Wildlife while biking

[stevej37]

Foggy this am on my daily bike ride. Came over a hill on the asphalt road to find two doe deer standing in the middle of the road looking directly at me.
I quit pedaling and coasted up to about 50-60 feet from them.

The closest one finally realized I wasn't another deer, jumped up to take off and landed right on the other doe. Both went down on the road and legs/hoofs were flying as they tried to get up on their legs.

It only took a few seconds, but it was funny seeing them like they were on ice. The asphalt gives them nothing to dig in with.

[rwest]

I think the deer on my local rail to trail path are pretty used to bikes and people. I got within about 5 feet of one last week before it bolted; I was a bit worried it might run the other direction and smack into me!

Interestingly I have seen up to 5 black squirrels on a single ride on that trail apparently they are a 1 in 100 variation of the common grey squirrel.

Several years ago a beaver scared the bejeezus out of me as it came up onto the trail just in front of me before turning quickly around and back down the bank.

There are a few ponds that can have dozens of painted turtles; every once in awhile you’ll see one crossing the path- sorry Steve, I don’t think I can safely ship them to you.

I saw something last week that was black with a brownish face, maybe an otter, Fisher or mink? Don’t think it was a cat, but maybe.

Rarely do I see snakes, but last year saw a few garter snakes and a couple red bellied brown snakes. Unfortunately most I see got smushed in the road sunning themselves.

You see a lot more on the bike than in a car.

[stevej37]

^^^ I tried a couple times to place painted turtles in my pond....doesn't work. They will kill themselves trying to escape...they won't adapt.

Yes, there is a lot more to see riding bike. My route in the mornings is all back roads (paved) and it's 18, 20 or 22 miles round trip, depending on how far I wish to go. It's a rectangle, so I don't ride the same road twice in the same trip.
On Sat. or Sun. mornings, I sometimes can do almost the whole route without a car passing me from behind. (Sundays are fun because I might pass 5 or 6 Amish buggies loaded for church)
They can only go about 12 mph without the horses breaking into a gallop.

[GH85Carrera]

Just yesterday on my drive back home, just a 1/4 mile from home, I saw two fawns and a doe, in the grass just outside of the tree line, and in plain view of the road. I was really happy to see them ignore me, and just munch away of the grass.

[masraum]

It could be worse Steve, at least it wasn't a bear or bison that knows it owns the road/path, not you. I'm sure that you've seen those videos.

[GH85Carrera]

[stevej37]

^^^ Yes, I posted one on the shorts yesterday? showing a woman trying to get close to a bison.
He caught one of his horns in her clothing and threw her around like a rag doll....it was ugly.

Deer are harmless, but stupid. They might run right into you at any time just by being startled.



Here it is....

[masraum]

[masraum]

[masraum]

[masraum]

or the most terrifying!

[masraum]

moose

[masraum]

[GH85Carrera]

We are fortunate here in our part of Oklahoma. Our male dachshund has barked at and chased off all the bison, bears, ostriches, elephants and tigers. There have not been any reports of any of those in our part of Oklahoma. Next up is Mastodons and lions.

He is really good at catching mice!

[stevej37]

I wonder what that Ostrich would have done if he caught him?

We have black bear here, but no grizzlies. The black bear have really been making a comeback...there were practically none here 20 years ago.

I think some animals, esp dogs, don't understand what they are seeing when a biker appears. It scares them.

[herr_oberst]

I've seen deer, elk and mountain goats up close, apparently there was a bear watching a group of us scrambling over deadfall trees on the trail, plenty of hawks and falcons and lately there have been a not-insignificant number of bald eagle viewings. The bear thing made me a little nervous afterwords. It made me wonder about the cougars, bobcats and mountain lions that see our group while we cycle past, blissfully unaware.

In the city, regular (early morning) viewings of coyotes, racoons, possums....

[stevej37]

^^^ Yes, even here in MI coyotes are all over.
I came upon one on the trail a couple years ago. I thought it was a fox at first. As I got close to it, the thing got startled and took off like a shot...I didn't know they were that fast.

[herr_oberst]

That Ostrich looked like it was playing!

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

That Ostrich looked like it was playing!

It did...but I'd hate to get hit with one of it's wings. They look powerful, like a swan's.

.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Scariest wildlife I've seen (while I was on a bike) were three rednecks fighting over a Toro pushmower. One guy was in his underwear, but you couldn't really tell, as his beergut draped over his fruit of the looms, so he looked naked, or at least like peter griffin naked. They were only about five feet away when they started pounding each other and flinging the mower by the handle. Lots of hair grabbing. The boyfriend was doing the hairgrabbing, the girlfriend was beating the hell out of the boyfriend. The guy in the underwear was not going to lose his mower by golly.

Other wildlife- bunches of bears, wild turkeys, and two bobcats. One bear crossed our path on a night ride about 10 feet in front of us. He turned around and started walking back towards us. That got interesting.

Deer- up on the parkway one night, I stopped and was surrounded by about 50+ deer (I couldn't count any higher/keep track). They were bedding in the grass. All looking at me. 100% silence. All I could see where the reflections of their eyes with my bike light. That was a bit weird.

I did get in a race with several fawn the other day. The deer will run out in front of you, and then run in the same direction as you. I've had several bear do this too. Smaller bears run like stuffed animals would, ears all floppy and such, and I had one in front of me, so I was essentially chasing him for a bit.

The rednecks were the scariest though.