I hope that this was a REALLY long stick!!! I have encountered them, but I always ride alone and have a cellphone. I always am checking my phone to make sure I am still within range and able to call out.RubberSideDown said:
anyone ever encounter wild animals
- Thread starter nismo driver
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I live in Florida so I usually see lots of deer, hawks, raccoons & once in a while an alligator or two! The closest I've come to a "confrontation" with wildlife was when I actually ran OVER a rattlesnake that was lying across the trail! 
( It was only about 3 feet long or so.) This has happened twice in two years! and one other time a couple of months ago I came across a LARGE rattler that was curl up in dead leaves, I didn't see it until the very last second and swerved right past it. Don't ask me how I saw it or how I avoided getting struck though, I guess the Lord had my back that day! These are the times I'm glad I dont have clip-less pedals!
( It was only about 3 feet long or so.) This has happened twice in two years! and one other time a couple of months ago I came across a LARGE rattler that was curl up in dead leaves, I didn't see it until the very last second and swerved right past it. Don't ask me how I saw it or how I avoided getting struck though, I guess the Lord had my back that day! These are the times I'm glad I dont have clip-less pedals! 
NO. It wasn't a really long stick, it was a snake.
I was riding home along some concrete bike tracks after riding along some firetrails. I was about to cross the road when a car was coming. I decided to ride along the footpath (sidewalk, pavement - whatever you want to call it), to still keep in motion. The birds were chirping and I didnot pay attention to what they were chirping at as I thought it was me and I was looking straight ahead at the approaching car. Then as I got closer, I seen the snake on the ground and some of the birds were diving at the snake. Then the snake stopped, lifted it head, paused for a few seconds and then went on its way. I get a bit nervous when snakes lift their heads and their necks start to flatten out. I've seen it all before, but I know one day .... (need a little face in a coffin here).
I was riding home along some concrete bike tracks after riding along some firetrails. I was about to cross the road when a car was coming. I decided to ride along the footpath (sidewalk, pavement - whatever you want to call it), to still keep in motion. The birds were chirping and I didnot pay attention to what they were chirping at as I thought it was me and I was looking straight ahead at the approaching car. Then as I got closer, I seen the snake
on the ground and some of the birds were diving at the snake. Then the snake stopped, lifted it head, paused for a few seconds and then went on its way. I get a bit nervous when snakes lift their heads and their necks start to flatten out. I've seen it all before, but I know one day .... (need a little face in a coffin here).
Not really, have seen several deer... being from the absolute most northern part of Michigan (that would be the UP... you know across the bridge) sorry about the UP thing... you have no Idea how many people have no Idea the UP exists...
But regaurdless seeing deer is pretty common, Ive come within 5 feet of one on my bike more than once
But regaurdless seeing deer is pretty common, Ive come within 5 feet of one on my bike more than once
Last week I enjoyed a long DH ride, came around the corner only to see a herd of deer standing there. They didn't move or anything, so I screamed like a school girl and ran off the course, down a three foot drop into a briar bush. I look up and the deer continue to stare at me, then they just walked away.
Son's of $%@#$%
Son's of $%@#$%
The area around my house is very wooded with some great trails only a quarter mile away. I came ripping down a grade, around a corner, launched over a roller, and was about 3 feet in the air when movement on the right about 20 feet off the trail caught my eye- man was I freaked out. There was a good-sized coyote eating some sort of rodent or squirrel right there, and the thing didn't even budge. I didn't hit the brakes and kept moving.
I saw the pengiun in suburbia hell believe it or not! Cherry Creek is like the yuppie hub here in Denver and even the zoo is ten+ miles away. I was literally mind boggled. The animal control guys that I called were almonst in tears laughing at me when they got there and the angry little bird was trying to peck a hole in my knee!
1id10t said:
I ride a small woodsy trail to cut out part of the road on my way to work from school. There's normally 4-5 groundhogs, and occasionally a skunk along the path. I've seen a few deer as well, but I've been lucky enough so as to never get hit.
As for snakes, I've found a few ring neck and garter snakes. They're always good fun, since they're small and pretty meek. You can even pick them up and move them off the trail.
As for snakes, I've found a few ring neck and garter snakes. They're always good fun, since they're small and pretty meek. You can even pick them up and move them off the trail.
Only hostile animals that bother me are clueless people that are agro in their cars!!!
I'm in New Zealand, and I guess the only time I ever encounter anything other than cows/sheep/magpies on the trails would be during nightrides, when I startle possums and they go sprinting down the trail in front of me, and scoot up a tree... nothing too carnivorous in NZ
A friend whos travelling to asia for a biking mission soon, recently showed me a forum thread in a asian MTB forum where some riders were warning others of COBRAs on the local trails!
A friend whos travelling to asia for a biking mission soon, recently showed me a forum thread in a asian MTB forum where some riders were warning others of COBRAs on the local trails!
i don't know how 'wild' it was, but while riding on the road i did have a damned groundhog run under my front wheel and caused a crash that broke a bone in my hand.
i've surprised and been surprised by whitetail deer.
by far, loose dogs are the most dangerous animals i see.
i've surprised and been surprised by whitetail deer.
by far, loose dogs are the most dangerous animals i see.
Coming across wild animals is pretty common around here. Bison are typical on one ride, Black Bears on another (one local bike path has bear warning signs up this time of year reminding folks that the bears like the paths for the same reasons we do, to get away from cars) and several rides go past marshy areas frequented by Moose (by far the most dangerous of the three). A couple of local mountain bikers had a run in with a Grizzly a couple of summers ago and managed to get away but not before dumping two cans of bear spray with no visible affect.
A great ride in the spring or fall(when there's a lot less tourist traffic and better odds of not getting mowed down by a 'bago) is the lower loop in Yellowstone. It's roughly 100 miles with a number of climbs including two passes over the continental divide with convenient food stops at Old Faithful and Canyon. Last time I rode that ride I was spinnin' little gears up over one of the divides when I saw a big bull Bison standing smack dab in the middle of the road. It was spring and the snowbanks were still a couple of feet high so there was no going around. It was either turn around or see what happens. He stared at me as I squeezed as far as I could to the side of the road but didn't flinch.
I've had the same thing happen with Bulls of the domestic variety while mountain biking in the Berkeley hills and have had wild boars, tusks and all come sprinting out of bushes and keep pace with our paceline in Arizona. Even saw my only wild Cougar sighting while on a road ride along Highway 1 in Norcal. We were climbing a steep hill (same climb used in the Marin road race after you leave highway 1. I don't remember the name and we were just out riding that day) going slow when my friend pointed at the "big yellow dog" well that big dog had a huge tail and was no dog but luckily didn't seem concerned with us one way or another.
Anyway, I've seen a lot of large and small and some potentially dangerous wildlife while riding but have never had any issues, just a few tense moments here and there. I still think the cars are a bigger threat!
-Dave
A great ride in the spring or fall(when there's a lot less tourist traffic and better odds of not getting mowed down by a 'bago) is the lower loop in Yellowstone. It's roughly 100 miles with a number of climbs including two passes over the continental divide with convenient food stops at Old Faithful and Canyon. Last time I rode that ride I was spinnin' little gears up over one of the divides when I saw a big bull Bison standing smack dab in the middle of the road. It was spring and the snowbanks were still a couple of feet high so there was no going around. It was either turn around or see what happens. He stared at me as I squeezed as far as I could to the side of the road but didn't flinch.
I've had the same thing happen with Bulls of the domestic variety while mountain biking in the Berkeley hills and have had wild boars, tusks and all come sprinting out of bushes and keep pace with our paceline in Arizona. Even saw my only wild Cougar sighting while on a road ride along Highway 1 in Norcal. We were climbing a steep hill (same climb used in the Marin road race after you leave highway 1. I don't remember the name and we were just out riding that day) going slow when my friend pointed at the "big yellow dog" well that big dog had a huge tail and was no dog but luckily didn't seem concerned with us one way or another.
Anyway, I've seen a lot of large and small and some potentially dangerous wildlife while riding but have never had any issues, just a few tense moments here and there. I still think the cars are a bigger threat!
-Dave
