Deer me that was close

[Graydog]

Today I was returning from a long ride into the country to look at a house I'm considering for purchase. The road was very narrow with many hard curves up and down hills. I was moving pretty slow since some of the turns were so hair pin and blind I almost had to put one foot down to make the turn and stay out of the blind on-coming lane. (Music Man you can relate...I was on one of those little single lane pot holed paved trails outside of Hot Springs on the side of a mountain).

Ahead of me on the side of the road I saw a doe grazing. She was standing right in the center of a horseshoe bend in the road. I gassed the bike a couple of times trying to scare her before I got to her. But even when you gas the GZ it isn't much to be afraid of. (Harley would have come in handy!) Horn didn't bother her. She seemed pretty amused and just continued to graze. I decided to pass her slowly and cautiously. Good thing I did. Just as I reached her she decided to leap across the road in front of me. I was moving 5-10mph at the most and still caught her left hoof with my front wheel. No damage to her or the bike but it happened so fast I hate to think what the result would have been had I been going 10-20mph. I don't think that doe will be with us much longer since deer season is here.

Lesson learned. Animal on side of road = slow down, watch, prepare. (Well that might not be the best thing to do if it is a bear!)