Forum menu
Having done the Christmas post as a student has always made me wary of dogs. Mate in Gaborone has around 6 massive boerboels and a skinny bush dog wandering free around his compound. He related how they often found the odd shoe and blood on the wall from intruders and that they didn't train the dogs, they trained each other. You could see, hear and smell the fear on me on the occasions when I entered that place on my own. Oddly, they claimed the bush dog was the most vicious one they had.
Do humans count?
I had forgotten a couple of encounters with 'active' couples, one pair in the dark that made us jump a mile and one in broad daylight who nearly got a front wheel parked in his crack - frightened mrs_oab who nearly went OTB as she grabbed brakes and joined the couple on the floor.....
Jesus, had that often enough, did a RSF ride up near Carlisle years ago, and we rolled past a couple going at it in the back of an estate. They just sort of looked at the three or four of us, all youngish lads, all s****ing, they just grunted (again) and carried on.
Unfortunately, about a minute behind us was a group of about 40, basically everyone else who was riding...
Also caught a couple up on the NYM while we were on an MTB ride, they'd obviously walked up there and decided to take advantage of the isolation. Doubt they were expecting a dozen of us to be riding around up there. They got a round of applause.
It’s all part of the rich tapestry.
Nearly sideswiped a bull that was crossing a downhill sunken lane, it stopped, looked at me and meandered onwards.
Been used as a scratching post by a large horse.
Fended off lots ‘charging’ cattle (quick ermintrude they might have some food lets get there before all the other fat knackers, oh no they’re speeding up, faster, faster)
Removed a stuck lamb from a fence, whist fending off an irate mother.
And for variety have windsurfed with a goose, the local, friendly goose, which used to wander over and cadge some food was about it saw me sailing along, part swam/flew over, climbed on the board nose and sat there while I charged up and down the lake for a good 15 minutes.
And a long, long time ago legged it from a very old lady, a few of us were accidentally riding dirt bikes, very early in the morning, in the new forest we came across a very elderly lady, alone, with surgical stockings, a blue mac and walking stick. She really was in the middle of nowhere, we stopped to see if she was ok, however she did not take well to being politely asked ‘excuse me, but have you escaped from somewhere’ and started hitting us all with her walking stick, so we ran away.
Night-riding in the new forest, rode past a pair of stags in a full locked-horns "fight" with a load of females watching to see who won. We went within about 10 feet of them and they totally ignored us. (little deer, so no massive peril - probably)
I also bunnyhopped a rattlesnake in California - thought it was a stick. Pretty lucky, as I'm shit at hopping
Also in Californa I saw, and didn't recognise, a scary-deathwasp dragging a tarantula off the side of the trail, presumably to fill it full of eggs (only found out after catching another rider who asked me if I'd seen it (was too busy trying to catch him up to look properly & see what it was)) ☹
Out in Verbier when Abigale was 7. Went round a corner on the trail to encounter a herd of cows blocking it. Started to panic after the cow had a sniff at her and then started to scratch the inside of its nostril on the bar end. It was moving the bike about quite a bit. We laugh at it now but she still can't see the funny side
[img] 
[/img]
I quite often accidentally tangle with the boar in the FoD. Without the dogs, they're generally not bothered. The young piglets are very curious creatures though (as in nosey) and I've had several of them follow me down a track like I'm some kind of porcine pied piper. I had to stop and shoo them back to their mother before she took offence.
I've got a Nepal story too - shooting early one morning at Swayambhunath Temple I was nosing around trying to get something different and wriggled through a gap in a roof (this was after the earthquake so some stuff was still wrecked). As I blinked to adjust my eyes to the light I realised I'd popped up in the middle of a very large group of Macaques who all fell silent and turned to look at me. It was like a monkey version of The Slaughtered Lamb. Macaques are pretty vicious animals so I gulped and slowly lowered my head and shoulders back down before they could rip my face off.
Sangliers, wild boar things can be worrying at night when wild camping in France. In the day you're unlikely to see one but if you do there's a chance it will charge and bite. Hang your smelly food up a tree, TJ. 🙂
About ten years ago I was staying in Scotland with DrMrsPJM1974's family. I went out for an evening run and passed by a paddock, with lots of cows in it. I became aware that they were following me, so I stopped to say hello, got my face licked for my trouble and carried on. Upon my return forty-five mins or so later, the cows were still there waiting for me. I maintain that they love nothing more than a really good chat with whoever is passing by.
I've had to rescue sheep more than once and have had very close encounters with deer. Unfortunately, the local woods are a notorious dogging spot, so I've also had an unfortunate run in with perverts dressed up as animals of Farthing Wood.
Just after McMoab at Kirroughtree, I'd run out of food and water so took the road option back while mates went up and did Talnotry.
Pootling along and glanced left. Through the trees was a huge bird gliding along. Golden eagle I'd guess. Maybe a pterodactyl. Either way, silent and menacing and big.
We had two young deer swim across the canal we were canoeing along.
A bear in the Rockies - actually in the Trans Rockies race. Not worried, I was on a tandem so didn’t even have to pedal hard to make sure I was ahead of my wife 🙂
Big hornets in Japan. Now they really are quite scary. Stung once and it was more than enough. A bear too, but we didn’t realise at the time that the black bears are quite nasty there so weren’t as worried as we probably should have been.
Nearly ran over a baby bunny today, when out running. That’s about as exciting as it gets round here, unless you take a dog into a herd of cows. And I don’t have a dog.
I was fishing in the far east then came across a beautiful colourful sea snake in the shallow water (the snake looked like struggling to swim away) I was about to pick it up then my friend quickly shouted at me. Ya, you guess right one bite and I would be dead within a short time.
Hit a badger a couple of years ago, it shot out from the undergrowth across the trail and I hit it. Big OTB for me, badger just carried on its merry way without so much as a squeak! Shared the trail with a roe deer a couple of weeks ago, it was pretty unbothered by my presence and trotted along in front of me for a few hundred metres, lovely 🙂
Loving the stories. Quite a collection.
Looks like Owls are quite a thing in off road riding 🙂
Got attacked by a green woodpecker once on a trail. Just did'nt like for some reason :(.
Saved a Tawny Owl from barbed wire entanglement, but posted a long time ago ( sadly he did'nt make it).
Great stories so far ...... more please.
PS That sheep ^^^^ Looks like a God of Sheeps.
Merlin the big bastard horse showed me that Mrs F doesn’t have a fight or flight mechanism. We were out for a leisurely ride and a lady passed us on a huge horse. Tractor coming the other way and the horse got slightly nervous.
The lady disembarked(?) from the horse as it was very skittish. At this point I’d reached the top of the hill we were ambling up. Mrs F was about a quarter of the way up. Suddenly the horse rears up and the lady loses all control, shouting “Merlin, Merlin NO”!
Massive Merlin ignores her and starts galloping full tilt towards Mrs F. I set off back down the hill and started yelling for Mrs F to get off the bike and in to the nearest field. What does she do? Drops the bike, closes her eyes and attempts to make herself super small by sort of curling in on herself like a hedgehog.
Merlin is still going full tilt towards her. I’m panicking trying to go as fast as I can to get between them. Merlin, the magical bastard, stops dead about six inches from my wife and just nonchalantly starts eating some shrubbery like nothings happened.
"Merlin, the magical bastard"
Lol...
Many many years ago in the 70's, must have been about 10 years old I think, I was out with a mate scooting around town on our bikes (way before mtb's) and we were cutting across an empty car park with him in front. Suddenly he swung 180 degrees and sprinted, but skidded and hit the ground in a heap. It was over in a flash, then he shouted 'there's a tiger!!, there's a tiger!!
I looked over where he was looking and saw a rolled up old swirly black and orange carpet leaning against the bins.
Fast forward 50 years and I am coming down off the hills and climbed over a style by a enclosed field of sheep. The sheep were all looking very worried and in a huddle looking at what I thought was me. I stopped out of curiosity then saw that between me and them was an effing great blank panther stalking the sheep through some short vegetation! It was about 10 metres away but couldn't see me, so I got an amazing look at it until it picked up my scent and slunk out of sight. That night in the tent was tense and it was super dark. I was absolutely bricking it when I went out for a pee!
A few summers ago we walked the GR5 with our dog, camping all the way and having a great time. In the later sections before dropping out of the alps, an afternoon thunderstorm was threatening to break and we were pretty keen to get off the hills. Out of nowhere a gang of those giant shepherd dogs appeared and within seconds we were surrounded. Our collie was pretty savvy and had seen it all before but this time everyone was scared! After a couple of minutes of growling and barking, Madame said 'lets all just sit down, show them we are no threat'. So there we were, 3 of us and six massive dogs sat on a ridge in the southern alps, thunder rolling around and the med just visible in the distance. Not long after the dogs were licking me!, but we weren't sure if they would let us pass. So Madame just picked up our dog, all 20kg of him, and off we went and didn't look back until we were well away.
Oh I've got a few of these, used to spend hours out at night in the middle of nowhere as a teenager, i hated towns then and still do.
First uo, I have had 4 encounters with big cats in the UK. First time, i came around a hairpin bend on top of a mountain and there, on a dry stone wall, sitting on its haunches, was what I can only describe as a puma, about 15 ' away from me. It looked at me for about a second or two, then took off and in one leap cleared the single track road i was on ,over the dry stone wall the other side and was off into the bracken.
Second time was about half a mile from the first encounter, my beagle suddenly went mental and tore off towards a wooded verge. There in the field above was a big cat,drinking from a stone trough. i couldnt see it but i could hear it hissing and growling at the beagle.
Third encounter was whilst out on a bike ride with a mate, a few of you have probably ridden this way too. This was in the forestry near Pelenna, on the other side of the hill to Afan. We were riding along and I had promised him a view of something cool as I had seen some hares running in the distance some time before. We were riding along when out of the forestry , 10' in front of us , shot a big black cat. I mean BIG, not farm moggy size, I'm talking labrador plus a bit.
Fourth time was just a pawprint in a cricket field, the size of my palm with no claw marks. Covered it with a plastic bag of the stuff they use on the wicket (marl?) but it was gone next morning.
Have found weird things like half a terrier stashed in a forest, sheep bones up trees, but that could be general scavengers.
Oh, and someone i know shot one, then took a photo and sent it to me. I had the ohoto examined by the big cat fella, Rick Minter, but his opinion was that it was just a very large domestic cat. This cat was shot whilst this person I know was out shooting foxes during lambing season and this cat was in the fields too.
Just remembered I saw one about 3 years ago too in a local country park, but I smelled it before I saw it, it reeked of catpiss.
You've reminded me of a night camping around Easter 1997 somewhere in Scotland close to a gondola set up (may have been Nevis Range?). Me and some mates from uni hiked into the woods and set up a camp - i remember seeing some Alcan branded mtb course tape for some reason. I was cooking some beans using a tree stump as a windbreak around twilight and a decent sized cat-type animal skirted around the perimeter of our camp. You could tell it wasn't a dog because of the way it walked, but it was too dark to fully make it out.
Had a good one this morning. Running along a dirt road at dawn and I thought a chihuahua was running up to me. Looked all excited with its ears pointed up, so i was getting ready to greet it. Suddenly it turned 90 degrees to the right and scarpered ... turning into a hare as it did so!
FLP has happened a few times for me.
Face Level Pheasant spooked in a hedge as I ride past!
I used to take the dog out along an unlit track near here last thing at night. No streetlights, little by way of ambient light apart from the glow over Leeds and Manchester on the horizons in front and behind. Track is lined either side with drystone walls with grazing/silage fields left and right.
The kids used to marvel that I didn't take a torch with me, but I explained that my night vision was better once my eyes had got used to the dark, and in any case I never saw anything frightening up there during the day, so what was there to worry about at night?
One reasonably moonlit evening I was just getting to the first bend, the dog was trotting a few yards ahead, and she stiffened, stopped dead and stared up the track in front of us. Puzzled I strained eyes and ears to see what was spooking her and saw a dark shape shifting towards us, hugging the wall to our right. All I could see was a silhouette that was 70 or so yards away, bigger than a dog, but smaller than a cow or a horse. It was really shifting, and I could hear its feet thundering on the grass at the side of the track. I am not too proud to say that I froze, dry-mouthed and awaited my fate, wondering whether there had been a sudden increase in the number of bears in West Yorkshire.
When it was about fifteen yards away it suddenly turned right and shot through a gate into the field, and as it did so I finally recognised it. It was a bloody Shetland Pony.
I went home to wipe, and since that night have always taken a torch or a lamp with me (to look for foxes, badgers and deer, you'll understand......)
Face Level Pheasant
At one of the shared-use trail centres I was convinced that someone was hiding in the woods, taking pot-shots at us with a Spaniel Cannon.
Ran over a badger. It trundled out of a hedge on a narrow trail and my front wheel went over it's head. Rear wheel went over it's back. It just carried on across the trail.
We have a local 'Badger run' where a crazed badger repeatedly came out of the undergrowth and threw itself under the front wheel of our bikes on a rapid downhill. Friend has been OTB twice and we've all had near misses.
Bats seem to practice getting as close as they can. You tend not to notice when they're circling you, but amazing to watch them swooping time and again at one of your riding mates.
Hit an adder in Surrey. My friend hit it first riding right across it's back (was coiled up in the middle of a dusty trail). I followed and caught an edge. It didn't move so assume my friend did it in on his pass.
Descended an open field accompanied by a herd of red deer. That was amazing. We spooked them so they ran towards cover at the bottom of the field, where we were headed. It felt like being in a documentary, riding parallel with running deer. They leapt the fence at the end. We had to stop for the style.
These close encounters are some of the best things about MTB. Loving the stories.
I went out riding with my son a couple of weekends ago and the route took us around the canal and basin and the Barge & Barrel pub in Elland ( for the locals on here ) where this a big grumpy swan . It had previously been a bit of a mardy git and, once again, it came swimming across with it’s one massive foot paddling like a wrong un. I overtook my son, and warned him that it’s got an attitude problem. When I looked back, it had got out of the water and was squaring up to my lad, wings out like it was right hench. I could do nothing other than laugh at my supposedly tough lad shaking his orange five at a swan as cars drove past. Street. Cred.
Also chased a badger down stubbings and nearly landed on a squirrel casing a jump at Leeds Bike Park.
Rabbits. They want to die. I was the second rider to run over one poor sod and had to put it out of its misery using my bike frame. It was a bivvy trip and it got peeled and roasted that evening. The mystery was that it saw us from about 200m away whilst sitting safely in a field and ran at full pelt to its death trying to 'evade' us. Ran over several since but mostly glancing blows.
Deer. A pal was taken out by a leaping deer when we were in a sunken lane. Huge stag, absolutely flattened him, smashed his helmet, he was properly dazed and bruised. He never quite got over that incident and it was a major contribution to having to have his hip replaced! Could have been any of us.
I came across a black bear on a rocky descent in Whistler, I retreated quickly.
Hit loads and loads of bats & badgers (tough sods, they barely flinch) and once hit a black cow in a narrow trail at night, basically a soft hot wall, it didn't seem that bothered.
Years and years ago me and a mate were riding downhill along this bridleway going pretty quick, then all of a sudden he yells and starts braking - I'm like wooow what you stopping for!?!? then next thing he's stacked his bike into the stingers! I pull up along side him and there's a mangled rabbit writhing around and squealing. It had run through his front wheel and then somehow got caught in the set. horrible. that was find a rock pretty quickly.
Back before Whistler imposed bear proof bins on everyone, the town was riddled with 200kg bin-diving fur balls. @lister, our mate and I were riding along the track from the Boot Pub into town one evening at reasonable speed. Came around a corner to find a bear stood in the middle of the track feet from us. We screeched to a halt, the bear looked at us, startled and thankfully turned around and scarpered off down the trail. We did the same, but in the opposite direction.
That’s true that is. Bears are massive!
Me, Mrs Devbrix and my three kids (9, 11 and 12) were chased by a juvenile bull elephant. We were walking and wildlife spotting in a forest Kerala in India with a local guide. He suddenly became very anxious and told us to wait whilst he cautiously moved forward through the trees. He suddenly jumped up and screamed “RUN!!!”. There was an almighty commotion of trees and bushes being thrashed and we all legged it (with me trying to make sure the kids were keeping up) through the trees and hid behind a massive tree about 200m away all panting like mad. My son turned to me and said ‘Dad are we going to die?’! Fortunately, everything seemed to be OK, the commotion had gone and the guide eventually found us and we cautiously made our way back.
Some years later I watched a documentary about the very forest we were in. Apparently, poachers had killed all the mature bull elephants and the juveniles had become delinquent without role models and the older bulls to keep them in check and they had started to kill the female elephants. It was a massively dangerous problem for humans too - not that that had stopped the local guides taking tourists in to the forest!
I came across a black bear on a rocky descent in Whistler, I retreated quickly.
I'm not surprised. Probably didn't even have time to apologise and wipe it off.
I've had a couple, both on Layhams Road which I'm sure the S London cyclists here will know. The first was heading south, with a mate, and we noticed a group of frisky looking young cattle in the field to our left. Just as we passed the field gate, one of the cattle ran straight at it and leapt over, race horse style. It was, frankly, jaw dropping. Needless to say, we got some sprint training that day.
Another time, this time heading north I came across a young loose horse, being followed by a teenage girl riding behind who had dropped it's lead(?). Every time she got closer, it sped up. We managed to get past the crossroads unharmed, and carried along the road,gathering a large tailback behind. As we reached Layhams farm, I decided to unfurl my cape, caught up with the horse and slowly pull across to it. As soon as I caught hold of the lead it stopped, and stood on my toes.
I was riding through some overgrown stuff in thetford forest when i heard a hiss, and thought it was a rear puncture. I looked to see an adder
Also there, I sat up a tree for an hour or 2 waiting to see some badgers emerge but they didnt come out, so i started to ride home in the moonlight. Suddenly a badger ran across the trail like it was trying to torpedo my front wheel
Had another ride there when a spaniel emerged from the trailside vegetation suddenly and caught a paw in the front wheel. I heard a yelp as I went by
Interesting about the nepalese snake superstitions. I was riding my dirtbike on singletrack in north thailand when I ran over the biggest python I have ever seen in the wild. I stopped to see if it was ok but it had disappeared. Anyway, I was riding the same track later, and at the same place, my foot slipped off the pegs and twisted on a tree root, ripping my ACL
That something was a bat – which promptly flew straight into my head!
This, but while cycling home from work through the woods one night. I think it was fine.
Rabbits. They want to die. I was the second rider to run over one poor sod and had to put it out of its misery using my bike frame.
Me and a mate were on a night ride and came out of a bit of bridleway to a road crossing. There was a car coming along the road so we had to wait and as the car passed us a rabbit ran out in front of it and got royally squashed. But only its back legs, and as the car merrily continued we were left picking out the appalling sight of this squealing bunny trying to drag its useless rear half off the road.
"We can't leave it like that" I said, to which my mate delivered the stinger line "I agree. I'll hold your bike"
It was easy to catch it, which I did with the intention of wringing it's neck but as I picked it up it suddenly occurred that I'd never done this, had no idea what to do, and was now concerned that the next car along the road would soon be on the phone to the police "There's two blokes in the woods dressed in lycra, covered in blood and holding two halves of a rabbit!"
So I smashed its head in on a gatepost and left it for the foxes.
That bit of track is now forever known as dead bunny crossing.