CRITTERS!

Here in the southwest -

Quail, rabbits, the occasional squirrel and quite often coyote. I don't worry if there is just a single one but if there are 3 of them, I keep a close eye and change my direction. They are pretty much scavengers though but I don't take the chance!

Out riding I've seen snakes and bobcats. Up in the mountains we see lots of deer!

When I lived in the Keys we used to have land crabs. Normally it was only a few, but during mating season they were EVERYWHERE. I can't tell you how many times I've had to dodge them on my bike (dead ones and live ones). The one thing I never got used to is that I would run in the morning when it was still dark and the path I ran on had grass on one side and jungle on the other. They'd go out to scavenge on the grass and when I'd get close, they'd freak out an run across the path right in front of me claw extended. They were big ugly suckers too, with the top of their outreached claw (which was the size of my hand) reaching at least a foot. So I did many a terrified hurdles when one would bolt in front of me out of nowhere. I never got used to it.





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Deer are my biggest concern, but I have also encountered rabbits, snakes, turkeys, chickens, pheasants, cattle, horses, and a lone scorpion. There was also the time someone in our group was charged by a bull.

Recently it has been hogs and bobcats and iguanas and alligators. And the assortment of rabbits, turtles, armadillos, raccoons and such.

Just yesterday I had to dodge a porcupine on my bike.

Lots of rabbits, turkeys, deer, fox, a massasauga rattlesnake, turtles, lots of horse farms in my area too.



Edited by DaveL 2016-06-22 1:54 PM






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Gators and Turtles are most interesting ones

Could have been an ad for a puncture proof tire!


I haven't seen anything that hasn't been mentioned, though one time I stopped as there were deer on the trail and one of them (a small buck) turned and walked towards me. He probably got within 4 feet of me before he decided that was too close and fled with the other two.

I've seen numerous squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and deer. Not quite so many hawks, raccoons, turtles, or snakes.

J White

Around here we get the usual assortment of squirrels, deer and lots of birds. I see turkey vultures almost daily and recently wild turkeys. Just last week I ran across a juvenile fox just standing in the road. He scurried off pretty quickly.

However my biggest critter encounter was man made. For some unknown reason some j@cka$$ decided it was a good idea to move his bee hives (the ones in the big white boxes) to the roadside to smoke out the bees. I come around a corner and there is this huge mass of bees just hanging over the street. Fortunately when they are smoked out they are not particularly angry. I managed to swing by without any engagement but it sure was a very uncomfortable time.

I remember seeing those big crabs going across the road in the Keys. Lots and lots of them. Never got to see the elusive key deer though.
Here it's rabbits, does, gators, tortoises, cranes, armadillos, herons, anhingas, cardinals, raccoons and squirrels.

I usually see all kinds of animals out on my runs and bike rides.

Seen coyotes, foxes, deer, owls (which attacked me once and left my bald head bleeding on a 4:00 AM run), horses, cows, beavers, hawks, and snakes.

I have taken my GoPro camera on runs and rides but never see anything interesting. The days I leave it at home is when I see the coolest things on my rides or runs.

Almost hit a deer last week riding.

Today a guy on our group ride got hit by a bird.

I had to stop to let a skunk go by on my run today.

Almost ran over (while biking and running) fox, snake, porcupine, other assorted woodland creatures.

Coyotes and deer. I have seen 4 adults and 8 coyote pups at a den that I discovered this year. The last time I was there this deer was very close to the den.

Edited by donw 2016-06-24 6:42 AM








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