twobikes

Sunday evening I went out to log 30 miles in the country. It was dark on the way back. My lights are adequate for avoiding most hazards and for being seen, especially on this road. Traffic is very light and I have ridden it quite a few times in the daylight. I was doing 14 mph when I came within six inches of running right over the top of a skunk. He was as surprised as I was, but he did not have time to lock and load. I escaped unscathed and unsprayed, as did he.

maddmaxx 

Tomato Juice.................................


















Its what you put in your drink to celebrate not hitting the skunk..

Louis

Good thing you were going that fast, otherwise you'd still be in the shower trying to get that smell off.

Once, when I was a kid, I came across a skunk caught in someones muskrat trap. I thought I could set it free by sneaking up behind it and squeezing the spring on the trap. Big mistake. The skunk fired a salvo about ten feet which caught me directly in the face.

stapfam

We don't have a lot of things over here that you have. Poison Ivy- Cougars and skunks are not things I Regret not having a close encounter with.


Edit-- Not all of us dislike skunks apparantly

molarface

I have often heard of men who "impregnate and run" referred to as "skunks". This would seem to confirm it.

Don

NOS88

The stars and planets must have been lined up in your favor that night.

Jet Travis

That is unfair to skunks, who are, by and large, gentle creatures. We have one who wanders around in our garden, much to our delight. He likes to eat the seeds that fall out of the bird feeder. Our cats are wise enough to keep a respectful distance, as are the other family members.

rodrigaj

I hit a raccoon going 15mph about a month ago. I flew off my bike, broke my helmet, but otherwise was ok. It was a 30 mile ride I do at 3:30AM. (I'm a morning person).

Since then I ride with a helmet light, and am able to see all of the critters that are out there as their eyes light up in helmet light.

Believe me, there are literally hundreds of encounters that are possible. Skunks, cats, raccoons, possums, deer, rabbits...I ride slower and more alert since my accident. But, it still is my most wonderful time of the day to ride.

Louis

And in my neck of the woods, more mountain lion sightings.

https://www.ohio.com/news/30553834.html

brucewiley

This was my "camp Skunk" up in Montour, NE of Emmett last month on my trip to Crouch Idaho. My experience is that they are gentle creatures and if you don't mess with them they're great. When I lived in N.M. we had one in the garage that my cat would hang out with.

Bro and I rode through Caldwell today on our road bikes!!

Bruce

gcottay

How long it take you to get back down to 14 MPH?

Dallyup

I came within 10 feet of t-boning a large cougar last monday. He was crossing the road in front of me and when he heard me coming he stopped! That will hold one's attention. When he was able to figure me out he ran back into the timber. It all happened so quickly I didn't have time to panic. I was going about 20 MPH in Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills of SD. I have been trying to spot a lion for years, wish finally fulfilled.

pop's

I was raised on a farm and my daddy told me to not get into a pee fight with a Skunk, you will always lose. Think about the guys who wore Skunk hats instead of Coon skin hats??:

Pop's

Rick@OCRR

I hit a skunk on my fixed gear bike back in Feb. '08 and the smell has finally gone away!

Rick / OCRR

twobikes

When I had the encounter with the skunk I was eastbound on Howe Road near Centerpoint Road out west of Notus.

Timtruro

John E

That picture of the cat with the skunk reminds me of my situation at home. My little 12-year-old black cat, a deceptively sweet 10-pound rodent killing machine, is also quite adept at undoing the slide latch to the cat door, to let herself and the other cats out. Unfortunately, this can also let one of the local skunks or raccoons in, so my wife and I have to remember to block the cat door each evening, before it morphs into a skunk door.

We occasionally smell skunk odors outside, and we have had to bathe our 18-pound Siamese mix following two skunk encounters of the wrong kind.

gear

This morning it was raining and there was debris all over the road (acorns, leaves, etc.) so I didn't catch sight of the skunk till I was on top of him (or maybe her). One quick jerk of the bars let me pass within 4" of the stinker.

robtown

An albino skunk ran out from our yard and across the street when I was selling a bike last month. That was interesting. The only other encounter was one that crossed the MUP but I had a lot of advance notice and slowed down to avoid it.

Mojo Slim

Apparently, the skunks around here are all dead, and like to sit on the road right where bikes are likely to roll by. I think they might go back into the weeds at night.

bikegeek57

Dead skunks on the side of the road. Yep. They'll do that and they seem to last forever. I have one on my commute near the top of a rise that I have been pushing hard to get over. Of course I am also breathing hard by the time I arrive at the scene and get a nose full coming and going. Ugh. Pray for more rain.

rm -rf

Everybody sing:
Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road

djnzlab1

hi,
The mommy kity adopted those poor lost skunk babies is my guess, she probably found them.
My mom lives in Florida they have three dogs and they have a dog door for them to come and go as they please one night my mom got up to get a drink from the frige and she saw four dogs eating from the same dish three were hers and one opossium was eating with the group and they all seemed to get a long. She did latch the doggie door after that.
Doug

pop's

All most got me a half grown Racoon this morning. I was riding and the little rascal went between my front and rear wheel. I kinda clipped him with a pedal. Boy I was glad that it was not a Skunk. That would have been a smelly situation!

Pop's

chicharron

One time a long time ago, a friend, his girl-friend, and I were returning to thier apartment where my car was parked one night after a few beers at a local bar. This was out in the suburbian areas of Kansas City. My friend was a city kid, born and raised in the mid-town area.
Well, we saw a skunk in the headlights, walking across the parking lot. My friend gets excited, having never seen a skunk live and up close, decides to jump out and see the skunk. I yelled at him "CARL,DON'T....", but it was too late and he went running off into the dark, after the skunk. Moments later, we hear his voice in the dark, "SH**". He comes running back to the car, smelling like a, well, skunk.