I Just stood there in wonderment...

[BigonaBianchi]

...I hav ejust got in from todays loop. As i turned th ecorner on Beggar hill right on front of me on the road was a heard of deer..must have been at least 50+...they were crossing the road from the woods to get to the lake I guess...I stopped and watche din total amazement...they were timid and half the herd stayed on one side while th eother half made it across...for about 2 minutes we all just stood still and watched each other. Then a car came a ruined everything .

But that was the most wonderful thing I have seen on a bike yet.

 

[barq]

That's pretty cool. I've only ever seen them in twos or occasionally threes.

A couple of years ago I was out on my usual evening ride. I was going pretty fast along a bridleway when one shot out from a bush in front of me, ran into a fence the other side of the track and fell over right in my path... I stopped with inches to spare. It was scared but otherwise unharmed. Guess it was one of those moments where having well adjusted brakes really counted!

 

[Globalti]

Deer are becoming an increasing hazard. I've seen many while out on foot in Scotland and had a couple of near-misses on the bike, so I'm wary of them.

During foot & mouth I saw a couple of deer run across farm land, jump a fence and carry on across common land beyond. Meanwhile we were getting bollocked by irate farmers if we even dared stop our cars or bikes on the road.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

...they are wonderful creatures, I could almost touch these, and they were walking slowly...not running. This herd seemed to be all female and young 'uns as I saw no big stags with antlers. It's amazing to think these animals are out there like this, and so close to urban humans who for th emost part have no idea they exist there. I wanted to take a picture but my phone was buried in my rear jacket pocket and I had gloves and inner gloves on...so I just committed it to my memory banks.

 

[marinyork]

I like the story. I used to cycle past where some supposedly lived on a regular basis but I never ever saw one.

 

[yenrod]

>BigonaBianchi


..thought this was about this bit of fluff on that fancy bike with no gear on ! you where on about the other day

 

[alecstilleyedye]

saw some very close to the road on a club run that went through tatton park recently. they're quite majestic creatures.

 

[Greedo]

They are a true hazard. Two jumped over a garden wall once and landed on the road right in front of me about 2 years ago near where I live in Glasgow.

If I had been driving slightly faster the 2 of them would have landed on the windscreen and roof easily. It would have been night night for Mr&Mrs Greedo!

They do taste good though!

Deer are becoming an increasing hazard. I've seen many while out on foot in Scotland and had a couple of near-misses on the bike, so I'm wary of them.

During foot & mouth I saw a couple of deer run across farm land, jump a fence and carry on across common land beyond. Meanwhile we were getting bollocked by irate farmers if we even dared stop our cars or bikes on the road.

 

[Amanda P]

My boring rural commute does have one compensation then. It's quite rare for me not to see a deer, or a badger, or a fox, or a stoat, or a barn owl, or a waxwing, or a flock of redwings... at the very least a rabbit or three.

 

[Maizie]

Phil, that sounds lovely! My commute isn't rural enough for much wildlife, but there is one bit I go along where there is a crow who regularly shouts at me. He sits in the layby, and if I go past on the road he'll caw a bit...but if I go in to the layby (to then continue along the cyclepath next to the road) he'll go bonkers and really really really caw at me and "chase" me out of his layby!

 

[Cranky]

It's not unusual to see them around W Oxon. I've even seen a couple of young ones (still large enough to do some damage though) on the new housing development where I live - one ran straight across the cyclepath in front of me a couple of weeks ago.

I heard on the radio recently that there's an overpopulation of deer at the moment and a cull had been suggested.

 

[Amanda P]

if I go in to the layby (to then continue along the cyclepath next to the road) he'll go bonkers and really really really caw at me and "chase" me out of his layby!

Rooks and crows have quite strong characters. We rescued a rook with smashed wings. He (we called him "he", but even other rooks can't tell until they start breeding) firmly took up residence in the log shed and got most put out when we went in there to fetch logs. We used to put out bread and mealworms and maize and lard for him, and he always used to carry the bread over to the bird bath and carefully dunk it in the water before eating it.

I've got a photo of him somewhere. He was quite a character.

Anyway, why don't you take some bread or something for your crow? You might make friends with it.

 

[Arch]

I like the division among forummers - those who say 'cool' and those who say they are 'a hazard'. I know which side I'm on. I'd rather take my chances with a deer than with a car driven by a moron.

Here's a 'miracle' of nature to ponder. Each year a stag grows antlers and then sheds then. Each year they grow back, with one more set of tines. So each year, the antler buds 'remember' how old the deer is. Well, I think it's clever.

Anyone see Hugh Fiercely-Eatsitall last night, shooting and making the most of a Sika deer? I thought using the suet for the roly poly pudding was inspired - the icing on the cake you might say.

 

[Amanda P]

They are a true hazard.

When I was working in Finland a few years ago, I went to some effort to try and see an elk. Eventually, I saw one half a mile away through a telescope. It wasn't moving and could have been an elk-shaped bush.

Then a couple of days later, a huge bull elk, antlers and all, sauntered out of the woods in front of my truck. I skidded to a halt just in time (gravel road) and it turned and looked condescendingly at me before sauntering on across the road.

And you think a little fallow deer is a hazard! Well, it is, but I don't mind taking the risk to have them around. And they do taste nice...

 

[Arch]

Then a couple of days later, a huge bull elk, antlers and all, sauntered out of the woods in front of my truck. I skidded to a halt just in time (gravel road) and it turned and looked condescendingly at me before sauntering on across the road.

Didn't they use to use elk (or at least, the mass of an elk) to crash test Volvos?