Badgers...

bartimaeus
bartimaeus Posts: 1,812
edited March 2012 in MTB general
...are like buses - you don't see one for ages and then two turn up at the same time. I haven't seen a badger since the summer, but tonight I saw two - the first of which nearly collided with me as it tried to cross the path... it ended up running alongside my front wheel for 10m before getting ahead and making a break for the bushes.

Not much else to be seen - no deer and no owls tonight, but plenty of rustling in undergrowth and some VERY loud pheasants.

Well pleased with tonight's adventure - I do love night riding!
Vitus Sentier VR+ (2018) GT Grade AL 105 (2016)
Giant Anthem X4 (2010) GT Avalanche 1.0 (2010)
Kingley Vale and QECP Trail Collective - QECP Trail Building

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Only badgers I see are dead ones, but I don't do night rides.

    Convinced it's farmers who kill them and dump them on the road to blame drivers.

    Mushrooms.
  • miss notax
    miss notax Posts: 2,572
    Lots of wildlife in the forest tonight, but sadly no badgers! Lots of ponies, deer and something that sounded like it should be living in rainforest (my vote was a lemur - although I accept this is quite unlikely in the New Forest :wink: ) :lol:

    We did see a little owl (apparently that's actually their name) last week, hopping about in the undergrowth, which was amazing to see :D
    Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....

    Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!

    Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc
  • bartimaeus
    bartimaeus Posts: 1,812
    miss notax wrote:
    We did see a little owl... :D
    Good spot!
    little%20owl%204844_RT8%20peekaboo%20lw.jpg
    Vitus Sentier VR+ (2018) GT Grade AL 105 (2016)
    Giant Anthem X4 (2010) GT Avalanche 1.0 (2010)
    Kingley Vale and QECP Trail Collective - QECP Trail Building
  • Giraffoto
    Giraffoto Posts: 2,078
    I have to agree that most badgers I see are dead on the roads - particularly sad this time of year when the youngsters are turning up amongst them. I mainly see deer and foxes in the woods at night, plus the odd bunny - I've only seen badgers a couple of times
    Specialized Roubaix Elite 2015
    XM-057 rigid 29er
  • RevellRider
    RevellRider Posts: 1,794
    deadkenny wrote:
    Only badgers I see are dead ones, but I don't do night rides.

    Same here.

    I usually notice birds more than animals running around under foot. There was a couple of buzzards circling overhead on my last ride the other week
    Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Epsilon.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    What your roughly saying though is, a badger over took on the trail!! thats poor show my friend :P
  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    deadkenny wrote:
    Mushrooms.
    +1
    I love horses, best of all the animals. I love horses, they're my friends.

    Strava
  • .blitz
    .blitz Posts: 6,197
    A random grey furball fell from a branch right in front of my face the other night, I barely had time to flinch. It gave a little groan as it bounced off the top tube and I felt it brush against my leg as it fell.

    Have heard quite a few things being killed in the woods this year I know it's nature and all that but hearing something fighting for its life is pretty grim. Remember there's nothing there at night that isn't there during the day except it's awake and hungry.
  • angry_bird
    angry_bird Posts: 3,786
    Badgers?
    Angry Bird's offroad bikes
    Winter
    Racey
    Special Favourite

    If in doubt, blame Wiggle.
  • jehosophat
    jehosophat Posts: 108
    I see the odd badger. They often trundle along slowly right in my way, they might as well be saying "not bovvered" for all the concern they show about a bike on their tail.

    I hear loads of tawny owls too, and have started shining the head torch up a bit into likely trees on the edges of safer sections - plenty of tawnies sit there a few metres off the ground.

    Deer are everywhere around here - one very nearly had me off the other day, in daylight...
  • 1mancity2
    1mancity2 Posts: 2,355
    No badgers but, do get lots of owls and foxs around were we live/ride, deer are sometimes spotted but not often.
    Finished, Check out my custom Giant Reign 2010
    Dirt Jumper Dmr Sidekick2
  • bartimaeus
    bartimaeus Posts: 1,812
    Thewaylander wrote:
    What your roughly saying though is, a badger over took on the trail!! thats poor show my friend :P
    Maybe... but I don't think it's a good idea to race the wildlife as the 'best case' outcome is that you can claim to have scalped a badger.
    Vitus Sentier VR+ (2018) GT Grade AL 105 (2016)
    Giant Anthem X4 (2010) GT Avalanche 1.0 (2010)
    Kingley Vale and QECP Trail Collective - QECP Trail Building
  • sloppycowpat
    sloppycowpat Posts: 349
    there was a fox in my garden last night and a sparrow hawk this morning
    worst moment ever...
    buzzing down twisting single track then.... psssst BANG!!!
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Bartimaeus wrote:
    Thewaylander wrote:
    What your roughly saying though is, a badger over took on the trail!! thats poor show my friend :P
    Maybe... but I don't think it's a good idea to race the wildlife as the 'best case' outcome is that you can claim to have scalped a badger.

    Worst case a badger nailed you up :P
  • Nick Cod
    Nick Cod Posts: 321
    Never seen any out on the ride

    Pleanty of buzzards, deer, foxes, owls and the odd bat in the warmer months.
    2016 Cube Agree C:62 SLT DISC
    2013 Cayo Evo 3
    2013 Zesty 414
    2002 Avalanche 0.0
    2018 Vitus Substance v2 105 Gravel
  • Chalky76
    Chalky76 Posts: 260
    we get a lot of Muntjac's at our local woods, not as big as a normal deer but big enough to cause concern when they leap out in front of you! Saw three owls the other night all sat on a branch together, that was quite cool.
    ride your bike like a kid whilst you still can

    Transition Blindside = http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceychalk/5335403095/
  • tenfoot
    tenfoot Posts: 226
    Had the same a few months back on a nightride.

    We went along a piece of singletrack and a badger jumped out and ran along in front of us and disappeared.

    On the way back, same piece of single track but in the opposite direction, same thing happened.

    Weird - haven't seen it since.

    We did ride past someone's watch (presumably) beeping in the undergrowth last night. We had a look around but couldn't find it, as it stopped. Just hope there wasn't a body attached to it.
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    Dear is the biggest problem for me - they run in random directions which sometimes includes directly at you. Also quite a few doggers and cottagers out at night too.
    Guide to cheap bike lights Turbo Trainer Vids Play list
    Stretching & Workout Vids
  • pilch
    pilch Posts: 1,136
    Never seen any badgers, despite one of our local rides going over the top of an established set... but my mate lives on a narrow boat and his neighbour is an otter - does that count?
    A berm? were you expecting one?

    29er race

    29er bouncer
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Do beavers count?
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Not being the Crud, I'll resist it.

    Anyway, weekdays are interesting for wildlife. Very few people about and find a lot more wildlife about than the weekend. Mainly deer. Other day hurtling along, and round nearly each corner there's a load of rustling and a deer blots off, thankfully not into my path though I've had that before with the thing jumping about in front of me trying to work out how to get away. A lot of squirrels dashing across the trails too. Only run over a squirrel once.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    I had a pigeon (try and) fly through the front wheel of a motorcycle once. Very messy.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • jehosophat
    jehosophat Posts: 108
    Yes, weekday riding is the best, some more "working form home" than usual recently has been great! That was when I had my deer incident last week, I startled it along a fast bit of singletrack and it ran in the thin strip of woods alongside the path for a while before ignoring the field to the left and deciding it's best course of action was to cross the path in front of me then stop right in my way. Brown trouser moment...

    I am convinced a rabbit is going to have me off the bike some time, they are always bolting back across my path, if you hit one with the bike leaned over I am sure it would be trouble...
  • snotty badger
    snotty badger Posts: 1,593
    I got quite up close to a red squirrel on my way back from Whinlatter today, I like seeing the red ones- death to all greys!
    08 Pitch Pro
    14 Kona Unit
    Kona Kula SS
    Trailstar SS
    94 Univega Alpina 5.3
  • diy
    diy Posts: 6,473
    pilch wrote:
    Never seen any badgers, despite one of our local rides going over the top of an established set... but my mate lives on a narrow boat and his neighbour is an otter - does that count?

    Be careful with that as you could get prosecuted - its a criminal offence.
    Guide to cheap bike lights Turbo Trainer Vids Play list
    Stretching & Workout Vids
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Badgers set up home under an established jump round this way. Mountain bikers got the blame for it with even the police involved (not specifically to do with the badgers but that was part of it and in the press coverage).

Categories