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I almost ran into a bear today.
I dropped my girlfriend off at a sunny gravel bar on the river, left her with the car, and rode off to find a dirt road. Most of them were gated. I took the first one I came to, let's see where this old double track goes. About a mile in, I'm riding slowly up a hill, and a snout pokes out of the bushes, then a bear behind it. It looked happy and lumbering, climbed up, walked into the road, looked at me, then obviously startled and ran off into the bushes. I stood there telling myself "don't run don't run don't run" and it was gone. Waited until there was no noise, then left the way I came.
If getting away from cars is part of why we do gravel, I guess wildlife goes with it. What have you seen lately? |
Holmes i run into bears 🐻 every yesr in nwnj we sll use bells on bikes to alert bears that we are in area. Scarey but cool |
On my road trip last week I saw 3 black bears by the side of the road as I passed, two elk and one coyote. One young male elk gave chase for a bit.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/959/4...f5e3819a_z.jpg |
Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
(Post 20365147)
I dropped my girlfriend off at a sunny gravel bar on the river, left her with the car, and rode off to find a dirt road. Most of them were gated. I took the first one I came to, let's see where this old double track goes. About a mile in, I'm riding slowly up a hill, and a snout pokes out of the bushes, then a bear behind it. It looked happy and lumbering, climbed up, walked into the road, looked at me, then obviously startled and ran off into the bushes. I stood there telling myself "don't run don't run don't run" and it was gone. Waited until there was no noise, then left the way I came.
If getting away from cars is part of why we do gravel, I guess wildlife goes with it. What have you seen lately? |
Boars, eight of them, females and juveniles during summer 2017.
They ran away when they saw me. I ran away when I saw them. A mile later and there they are again just hanging out on the side of the forest service road. I yelled and they took off. Don't fool yourself. They can run fast. Craved bacon the whole rest of the ride. |
Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
(Post 20365147)
I dropped my girlfriend off at a sunny gravel bar on the river, left her with the car, and rode off to find a dirt road. Most of them were gated. I took the first one I came to, let's see where this old double track goes. About a mile in, I'm riding slowly up a hill, and a snout pokes out of the bushes, then a bear behind it. It looked happy and lumbering, climbed up, walked into the road, looked at me, then obviously startled and ran off into the bushes. I stood there telling myself "don't run don't run don't run" and it was gone. Waited until there was no noise, then left the way I came.
If getting away from cars is part of why we do gravel, I guess wildlife goes with it. What have you seen lately? Without a picture it didn't happen. |
Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
(Post 20365147)
I dropped my girlfriend off at a sunny gravel bar on the river, left her with the car, and rode off to find a dirt road. Most of them were gated. I took the first one I came to, let's see where this old double track goes. About a mile in, I'm riding slowly up a hill, and a snout pokes out of the bushes, then a bear behind it. It looked happy and lumbering, climbed up, walked into the road, looked at me, then obviously startled and ran off into the bushes. I stood there telling myself "don't run don't run don't run" and it was gone. Waited until there was no noise, then left the way I came.
If getting away from cars is part of why we do gravel, I guess wildlife goes with it. What have you seen lately? |
This is SoCal. We are limited to rabbits, squirrels, and coyotes, all of which I see on virtually every single ride. I did see a bobcat once. At the Grand Canyon there were Mule Deer everywhere.
I'm pretty sure I ran over a snake on Sunday. :( |
good thing you have catlike reflexes, or intuition rather, meaning freeze, then exit the area. not all animals can say the same thing. this is about as much wildlife as I've seen lately
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...080b091f70.jpg oh, almost forgot this pair of horses that had a little fun out of their yard last week! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b75013c34c.jpg |
I did
Zoom in to see this healthy bruin. Gave him a few minutes to pass.https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c2785923cf.jpg
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At least it wasn't a cougar like those MTBs unfortunately ran into last week! Haven't run into bears while riding but routinely run into them out climbing in the spring as they begin to wake up and wander about.
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Deer, Otters, turtles, snakes, raccoons and alligators! Sorry about the crummy picture. I did not want to get too close. Gators give me the willys!https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...502f0b44c3.jpg
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Bear/cyclist collisions here in the Boulder area:
2006: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cyclist...ing-triathlon/ 2008: Injured cyclist: 'Watch out for bears' - Boulder Daily Camera |
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bc4a4454dd.jpg
A few years ago, I was up at Grand Lake to meet a buddy who was staying in a small guest cabin. We were standing on the deck talking, when this guy calmly walked right up next to us. |
I was charged by a groundhog the other day. That was quite entertaining.
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we nick named this guy Marvin the moose at Baxter State Park back in 2011
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e6aa96e89f.jpg |
Coyotes, very infrequently bobcats, snakes(sometimes rattlers) on my rides in the foothills behind Santa Barbara. Bears can run as fast as 30mph so steer clear.
regards, Brian |
Originally Posted by redlude97
(Post 20366138)
At least it wasn't a cougar like those MTBs unfortunately ran into last week! Haven't run into bears while riding but routinely run into them out climbing in the spring as they begin to wake up and wander about.
Locals have been talking about that, and the theory is we look more like some kind of prey animal on the bike, we're not walking upright. |
Yesterday on Flagstaff Mtn in Boulder CO: Cyclist hits, kills deer on Boulder's Flagstaff Road - Boulder Daily Camera
I climbed Flagstaff just a few hours earlier and saw a fawn and its mother at Gregory Cyn near that location. |
Mountain lion in the Sierras 2 months ago. We both stopped and stared and then he/she slowly moved away. I just kept eyes on it for as long as I could before riding off.
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Lots of eagles lately! Otherwise, tons of deer (the Bambis are just now beginning to lose their spots), woodchucks, turtles of all shapes and sizes, snakes, and bunnies. Oh, and bats! Mostly in the evening.
There are apparently bears in the area, but I have yet to see one. We don't seem to have anything exotic and cool like bobcats and mountain lions (not that I'd really want to come across a mountain lion on my bike).
Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
(Post 20441487)
Yesterday on Flagstaff Mtn in Boulder CO: Cyclist hits, kills deer on Boulder's Flagstaff Road - Boulder Daily Camera
I climbed Flagstaff just a few hours earlier and saw a fawn and its mother at Gregory Cyn near that location. |
Kinda glad I didn't see the bears!
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7323bcba8b.jpg Must have crossed a dozen sets of tracks that day! Road from Cogswell to Rincon Redbox |
Whitetail deer all the time and they like to dart out in front of you at the last minute, never been hit but had close calls. Wild feral hogs but they run away but most dangerous is rattlesnakes warming up on the gravel or pavement. Buzzards eating roadkill and buzzards like to barf so they can gain flight, knowning this I stop and let them take off. |
Originally Posted by jp911
(Post 20444213)
Mountain lion in the Sierras 2 months ago. We both stopped and stared and then he/she slowly moved away. I just kept eyes on it for as long as I could before riding off.
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Originally Posted by DrIsotope
(Post 20365698)
This is SoCal. We are limited to rabbits, squirrels, and coyotes, all of which I see on virtually every single ride. I did see a bobcat once. At the Grand Canyon there were Mule Deer everywhere.
I'm pretty sure I ran over a snake on Sunday. :( |
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