AM
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This morning I came upon a skunk ambling along a grown up field along side of the road. It was perhaps 20 feet away. I called "Hey there skunk" as I passed. It spun to face me and it's tail went straight up letting me know that it was armed and not afraid to use it. It was quite cute.
I like skunks as they're pretty harmless. Having raised chickens, I've trapped a few of them while trying to thin out the racoon population when they become a problem. The trick is to hold up a sheet as you approach the live trap and drape it over the top. You release the catch and hold the door open with a small bungee and wait for the skunk to come out. They usually look at you before going on their merry way.
I like skunks as they're pretty harmless. Having raised chickens, I've trapped a few of them while trying to thin out the racoon population when they become a problem. The trick is to hold up a sheet as you approach the live trap and drape it over the top. You release the catch and hold the door open with a small bungee and wait for the skunk to come out. They usually look at you before going on their merry way.
05-09-19, 07:24 AM
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05-09-19, 08:27 AM
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During my Erie to Philly tour I was reading by a campfire one night when I heard some squabbling in the trees in front of me. Fired up my headlamp and caught these two peeping Toms. I felt so violated.
05-09-19, 08:41 AM
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Heard on the radio this morning, 09May2019, of a confirmed report of a mountain lion in the Des Moines, IA metro area. Residents are encouraged by Police to "Please exercise an abundance of caution with children and pets in this area.". Mountain lions are probably one the most scary critters to encounter.
05-09-19, 08:53 AM
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05-09-19, 09:19 AM
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Is that a Nutria? Looks too small to be a beaver, but it's hard to tell from the pic. People used to raise them for fur, but many ended up getting loose and populating local rivers and streams.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coypu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coypu
05-09-19, 10:24 AM
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You could also be correct. I just looked up more about the nutria. Their populations can fluctuate regionally depending on the severity of winters. The have even gone regionally extinct in places, as they did in Montana (where I took the photo) in the 80s. During times of warmer winters, they may move back north again. I am now thinking muskrat. Had seen one before in CO, but nearly as large.
05-09-19, 03:55 PM
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I was riding, alone, around the local backcountry, when I came upon a vulture protectively guarding some road kill. At first I thought nothing of it. I often come across crows dining on road kill and they just let me pass.
As I approached the dining site, the vulture took off and I thought this was the end of the encounter.
I was wrong.
All of the sudden the vulture dive-bombed me, getting close enough that I could smell its foul breath.
It made a close pass at me, climbed and then dive-bombed me a second time.
I am not normally frightened by wildlife (unless it is a mountain lion). But this was a certifiable pucker-up moment.
Man that is one big bird.
Thankfully for me its only apparent intent was to frighten me away from its meal...which I was gladly to oblige.
As I approached the dining site, the vulture took off and I thought this was the end of the encounter.
I was wrong.
All of the sudden the vulture dive-bombed me, getting close enough that I could smell its foul breath.
It made a close pass at me, climbed and then dive-bombed me a second time.
I am not normally frightened by wildlife (unless it is a mountain lion). But this was a certifiable pucker-up moment.
Man that is one big bird.
Thankfully for me its only apparent intent was to frighten me away from its meal...which I was gladly to oblige.
Another night I was riding back from my old credit union when I heard a loud splash in the creek besides the path. I'm not sure what I scared into the water, but evidently it didn't like me riding past there then and took off for the water.
05-09-19, 07:17 PM
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I had something similar happen to me years ago when riding my motorcycle. I had on a full face helmet. a heavy jacket with body armor etc... and the bird was flying up over my head at my speed (about 30mph). He didn't attack, but it sure made me nervous.
Another night I was riding back from my old credit union when I heard a loud splash in the creek besides the path. I'm not sure what I scared into the water, but evidently it didn't like me riding past there then and took off for the water.
Another night I was riding back from my old credit union when I heard a loud splash in the creek besides the path. I'm not sure what I scared into the water, but evidently it didn't like me riding past there then and took off for the water.
All I know is that it was a big bird and it smelled foul.
05-10-19, 01:40 PM
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03-31-20, 06:43 AM
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That joke might not translate.
03-31-20, 07:57 AM
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Can't believe I forgot about this least scary attack outside of Warren, PA, in 2017.
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03-31-20, 07:27 PM
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Not an attack, but I was pre-dawn bicycle commuting on a local MUP that was about 15 feet wide. My spotlight wasn't very bright, so it was too late for me to stop and turn around when I saw this 6-7 foot gator slowly walking toward me. I passed him, and he couldn't care less about me. Thankfully.
04-01-20, 01:14 PM
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Snapping turtle! I was on a charity ride a few years ago on the Katy Trail. There was five of us and got a little spread out. I saw something I thought was a rock in the tail ahead. When the lead rider rode past it it lunged at him! I swear it jumped about 6 inches! It would pull its head in its shell and pop its head out and lunge towards what I'm assuming it thought was a threat. We took videos, not sure what happened to them but we took them to show others.
The wild animal (rock) getting ready to strike...
The wild animal (rock) getting ready to strike...
04-01-20, 04:05 PM
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Some 25-30 years ago, my wife and I were riding along the C&O Canal trail. Some kind of very small snake decided to try to chase her, It would raise it's head up occasionally on her drive side, near the pedal, but was too small to reach. It eventually gave up. Still get a laugh out of it. Not an attack, but was cool, was also along the C&O Canal trail, where there was still some water in the canal, we had a crane (maybe it was a heron?) ride over the canal, right across from us on the trail, for around a mile or so.
), had a copperhead sit in the middle of the trail looking at me for a couple minutes (not terribly poisonous but aggressive), ornery geese, etc. Fun stuff!We have great blue herons (I mean, the "great" is overselling, they're more ok blue herons
).
04-01-20, 04:43 PM
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A few weeks ago I was riding at night, downhill, at quite a good speed, when a huge javelina ran out directly in-front of me. I yelled at it and swerved, just in time to miss the smelly beast. That's not something you want to hit.
In another odd incident months ago, a spooked bird launched off the ground like a rocket and hit me in the mouth...
It was disgusting.
Something to consider as well, bugs! There is a 1 mile section of road that runs adjacent to man-man wetlands in my city, I no longer ride that route... Ever. Last time I did I literally inhaled hundreds of these unidentified gnat-like flying insects, as well as getting them inside my eyelids....
Once again, disgusting.
In another odd incident months ago, a spooked bird launched off the ground like a rocket and hit me in the mouth...
It was disgusting.
Something to consider as well, bugs! There is a 1 mile section of road that runs adjacent to man-man wetlands in my city, I no longer ride that route... Ever. Last time I did I literally inhaled hundreds of these unidentified gnat-like flying insects, as well as getting them inside my eyelids....
Once again, disgusting.
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04-01-20, 05:37 PM
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In Australia we have magpies. They swoop during breeding season, in spring, when people go near where their nests are, which are high up in trees. Some people have been left bleeding from the head because of them. In one of these videos someone died from a crash trying to avoid magpies.
