Wildlife a problem in Texas?

[mainerider]

Up here in Maine (even in my southern Maine which is more urbanized), the deer and moose are a constant problem; especially the moose.  More deer but at least they usually only appear at dawn and dusk; the juvenile moose are even dumber than the adults ( and they're not exactly Mensa members either   ) and they can stroll out into the road at anytime. In the last week, one biker popped a moose mid-day on the interstate (biker died and moose finished off by state trooper) and one biker popped a deer at dawn (deer dead, biker in bad shape). We lose people here every year ( both in cars and on bikes) to moose; they have long legs and carry all their weight right up at windshield height.  So, similar dangers in MOOT land?

[rjb/AKA Bob Barram]

Even around the metro areas you occasionally see dead deer on the side of the road because so much housing is encrouching on their habitat. Around MOOTMAG this year we had two near misses with dear but that was in the hill country and to be expected. I find the birds soaring at you a problem as well.
Don't get Greg started but there is the squirrel story.

[Magnum Magna]

I was on a residential street doing about 15 and had a squirrel that was watching me from the curb and ran under the bike between the wheels. Sometimes I wonder what goes through a squirrels mind, is it a game because I have had many squirrels run under the truck and make it out the other side and I was doing 40 at the fastest time one ran under me and made out the other side.

[DC Smith]

We ain't got no mooses down here.

[Greg Cothern]

Well there was this one time this BIG squirrel hehehe OK Bob I will stop LoL.
We have some good size deer around the hill country we had to watch for when at MOOTMag, as well as the Turkey Buzzards (coming around a corner and seen a momma deer and her fawn then a Turkey buzzard just a bit further around the corner flys out in front me, had to brake a bit to keep from running into him LoL).
I believe the Squirrel story is on the forum here somewhere LoL.

[Magnum Magna]

To keep my squirrel story strait I copied and pasted it.  You got to keep them stores strait you know.

[Curtis_Valk]

We ain't got no mooses down here.

HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!  That was good.  I'm glad I wasn't eating anything when I read that!

Curtis

[ThomasMagna]

Greg mentioned turkey buzzards, which we have here. Not so much a problem in my area. Up in the Norther Peninsula the eagles have made a great come back. They scavange some of their food like the buzzards do, many get killed trying to take off. They are so big, they lumber into the air like a loaded down B-52. I've not ridden the bike up there yet, but have come very close to smacking more than one while driving the cage.

I think it was last year I posted about my buddy hitting a dove. It pinged off his helmet sending a shower of pinfeathers and down off his head. Sort of looked like a large dandilion having it's seed pods blown off. He didn't know he had hit it until I told him.

[mainerider]

Greg mentioned turkey buzzards, which we have here. Not so much a problem in my area. Up in the Norther Peninsula the eagles have made a great come back. They scavange some of their food like the buzzards do, many get killed trying to take off. They are so big, they lumber into the air like a loaded down B-52. I've not ridden the bike up there yet, but have come very close to smacking more than one while driving the cage.

I think it was last year I posted about my buddy hitting a dove. It pinged off his helmet sending a shower of pinfeathers and down off his head. Sort of looked like a large dandilion having it's seed pods blown off. He didn't know he had hit it until I told him.

Wow! Turkey Buzzards.  At least in Maine we only have to worry about mammals   .  Well, actually, we do have the State Bird to worry about in Springtime; it's called the Black Fly; dressed out they can run 15 to 20 pounds.   Even the Moose run from them...

[merrow]

Yes!
In south Texas we have no moose, but the deer are a big problem.  They are every where including many subdivisions.  They also move about all times of day and night.  Turkey vultures are also everywhere and are very poor flyers.  They are kings of road kill and do not leave it until it is the last minute, then it is too late for them to become airborne.  They regurgitate to defend themselves.  If they break through a car's windshield, the insurance often totals the car because the smell is impossible to remove.  The other big problem is wild pigs.  They are very heavy and built low to the ground.  They will flip a 4 wheeler.  Armadillos are slow and almost blind.  They break open and have been known to cut tires with their shells.  Any thing smaller than that is just too bad.

[mainerider]

Yes!
In south Texas we have no moose, but the deer are a big problem.  They are every where including many subdivisions.  They also move about all times of day and night.  Turkey vultures are also everywhere and are very poor flyers.  They are kings of road kill and do not leave it until it is the last minute, then it is too late for them to become airborne.  They regurgitate to defend themselves.  If they break through a car's windshield, the insurance often totals the car because the smell is impossible to remove.  The other big problem is wild pigs.  They are very heavy and built low to the ground.  They will flip a 4 wheeler.  Armadillos are slow and almost blind.  They break open and have been known to cut tires with their shells.  Any thing smaller than that is just too bad.

OK; You've got us beat! Wild pigs and regurgitating Vultures?  

[Len Averyt]

Sometimes I wonder what goes through a squirrels mind.

If there not careful, the last thing it will be is a tire!  

[Len Averyt]

We ain't got no mooses down here.

I don't know about that! I firmly belive i have encountered several of the two legged type around here!

[ThomasMagna]

Squirrels and other small mamals rush out under moving wheels for the adrenalin rush. That's what I read someplace and think I believe it. Well, I WANT to believe it.

[mainerider]

Squirrels and other small mamals rush out under moving wheels for the adrenalin rush. That's what I read someplace and think I believe it. Well, I WANT to believe it.

It's a risk we all take; when long-time motorcycle safety expert Larry Grodsky was killed by a deer last year in PA it really hit home that keeping a sharp eye out (especially around dawn/dusk) was an absolute necessity.  If it could happen to such an experienced rider as he was ...