Animals!

[pdedse]

With all the extra time at home and normal activities interrupted, I'm interested in some MC stories. The ferret's recent post about where he rides and animals he regularly sees intrigued me.

What's the top animal you've encountered while riding a motorcycle? A quick encounter of something exotic, a top five list, a personal mc story involving an animal while riding. I'm in the mood for some stories.


Post: #32 from RE: Uphill battle....not!

 

[Rocky_imp]

Around here it would be deer - although I had an arms length close encounter with a moose years ago on Cape Breton Island.
It was an early September morning and I was riding east with the sun just up over the horizon. The sun was blinding so I rode slowly at around 30 mph and was using the center line as a guide until I got to a curve away from the sun.
The next thing I knew I heard the clippity clop of hooves running on pavement. From out of nowhere a moose was running beside me at the same pace. I could have reached out and touched it. Let me tell you, you have no idea how big a moose is until it's that close!
I hit the brakes and let the moose run on. When it was far enough ahead it looked back and then crossed the road and into the woods at a full gallop. I can only assume the moose was standing beside the road wanting to cross and when I got too close it panicked and jumped onto the road, but not into me, and ran alongside.
All this happened in a few seconds and was so surreal I could hardly believe it.

The night before I took an evening ride on the Trail from my campsite and came face-to-face with a huge bull moose around a curve near the highlands plateau where they live. The moose was just standing there in the middle of the road looking at me and I was prepared to make a hasty U-turn if it moved towards me.
We looked at each other for a while and then it rambled off into the woods - and in no hurry to get there

 

[Gone in 60]

About five years ago, my commute was through a twisty two-lane road. Came around a bend and a coyote just started running across the road in front of me. Due to my speed and closing distance best I could do was drift toward where he came from to give more distance between us.

I clipped some part of his back end, ripping the front half of my front fender off of my Bonneville but I stayed on course and I saw the poor pup run into the woods. The fender smacked my left hand as it went up over the bike.

I find it ironic that that bike is now having the front fender replaced again following my recent incident.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

We have frequent deer encounters here. I had one on the interstate (of all places) a few years ago. It was dusk, and I was cruising up I-70 in the middle lane, with little traffic around me. I glanced down at my speedometer, then looked up only to see a huge deer running across all lanes. How I missed him is a miracle - he ran right past my front wheel (I was doing about 70 mph). Huge pucker factor!

A few years earlier. I was riding in the mountains, came around a curve, and there was a bear cub in my lane, waddling towards the shoulder. I knew better than to stop and watch because mama probably wasn’t too far behind.

In 2015, coming home from the Black Hills, I came over a rise in Custer State Park at about 50 mph only to see a HUGE bison standing in my lane about 40 feet ahead of me. I braked hard and sat there for a few seconds to watch him, then quickly went around him and continued on. He was massive.

Which brings me to one last story: years ago, riding along Hwy 50 in Nevada (where you can see for miles), I came over a hill and noticed something in the road about two miles in the distance. By the time I reached it, I discovered it was a massive herd of cattle, just standing there. I had to slowly pick my way through the mob, weaving to and fro, to get through. We have “Open Range” warning signs in the west — I quickly realized I should pay attention to them.

 

[Bheezy27403_imp]

About five years ago, my commute was through a twisty two-lane road. Came around a bend and a coyote just started running across the road in front of me. Due to my speed and closing distance best I could do was drift toward where he came from to give more distance between us.

I clipped some part of his back end, ripping the front half of my front fender off of my Bonneville but I stayed on course and I saw the poor pup run into the woods. The fender smacked my left hand as it went up over the bike.

I find it ironic that that bike is now having the front fender replaced again following my recent incident.

Perhaps consider removing the front fender. That's a trend right now, correct?

My most exotic creature hit was a wild turkey. My friend trumps me with his brown bear strike.

 

[Gone in 60]

Years ago, when I had a VTX 1800, there was a post on the VTX forum from a guy who ride THROUGH a cow. Literally rode through a cow, came out the other side, upright and rolling. Mind you, a fully laden 1800 is practically a 1000 pound knife.

His description of the experience and his condition upon emerging was incredible.

 

[the Ferret]

From today's ride lol

Black headed vultures on a deer carcass. If the carcass had been in the road so would the vultures. Black headed ones are slow to move and hop along before taking off. I've had a lot of near misses on them

Mallard ducks and white geese. I've also had Canada geese cross in front of me. They all expect you to stop

Squirrel. you never know if they are going to sit still, run left or run right or start left then run right lol

Pics I missed today.. red headed or Turkey vulture on some kind of carcass, a coon walking in the road , a fresh killed skunk in the right tire track (didn't get the camera up in time for those)

Also have had cats, chipmunks, ground hogs and coyotes cross in front of me at times. Oh yea forgot the bear o the BRP and the Bison in Yellowstone, and the Mt Goat in Bryce Canyon.

 

[pdedse]

We have frequent deer encounters here. I had one on the interstate (of all places) a few years ago. It was dusk, and I was cruising up I-70 in the middle lane, with little traffic around me. I glanced down at my speedometer, then looked up only to see a huge deer running across all lanes. How I missed him is a miracle - he ran right past my front wheel (I was doing about 70 mph). Huge pucker factor!

A few years earlier. I was riding in the mountains, came around a curve, and there was a bear cub in my lane, waddling towards the shoulder. I knew better than to stop and watch because mama probably wasn’t too far behind.

In 2015, coming home from the Black Hills, I came over a rise in Custer State Park at about 50 mph only to see a HUGE bison standing in my lane about 40 feet ahead of me. I braked hard and sat there for a few seconds to watch him, then quickly went around him and continued on. He was massive.

Which brings me to one last story: years ago, riding along Hwy 50 in Nevada (where you can see for miles), I came over a hill and noticed something in the road about two miles in the distance. By the time I reached it, I discovered it was a massive herd of cattle, just standing there. I had to slowly pick my way through the mob, weaving to and fro, to get through. We have “Open Range” warning signs in the west — I quickly realized I should pay attention to them.

Wow. Went through Yellowstone 2 summers ago and the buffalo seemed massive next to our decently sized Honda Pilot. I cannot imagine the feeling of a buffalo next to me on a mc.

 

[Labrador12_imp]

I've avoided deer, moose, caribou, bison, wolves, black and brown bears, lynx, coyotes and vast quantities of flying creatures in my road adventures. I think the worst thing that ever happened to me was pulling off the Yellow head Highway in Canada for gas on my GT 750 , when my front tire dropped into loose stones at about 60mph. I didn't drop my bike but I was just stunned. I couldn't believe that a mc trap like that was in existence. My gizzard was loose. I've always been a fortunate guy. I've dumped, but I've never broken anything.

 

[pdedse]

Good grief, some of you have seen some crazy animals. I've only spotted deer from a distance, thankfully. The one exception...

I was riding on my Sportster in southern Washington, through tall forests, just starting to pass some houses built neatly among the trees when I noticed some movement off to my left. There was about a 10' high chain link fence and on the other side of the fence, there was a small herd of elk, I'd estimate about 12-14 of them. Big beautiful beasts they were, and they were all running right next to the fence--safely on the other side. I slowed my speed to theirs and so we "rode" together for about 200 yards, me just looking at the way the trotted along. I thought maybe I was spooking them, so I slowed and let them get 20 yards ahead of me and I tailed them a bit more, fascinated.

Then all of a suddent the chain link fence that was keeping them safely from me ended, and as soon as it did, they all bounded right across the road, just 10 yards in front of me as I came to a stop. They kind of looked at me, but fortunately they kept on going, except the smallest of the group lost his footing on the pavement and did some slipping and sliding, moves I didn't know elk could do. But he recovered and they bolted deep into the forest.

Such massive creatures!

 

[zirconxi_imp]

My riding route is common to see (in frequent most order)
1) Cows roaming and sleeping on road. Cow accident which kill driver and the cow involved is quite common.
2) snakes crossing road (Once tried to bite me thru boot, luckily boot is thicker than its fang)
3) monkeys. (mostly asking for food)
4) lizard the size of crocodile.
Once i rode over a lizard and the bike fork bottom out and go into tank slap due to the lizard size. But luckily the bike keep rolling after the tank slap.
Nothing exotic as most road I rode are near to civilization.

 

[the Ferret]

" nothing exotic" :rofl:

 

[Cormanus]

Echidna, lizards, cattle, deer, sheep, a wombat, goats, kangaroo, emu, snakes

I ran over a snake's tail one day. When I looked in the mirror it was dancing around on the road and, if it had had one, would have been shaking its fist at me.

Wild horses

 

[redbirds_imp]

This past winter I think all the vultures in North America decided to migrate to Georgia and take advantage of our abundant roadkill. The Turkey Vultures being the worst as they always takeoff into your travel lane.

 

[peterbaron]

The only serious and deadly animal encounter I had with were: mosquitoes, bugs and one small bird..

 

[Rocky_imp]

I've been hit by two small birds and a near miss with a seagull.
One bird hit me in the helmet and really knocked my head sideways. I was at highway speed and it was a hard impact from such a small bird.
The other one flew into me and hit me in the thigh - again at highway speed. Man, did that hurt!

I was cruising along the coast at a good clip and came upon a bunch of seagulls by the side of the road. They all took off away from the road, but suddenly one flew right in front of me and I was approaching it very quickly. In a few seconds we had closed to within a few feet when I hit the brakes and let it fly away.
I had a very good view of the tail end of a seagull

 

[Inhouse Bob]

I ran over a snake's tail one day. When I looked in the mirror it was dancing around on the road and, if it had had one, would have been shaking its fist at me.

Wild horses

You might remember that I took out a cockatoo while we were riding together. Huge explosion of white feathers and a dent in the aluminum pannier. I felt really bad about the bird.

 

[the Ferret]

We had a huge Timber Rattler laying in the middle of the BRP strike at us as went past one year. Just laid there in the middle of the road and stuck at every motorcycle in our group of 4 that went past.

 

[pdedse]

My riding route is common to see (in frequent most order)
1) Cows roaming and sleeping on road. Cow accident which kill driver and the cow involved is quite common.
2) snakes crossing road (Once tried to bite me thru boot, luckily boot is thicker than its fang)
3) monkeys. (mostly asking for food)
4) lizard the size of crocodile.
Once i rode over a lizard and the bike fork bottom out and go into tank slap due to the lizard size. But luckily the bike keep rolling after the tank slap.
Nothing exotic as most road I rode are near to civilization.

Oh! Snakes! Thanks for the reminder, I forgot a couple...

1. on my honda cgl125 in Costa Rica... a house I stay at from time to time is about 1km off the paved road, and the dirt/rock road quickly takes one into the thick of the jungle. I surprised a 2' long fer-de-lance coming around a curve and he lept up at my my right foot and bare leg (nope, no ATGATT, way too hot, way too humid), and took a swipe, but I kinda felt/saw it coming and had lifted my foot off the peg, raised in the air. A quick hit on the gas and I was by him, but that woke me up.

2. Army Ants!! On the same road as above. I'm told when these guys visit your house, leave for a day or two, come back to bug-free house...and free of anything else you leave out. I followed their trail about 10meters each side of the forest road, maybe 5-8" wide...frenetic, crazy, boiling river of ants!

This is my video from time, see if the link still works: ANTS!

David Janzen's Costa Rican Natural History says....

"Colonies are large...thirty thousand to to more than one million...soldiers are 9-14 mm long and possess large hook-shaped mandibles...almost exclusively carnivorous...forage in columns...entire colonies migrate...one queen is found in each colony...spectacular raids...starting at dawn, the ants pour out of their bivouac but soon concentrate in one direction...comparable to a wolf pack, an army ant swarm raid is the epitome of group predation...emigrations may continue for 3-9 hours...most emigrations are 50-70 meters long..."

Love those guys!

And I miss my little tropical ride, the cgl...

Echidna, lizards, cattle, deer, sheep, a wombat, goats, kangaroo, emu, snakes


I ran over a snake's tail one day. When I looked in the mirror it was dancing around on the road and, if it had had one, would have been shaking its fist at me.

Wild horses

Had to look it up! What a cutie.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

I like your 125. The ants, not so much.