Anyone ever hit an animal?

[m.eliza]

So I went out for a quick ride this morning and had some seriously close encounters with local critters. I've always worried about squirrels and chipmunks running into the road in front of me, and today it happened! A cutie little chipmunk darted right in front of my bike, and I couldn't react quickly enough. I'm pretty sure I ran over his little tail! I feel terrible, but couldn't go back. I would have been devastated to find him smooshed on the pavement. there were no guts/blood/fur on my tire, though, and the bump felt small! Is it bad that I didn't go back to check?

Then just a few miles later, I noticed somebody's dog sitting on the right side of the road, so I checked behind me for cars, then moved over to the left to give the dog a nice buffer zone. No luck. The dog pounced at me at the very last possible second as I was passing, and I nearly folded it in half with my front wheel! I managed to miss him by millimeters, but I swear I felt some fur graze my right leg as I passed. Has anyone ever had a scary experience with an animal in your path? I don't think I'm going to be comfortable coasting quickly downhill for a long, long time. I'm paranoid about these little guys now!

[solobiker]

A few years back a friend and I were out riding our road bikes in the country. This poor little squirrel came out from the side of the road and unforutnately my friend ended up running it over with the back tire. She tried to avoid it. The squirrel did die :-( My friend was crying and pleaded with me to get it off the road so it would not be hit by a car too. I was able to find a branch/stick to pick up with and placed in the grass. I never thought that would have happened.

[Trekhawk]

When I lived in the States I swear every squirrel in my area had some sort of death wish. It really did freak me out when they seemed to launch themselves at my front wheel. I never hit one but it sure was close at times. No squirrels in Aust and so far no native animals have felt the urge to tangle with my wheels.

[PamNY]

Squirrels do not behave as you would expect and there is nothing you can do about it. I watch them taunt hawks on a daily basis -- even to the point of trying to enter an occupied hawk nest.

I'm looking for books that explain this phenomenon, and I might eventually contact some experts because it really is fascinating.

I started out with the usual "squirrels are stupid" point of view, but it really is more than that. If I find out anything, I will post it. I doubt if it will help make squirrels or cyclists safer, but it's interesting.

[ivorygorgon]

I ran over a snake on my mountain bike. I was absolutely horrified and cried. DH said he was ok (he was behind me on the trail), but I don't know. I came around a curve and the snake was in the middle of the path, nothing I could do about it. It still bothers me.

[PamNY]

The squirrel is standing up to the hawk the same way I stand up to dogs. And birds' nests are a prime source of predation.

Just gotta be confident in owning the situation. They are rodents, of course, not canids. Rodents are more agressive than canids.

Taunting does the squirrel no good at all -- hawks still catch them, albeit in a different situation from the one in which a squirrel would taunt (typically on a branch, where the redtail can't get them). The squirrels don't own the situation.

I'd be surprised to hear of a squirrel successfully predating a hawk nest simply because redtails are such diligent parents.

[marni]

I have had several squirrels throw themselves through my front wheels with less than spectacular results. I don't think I've ever killed on with the bike although I might have accidentally stepped on dazed squirrel while picking myself up off the road.

As for dogs- I ride aggressively, speak aggressively, maintain my line and speed and refuse to be afraid of them so I haven't ever (so far, knock on wood) had any problems and there are a lot of them loose out around where I ride.

every rider and every situation is different and there is good advice in each of the previous postings.

Loose longhorn cattle now- that's a whole different situation.

[eofelis]

I haven't hit a critter, but my SO had a critter hit him!

In July we were doing a night ride. We have Nite Rider lights and have ridden at night quite a bit. We were riding along a country road, very few cars, and had to dodge a dead racoon. I was third in line, SO was in the lead. I looked up ahead just in time to see a big racoon jump out the ditch and bolt across the road and to see my SO and his bike part ways.

I think the racoon just knocked the bike right out from underneath him!

He was knocked out, but no blood. His helmet did it's job. Some nice folks stopped to help. I went with SO in the ambulance. The nice folks helped our friend Jean (who was riding with us) get our bikes home.

He had a concussion and a small brain hemmorage. Bruised shoulder and hip. He wasn't wearing gloves but was so taken by surprise by it that he didn't have time to put his hands out. He doesn't recall anything of it happening.

[pumpkinpony]

Strong leaders hold their ground, and don't swerve. In a dog pack, the leader walks straight through the pack, and the other dogs jump out of the leader's way. Even if the 'follower' dogs were asleep. They wake and scatter. So followers go around and swerve. If you swerve, the dog perceives you as weak. This means the dog is more likely to chase you, the weaker animal.

Interesting. I was out in the country on my mountain bike. A pack of four dogs came up to run along side, bark and growl at me. One decided to 'zag' right in front of me. I have no idea how I didn't crash but I sent him rolling. Maybe he was the leader because he ran off yelping and the others followed. (then the owner came out and started yelling at me, not the dogs - I just kept riding)

[buffybike]

I've run over a squirrel before. It ran off, so it must not have been too bad. Another rider told me to make a loud PSSTTTT!!!! noise (like a snake but in a short burst like a squirt of water) at squirrels who look like they may run in front of you. I do it now and it works every time.

I'll have to try the dog advice next time I get chased. There's a scrappy little mutt that runs after me on one of my routes. I usually yell, 'Go home!"...to no avail. Eventually he gets tired and stops chasing.

[Crankin]

About 8 years ago, DH hit a squirrel going about 40 mph downhill. The squirrel broke half of his fork off. It was amazing he didn't crash and a fellow cyclist noticed the incident from his car and brought my DH and his bike back to the office (it was a lunch time ride).
It took quite a lot of hard work to get the fur and blood off of his bike.

[Zen]

Every time I read this thread title I think "well, I beat my dogs. Does that count?"
Sorry. It was in me and had to come out.

[Thorn]

...snip all the good background information...

Translation. Hold the paceline and yell sharply in short bursts like a big dog warning another to stay away. Act like the leader. But, ignore the dog unless they get interested/excited or are blocking your path. Avoid actually making eye-contact with the dog in any case.

Thanks....probably some of the most logically spelled out advice I've read. Wish I had had this before my Kentucky adventure -- I swear I was there just to exercise the local dogs.

[Aggie_Ama]

I have only hit a few bugs and swallowed a couple (eewwwww). One of the local women I know hit a cotton tail bunny, she said she didn't know if it was injured. I have had a few bunnies run in front of me but none have been hit. I did run over one snake, he slithered off and I was a mess because I hate snakes but don't want to hurt one!

We have several private ranches that are working cattle ranches, talk about easily startled animals. And one day we had to walk across a pasture because some large longhorn cattle were resting comfortably in the trail. I am not going to tell an animal that big he does not have the right of way.

DH and I call the squirrels kamikaze squirrels. They are so unpredictable and we know a few people who have wrecked because of them. Yesterday I had 6 run across me mountain biking. When you are riding alone it makes you feel like they are out to get you! It is interesting to know they have a purpose for being that way.