Texas deer charges into riders

[Dino Sore]

For all of you fearing the mountain lion in Acton, better keep an eye out for the deer as well...
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From cyclingnews.com 11/9/04

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/nov04/nov09news

"Texas based Team Data Pro held an informal training ride last Sunday in the Hill Country near San Antonio, Texas, USA. Out of a brushy area a deer charged across a five foot high fence, and caught two riders in the middle of the group. Matt Seagrave from Austin and Pablo Sollenberger from McKinney were on the receiving end of the deer's fierce tackle. Weighing more than either rider, the deer hit Pablo on the right upper chest bringing him and Matt down. Pablo sustained a broken collarbone, bruises, and some lost skin, while Matt sustained some bruises, and a stiff neck. The deer was apparently unharmed, and barely slowed down."
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This nearly happened to me on a road ride a few years ago; missed by about two feet.

I'm also noticing that on night MTB rides, the deer seem to be adhering to the proverbial "frozen in the headlights" position. I have to make some kind of noise or else it seems I'll run right into them. Is that normal, or are the deer around here just drunk on fermented berries?

[turch]

Deer get stunned by lights not so much because of being mesmerized but because they can't identify a threat associated with the light. The light certainly sets them up light blindness, too. Best to swing the beam away from them and spook them off. BTW, in CT it's against the law to continuously shine lights at deer be it a poaching jacklighters, from a car, bike, etc. You must drop the light.

Oh, and it's hilarious (though kind of sad) to see drunken deer. It's rotting, fermenting apples on the ground. I've seen them staggering, falling down drunk back in my bowhunting days (and no I didn't take one of these).

Regards,
Turch