Deer

thelawnet

Anyone else have deer disturbing their riding?

Just went out to pick my takeaway through the semi-dark woods, and I startled a young deer on the side of the path, which then ran in front of me. I think there might have been another one in the undergrowth.

Unfortunately I've no light, so I couldn't dazzle it long enough to bag it and take it home for dinner

jay12

never seen one during riding.
mmm.... venison.

Splottboy

Wyre Forest, bout 5 yrs ago. Horses/riders coming down hill to ford/stream crossing, Mtb riders coming other way.

Suddenly, 2 stags, big female deer and two bucks sprinted thro forest, across fire-road then into other side of forest. All over in about 5 seconds! Put the shits up us all!

See them frequently in Bewdley, near golf club..Saw one in woods in Essex once too.

ariteofpassage

Stumble upon them all the time in Northumberland, it's amazing how close you can get to them on a bike before they realise youre there!

Willrideforcake

I have frequent meetings with deer on trails. First time was an early morning raid on Thetford. Just coming to the top of a climb, and there was a deer just standing in the middle of the trail. I stopped, looked at him, he looked back, I nodded, and off he strolled into the forest. About two weeks later I'm cruising the singletrack, when something makes me look over to the right, to find a deer running alongside me through the trees. Fantastic. The scariest one though, was while night riding in advance of last year's Sleepless. Coming down a wide double at my local (Bourne Woods), when I see about a dozen silver discs glowing down the trail - deers' eyes reflect really spookily!

Foxglove

seen one on a trail in swinley forest - was so cute lol

thelawnet

Foxglove wrote:

seen one on a trail in swinley forest - was so cute lol

Yes, saw a few there last time we went, one in the middle of the fire road, and one just off the track.

furby

A friend of mine had a deer jump in front of him from behind some trees when on a trail motorbike. Broke his arm, generally smashing himself up abit and rather making a mess of the front forks, fender, lights and handle bars!

Dangerous things!

paul.skibum

I saw one the other day - ran out in front of me on trail, ran along for a bit then dived off to the side - totally majestic in full flight. Seen them a fair bit before but it had been a while.

Just to point out - its their land not ours if you fall off a motor bike its not the creatures fault you scared it......

furby

thelawnet wrote:

Anyone else have deer disturbing their riding?

Anyone else disturbed deer whislt riding?

Northwind

I've seen a few up near mine, always quite surprising as we're right by the city, always very nice to see. To the farmer they're "****ing big rabbits" but I like 'em.

A mate of mine says "Deer are the most dangerous animals in the hills- you see them and get all distracted, then ride into a tree"

.blitz

Obv. there are loads on the Chase and they move around in fairly big herds. They have fantastic camo and you rarely see them during the day but they come out at twilight. More than one MTBr has collided with them over the years and needless to say the biker usually comes off worse.

bomberesque

bloody deer, wandering onto what are *clearly* mountainbike trails, pooping everywhere and not cleaning up after themselves. Should make them pay road tax and put a reg plate on their fat @rses

etc etc.

Steve Legend

Seen em at Swinley and down in Dorking but the funniest time was a stag in Richmond. There was one right on the path in front of us and my mate said "it's cool, he'll move as we get close to him" and rode off towards the stag.


The stag didn't move but just kinda stood taller and starred straight at him. My mate ended up taking a little detour off the trail. Pissed myself.

dave_hill

I took the following photo on a Sunday morning "metro trek" round Burnley and Nelson. I put this roe deer doe up whilst riding through one of the parks which borders onto fields and woodland beyond. I must have been well downwind of her because she stood like this for ages - which was why I was able to get the photo -



The picture is kind of deceptive as the lens has quite a wide angle - in reality I couldn't have been much more than 20 yards away.

rhext

Came across a whole herd of them (well, several actually, but this one kind of stuck in the mind) on a recent trip across Scotland. A small group of us were cycling along a farm track, enjoying the spectacle of getting on for 100 of them galloping across the nearby field, when all of a sudden someone yelled 'stop'. Just as well he did, because the whole lot suddenly swerved across the front of us and piled across the track exactly where we'd have been had we not pulled up.

One of those moments you remember all your life!

MilitantGraham

I live in the Wyre Forest, work shifts and commute by bike, so I often see them in the middle of the night.
Fallow deer are very graceful and if they see you, but think they might not have been seen, they will stand perfectly still for a couple of minutes before wandering off, giving you a good chance to stop and watch them.
Muntjac are funny looking things, small and dumpy with a fluffy white tail.
There's a white fallow deer around here that I've seen a few times. It's not an albino,it's quite common to get one white deer in a herd.

colt

Had a stag jump out in front of me not three bike lengths away, last wednesday night at cannock.
Surprising how well disc brakes work when you need em!!

Northwind

MilitantGraham wrote:

There's a white fallow deer around here that I've seen a few times. It's not an albino,it's quite common to get one white deer in a herd.

IIRC if you hunt and kill it, you'll become duke of burgundy.