First Roadkill Today!

[AmpedCycle]

I wanted to vent a little bit. I ran over a squirrel today... and I feel bad about it. I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner, to tell you the truth. These little bastards are always playing chicken in the bike lane, on purpose, it seems like. They'll try to set land speed records across my path, just narrowly missing my tires, and they've been doing this for years. Today, I finally ran one over. I wasn't trying to do it, either. I wasn't even looking at the little guy, and then I feel the "bump." It yelped, and ran into the weeds. There was nothing I could do! Does anyone else have to dodge squirrels when they're riding? This is getting ridiculous!!!

 

[sogood]

...and then I feel the "bump." It yelped, and ran into the weeds...

So it was not a confirmed kill after all!!!

 

[Alias]

A squirrel getting run over by a bike, hmmm. Do you think that it's the same as a cyclist getting run over by a car.

At least those little suicidal suckers, can't hurt you like a magpie. Getting swooped by one of them at 40kph isn't fun. I would gladly run over one of them, even if i had to cross a four lane highway to do it.

Anyway, keep your chin up, you'll always remember your first.

P.S Did he look like this? ----- -----

 

[sogood]

A squirrel getting run over by a bike, hmmm. Do you think that it's the same as a cyclist getting run over by a car.

Nay, cyclists don't have fluffy tails... Might have just been a "flesh wound".

 

[HowardSteele]

The squirrels around here prefer running at cars, but last weekend i rode over a lizard sunbathing on a rock (unintentually), confirmed off road kill.

 

[jhuskey]

One more and my wife is an ace. Not on kills, but confirmed hits. She usually gets them around the tail area.

 

[PartisanRanger]

I also ran over a squirrel's tail the other day, the ******* just jumped right in front of me. Squirrel's have to be one of nature's stupidest creatures, they just don't seem to understand the concept of getting out of the way. They'll jump to the side and then right back into the road.

 

[miltwebb]

I ran over my first one last week on the local greenway. With Fall/Winter approaching they have been quite active and darting across the trail. I, too, felt very bad for the little critter. Oh well, what can you do?
-Milt

 

[Bob Ross]

Squirrel's have to be one of nature's stupidest creatures, they just don't seem to understand the concept of getting out of the way. They'll jump to the side and then right back into the road.

Well, technically it's not that they don't understand the concept of getting out of the way; rather it's that their instinctual Predator Evasion Mechanism is hard-wired to force rapid direction-changes irrespective of the direction the predator is coming from. If you were *trying* to run over a squirrel it would be nearly impossible; but because you're just cruising along in a straight line oblivious to the squirrel's intentions & wholly disinterested in actually trying to catch him, pure coincidence often results in an intersection between your path and the squirrel's attempts to confuse the (non-)chaser.

Which is just a much longer way of agreeing that they're one of nature's stupidest creatures.


BTW, I've been having close calls with chipmunks a lot lately. Hadn't seen a single one all year long, and then in the past two weeks I came close enough to nearly grab 4 of them.

 

[lwedge]

Does anyone else have to dodge squirrels when they're riding? This is getting ridiculous!!!

I do not understand their fascination with the "Road". Food to the left, food to the right but we have to hang out on the road.... The Oaks and Walnut trees are dropping their Acorns and nuts now and they will be all over the bike path and Oak studded roads, so be careful.



California Mule Deer are another problem where I live. Every now and again I will have this bazaar encounter with a Doe and her Fawn jumping out right in front (or along side) of me. I don't care how many times this happens, the first thought that goes through my mind is....... Mountain Lion !


lw

 

[lwedge]

If you were *trying* to run over a squirrel it would be nearly impossible; but because you're just cruising along in a straight line oblivious to the squirrel's intentions & wholly disinterested in actually trying to catch him, pure coincidence often results in an intersection between your path and the squirrel's attempts to confuse the (non-)chaser.

Just like a golf shot.... If you want to miss something... Aim for it.

 

[sogood]

We have a local bike path that goes through a dog park. One day, one day, one of those silly dogs owned by an unresponsible owner will get hit. Maybe I should swap out my light wheelset for a radially stiffer front wheel to prevent impact damage...

 

[webb80916]

Had an encounter just a few hours ago with a 6 point Mule Deer. He was no farther away than a bike length and I thought for sure he was gonna jump in front or into me. I did an emergency stop and turned around to look and he started walking towards me!! What the heck? Cars, dogs, cats, squirrels, and now deer. Uncle!!!

I do not understand their fascination with the "Road". Food to the left, food to the right but we have to hang out on the road.... The Oaks and Walnut trees are dropping their Acorns and nuts now and they will be all over the bike path and Oak studded roads, so be careful.



California Mule Deer are another problem where I live. Every now and again I will have this bazaar encounter with a Doe and her Fawn jumping out right in front (or along side) of me. I don't care how many times this happens, the first thought that goes through my mind is....... Mountain Lion !


lw

 

[Bro Deal]

Does anyone else stop to shoo animals off the road?

I almost always stop to convince snakes that are sunning themselves to move.

 

[bigkev]

here in australia just down the road from my place sitting on 45km i ran over a brown snake hit it right on the head so lucky in did not bite.

I wanted to vent a little bit. I ran over a squirrel today... and I feel bad about it. I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner, to tell you the truth. These little bastards are always playing chicken in the bike lane, on purpose, it seems like. They'll try to set land speed records across my path, just narrowly missing my tires, and they've been doing this for years. Today, I finally ran one over. I wasn't trying to do it, either. I wasn't even looking at the little guy, and then I feel the "bump." It yelped, and ran into the weeds. There was nothing I could do! Does anyone else have to dodge squirrels when they're riding? This is getting ridiculous!!!

 

[sogood]

here in australia just down the road from my place sitting on 45km i ran over a brown snake hit it right on the head so lucky in did not bite.

Puncture resistant tyres I trust.

 

[MountainPro]

in my favourite forest there is a great downhill section...a few years back a pheasant ran across my path and hit my front wheel in the spokes at about 40 mph. I cant say for sure exactly what happened to it, but there was screeching sounds, lots of blood and feathers everywhere.

i think i killed it.

in fact, its head was still attached to my computer cable when i arrived home. Dunno where the body was. I didnt take a pulse reading of the bird, i just horsed the head into the bin.

 

[lance99]

Does anyone else stop to shoo animals off the road?

I almost always stop to convince snakes that are sunning themselves to move.

I usually just make some sort of churp noise when they are playing chicken in my path.
I stopped to shoo a turtle off the road a few days ago. Actually I was trying to protect the big fella from on coming splat (traffic)
I know a local who caught a squrriel in his chain on a desent (broken clavicle)

peace

 

[RussB]

Early last spring, I had to brake and start making noise to scare a deer off the road. I had to. I don't have a book rack on the back of my bike to strap one to.

 

[webbhost]

had a near miss here - bird flew out of the ground near road, just missed getting itself trapped in my spokes scared the hell out of me