rsbob 

Did run over a foot long snake a month ago. I saw it at the last moment sunning itself on a gravel path. Probably broke its spine, poor bugger. Just goes to shoe that sunbathing can be dangerous.

msu2001la

I got hit by a flying goose a few months ago while biking.

It was sitting in the grass along with a few other geese, about 20ft away from the path I was riding on. It decided to take off and started running, then flying directly towards me. I think it mis-judged my speed and thought it could get in front of me, or thought it could gain enough altitude to get up and over me, but it failed to do either. I saw it coming and tried to slow down to avoid it, but couldn't. It hit me directly in the side of my leg and slammed against the left side of my bike. I have no idea how I didn't crash, but I guess I got lucky that it didn't hit a wheel or handlebars, or hit me up higher on my body. The goose (I think) hit the ground, then got up and flew off.

There was a jogger coming the other direction on the path that saw the whole thing happen. He stopped in his tracks and just looked at me as I slowly rolled past, while checking my bike and leg for damage. It was a major "WTF just happened" moment.

Pop N Wood

Where is the picture of guy with the dead rattle snake wrapped up in his derailleur?

Used to ride at 4:30 every morning before work. Depending on the time of year most of that was is pitch dark. I watched the sides of the trail like a hawk looking for glowing eyes. No squirrels that early, but plenty of flipping rabbits and deer. Toads as well, they really pop if you hit them just right. Bad karma to hit an animal so I tried best I could to miss them.

I did have a deer cross so close in front of me it grazed my finger tips on the hoods. Sucker came out of nowhere.

Scariest encounter was a great horned owl sitting on top of a waist high fence post in the middle of the trail. We didn't see each other until we were literally eye to eye about 6 feet apart. I ducked and got whapped in the side of the face by his wings as he took off. That thing was a good 3 feet tall.

Bassmanbob

I was attempting my second century ride, but didn't properly train for it. So I turned around and took the metric century route. I really hadn't trained for it, and was struggling as I rode passed orange groves to the left and right of me with rolling hills. I was tired, the sun was beating down and it was hot. As I struggled to ascended one of those hills, I saw the shadows of two turkey buzzards circling on the pavement in front of me. I looked up and yelled, "I'm not dead yet!"

Thankfully, I'm in better shape today.

Korina

I've been very lucky not to have had a close-up encounter with wildlife, but I did have a weird one. Riding the paved trail to work early one morning, when I see something ahead in the dim light. As I got closer, I realized it was dozens of tiny baby banana slugs crossing the trail from the drainage ditch side to the pond side. I tiptoed carefully around them and continued my ride. It was both baffling and amusing.

homeless in ca.

I ran over my dog once. Had a big chocolate lab and he would run in front of the bike and bite at the tire. At one point he got tangled up in there and I ran over his head. I thought he might have been hurt or something but he just had this stupid look on his face and wanted to go back to his tire biting game. I just stopped riding bikes with him. He could catch frisbees like a champ he'd leap in the air all 120 pounds and catch it every time. Maybe he thought the bike tire was a frisbee.

Russ Roth

There used to be a joke years ago about when these were "first invented" the british asking the americans to borrow theirs to test out their jets' windshields and remarking on how the chicken would not only shatter the windshield but punch a hole through the seat as well and they couldn't figure out what they were doing wrong. The reply sent back was to thaw the chicken first. Always assumed it was a joke and there was no real chicken launcher.


I've had amazingly few animal encounters other then the occasional dog. One was clipping the head of a chipmunk with my pedal coming down a hill at over 40mph. At that speed I wasn't swerving and just hoped my tires didn't slip on the goo so a pedal strike was a relief, Chip didn't make it though. Other was more amazing, had just finished an intense 3 person, 35mi ride through the Albany region and was just coasting my way through the local park doing no more then 4-5mph when a squirrel ran right through my spinergy Rev-X. Was really expecting a sliced squirrel and a crash but he made it unscathed.

Bassmanbob

That whole post is SO Lab-like. I've had three Labs. They were all different but all playful, lovable and indestructible as young dogs.

Troul 

the moose will bring out the knuckles! Don't try to get too friendly with them. A Buck can get aggressive if it's that time of year. They will destroy just about anything in there way to find a mate. Don't be in the way, you'll become there mate.

indyfabz

One long day on tour I started in total darkness because in two miles I’d be on a trail for some 25 miles. Not long after hitting the trail I saw something coming towards me. Thought it wax the third bear of the trip. Turned out to be the largest porcupine I think I will ever see. At about 20’ it veered off into the woods.

A couple of years ago I spooked a herd of elk in Montana that were grazing on property near the road. Had to hit the brakes as they stampeded across the road. Cool to see and hear.

Seen four moose on tour, including a cow and her calf. None were close enough to do any harm.

Bill in VA

Because a Canada honker could easily kill a domestic cat. Those wings can break bones.

Our Australian Shepherd decided some Canada geese needed herding at a local park. He managed a bit until a few turned the tables and advanced with heads lowered and hissing from different angles. He decided "Herding - NOT today!" and ran back to us. He was successful herding domestic geese at a trial, but not those big wild Canadas.

Some of the country clubs in my area have free ranging Australian Shepherd dogs to chase the honkers off to keep the course free of their massive dropping piles.

indyfabz

They would sometimes nest in the dense plantings around the building where our NJ office used to be. One pair set up shop near the walkway to the front door. When they have eggs and chicks they are extremely protective. The pair would hiss and chase people entering the building. One employee of ours had to use his brief case as a shield to protect himself from getting pecked. Building management finally got wise and replanted with stuff that did not provide perfect cover for nests and the problem was solved.

locolobo13 

in the 70s. Riding to school or work a huge St. Bernard would come charging out at me. Usually this was in the dark mornings. After the first time when he could have torn me limb from limb I realized this was just his idea of playing. One morning he actually "nudged" me from the side. Almost lost my balance. My morning routine going past his house was to yell shoo or beat it but rarely stopped.

One morning he brought a friend. I don't think this dog had any evil intentions either. Other than scaring the bike rider. Unfortunately this dog misjudged the distance, ran right in front of me and I hit it mid body. I don't think he was hurt but he yelped in pain and ran off. The St. Bernard didn't stick around either. The St. Bernard was back the next morning but never saw his buddy again.

Troul 

the only evil intentions those dogs have is to slobber you entirely. If it werent for that, I'd probably have one.

Cougrrcj

He'd follow this advice...

Cougrrcj

I didn't once - and clobbered one of those flying rats while I was riding my motorcycle on my way to work. Damned thing hit the tip of the sport fairing , then hit me square in the chest. Damn near knocked me off the 'cycle since I was going ~45mph. Blood, guts, and feathers everywhere.

I had to turn around, go back to my apartment to shower and change clothes, and that detour caused me to be a few minutes late for work. Boss didn't believe me until I grabbed him by the arm, took him outside and he could see the bird debris sizzling on the hot engine... I mean YUCK!!!

I've also bisected a squirrel, but that was on my bike. He ran right into the rear wheel spokes and got cut in two...

OldTryGuy

The largest thump-THUMP has been a bunny rabbit encounter at 11PM a few years ago. No issue for me BUT BUNNY not so much.

It was at 1:25AM on 4/27/2020 riding 20.2mph at mile 33 of an overnight 100 miler that a wild hog ran into my right side. Resulting crash injuries = left shoulder impact trauma, 2 crack(#5 & #6) ribs, punctured lung and cracked left scapula. Buddy I was riding with was some distance in front of me, saw the HOG and its babies in the light from his helmet light and shouted to warn me but I was too far back to hear him. The hog came out of the darkness and BOOM!!! It was 2 months 13 days from my 70th birthday.

My buddy made the turn around and came back finding me standing and HYPER VENTILATING. He picked up my bike at my request, then held it for me as I mounted it and we rode SLOWLY BACK TO MY HOUSE that was 4 miles from crash site. Wife drove me to the hospital.

CAT7RDR

Ninja spokes! Who knew? Must have been stainless steel.

Highcad

I hit an owl at night. It was dark but I had good lights. I was bombing down a trail about 20+mph and came around a corner. He was on the trail (eating something?) and took off...it's feathers/wing hit me in the face -not bad at all - could have been much worse. A bat hit me in the face at night too.

Troul 

Whooo would've thought an owl would be out after curfew?

Did that make you ride batty afterwards or more astute of your surroundings?

rsbob 

Was Mtn biking with my then black lab up in heavy forest. We were heading down one of my favorite single tracks at 15 when on my right I heard, but could not see, a tremendous crashing through the brush on my right. I immediately knew it was a black bear. The fork of the trail was heading right to the sound. I stopped the dog and I pedaled as hard and fast back up the trail as possible until the noise receded. We never saw or smelled one another and luckily the dog was oblivious. If I was wearing earbuds, it might have become dicey.

Troul 

That happens enough around here that it domesticates you to it... except, instead of it being a bear, it's a drunk stumbling around in the woods trying to find the pathway after urinating on oneself.

SkinGriz

agree. Would have been nice to at least get a few meals of meat out of your run in.

alo

I encounter a lot of dogs. as I approach I sound my horn to chase them away. One dog didn't look, and ran in front of my wheel. My front wheel went straight over the dog. It ran away real fast yelping loudly. It most likely lived, but there is a small chance it had some internal injuries which would cause its death later.

Lazyass

I was riding my motorcycle on a desert highway in Texas along the Mexico border and a crow exploded on my faceshield at over 100mph. No idea how I kept my bike up. That was another near death experience.