Cautionary Message

[xeney]

Yikes. I have had to stop and wait for deer and wild turkeys to get out of the way, but the thing I worry about the most is squirrels. Although my husband hit one once and didn't realize it until I told him.

[quint41]

I never considered the turkeys. We have them, too. They don't have a clue about roads and traffic. I stopped traffic on a local road once because a mother turkey with her babies behind stepped right out into the street in front of my car. She didn't care. I also saw a male turkey entertaining a female with a lovely dance right in the middle of an intersection. Traffic whizzing by. I would not want a turkey to step in front of my bike.

This guy who hit the deer told his wife once that if a squirrel runs in front of the bike, just run it over, you'll never feel it. (Not that he's an animal hater, but it's the safer choice than potentially crashing your bike.) Of course, she's having trouble with that idea, but you just proved that he's right!!

[newfsmith]

Right after being hit by cars, hitting a deer is one of my big worries about my commute. I regularly see as many as 20 deer a day on my spring and fall commutes. Fortunately, most of the places I have seen them crossing the road have fair sightlines, but there are a couple downhills that have sharp curves that are a concern both for deer and oncoming cars crossing the centerline. My closest wildlife collision was a turkey that flew across the road about 10 yards in front of me. He dropped out of a roost spot that I hadn't noticed. Visual field full of turkey is quite startling.

[xeney]

Someone we know did go over the handlebars after hitting a squirrel on the bike trail, but I don't know if he tried to brake or what. (When my husband hit one, he wasn't even looking, he was looking back at me.)

[Lise]

A friend of mine got kicked in the head by a deer. He was out riding, deer leapt across the path right in front of him, and the last one whacked my friend in the face with his hoof. Knocked him out and broke his eye socket. He's recovered fine, but imagine...one cm the other way...

Give me the crazy drivers and psycho chihuahuas of the city any day!