banerjek

Seems like the wildlife have been going nuts lately. In the past week, I have had two close encounters with coyotes and at least three with deer (I definite a close encounter as being within 30 feet or so as there is potential for collision).

However, it occurred to me that the animals that scare me most when riding are squirrels because they move the least predictably of anything I see. Especially on descents, they're more than a little unnerving.

What animal do you see when riding that you'd just as soon not encounter?

rollin

Sunday Cagers

billyymc

Deer. I've almost hit / been hit by t hem a number of times. Once they start running in your direction, they don't usually stop.

Squirrel? I would roll over a squirrel.

Turkeys also, because they will tend to just take off and fly if they see you coming -- and probably big enough to cause some damage if they hit you in flight.

Da Sherm

Birds. They sit in right next to the bike paths/roads if not in the path and then fly at the last possible second, sometimes not in the right direction. It's fine in a car, because you're moving a 3,000 lb object at speed, on a bike I feel I could falcon punch these animals as I they try to fly out of my way

KevinF

If I don't ever see another black bear running across a field straight towards me, that would be nice. I thought my life was over. He wound up passing in front of me by about 20 feet and jumped into the stream that I was riding beside.

Squirrels can be a little unnerving too though.

North of You

None.


Animals are scared of ME. Grrrrrrr

ahsposo 

The bug flying into my throat.

rollin

2ndGen

Bro, I would PAY for a video of a cyclist being chased down by a bear! LOL!

kenji666

This:

2ndGen

Hope he had insurance or I guess rider would be stuck with fork replacement.

dpeters11

Wild animals don't scare me as much as dogs on a long lead on the bike trail.

ThinLine

My ex-wife

2ndGen

I ran over a snake once. Dummy shot out in front of me on my MTB.
I almost got stomped on by a deer (had to be a 10 pointer easy); again, on the trail.
Dogs are fun. I eye them down to see if they'll give chase! Hee Hee!

JonnyHK 

^^^ a wombat would really ruin your day.

The only animal I've had a near miss with that REALLY scared me was a standard sized poodle. On a leash. With a tiny Chinese woman who probably weighed less than the dog. She (the dog and the b!tch) was crossing the road diagonally with her back to the direction of traffic as I was doing 50km/h around a corner (downhill) - missed by centimeters.

rollin

Dental insurance?

kenji666

Labs are pretty mellow, and don't usually chase. Little yap dogs, like Chihuahuas and JRT's are insecure and usually chase.
There is a pit bull that is chained up that I worry about every time I go by. I pray that the chain never fails.

RJM

Red neck pickup truck drivers who think they should teach me a lesson by trying to clip my left side. I wish they were on the endangered species list.

I was hit by a deer riding an off road trail one day, jumped right into me and ran away. Nothing happened to the bike but that thing kicked me right in the hip and I swear it took 6 months to heal.

Snakes are bad.

Machka 

Here in Australia ... kanagroos and magpies.

In Canada ... cougars and wolves. I encountered a cougar on a ride once ... late in the evening, in the Canadian Rockies.


I've seen heaps of bears and coyotes in Canada, but they don't worry me. Elk can be a bit of an issue sometimes ... it can be a bit unnerving riding through a herd.

Shimagnolo

Winner.

daredevil

Bear...black and grizzly.

globecanvas

Deer kill cyclists. If you have deer in your area and you don't have a healthy paranoia of them, you are dumb.

2ndGen

cyclezealot

Used to be rattlesnakes.. But, more lethal are the pedestrians who stroll out into bike lanes without looking or indicating their intentions.

Looigi

Mountain lions. A saw one a couple of times when I was living and riding mtb in CA.