In the past few weeks I have been rolling south to Wolf Lake via the LFT and Burnham Greenway for a quarter century quickie and have had repeated encounters with deer along Eggers Woods and the William Powers Conservation Area (Wolf Lake.) Yesterday afternoon found me racing a buck for a hundred yards or so until a jogger coming from the opposite direction caused the deer to abruptly cut and dash into the brush. The jogger was nonplussed.
Last week, I was racing along admiring THREE deer traipsing in Eggers Woods when suddenly a rabbit emerges onto the path. Before I could even touch my brakes, the startled bunny goes airborne, hurling pass me like a furry missile at chest level and missing me by about a foot. Defensively, I excitedly shouted "Shit!" in utter surprise and amazement and then started laughing.
Also a week ago, on a midnight ride along the length of the LFT and owning the path (encountering two other cyclists the entire 36 mile roundtrip), I came onto a racoon who was very casually sauntering across the path adjacent to the Sledding Hill at Soldier Field. "Just out for a stroll, gov'nor." Numerous bunnies were also spotted in this vicinity, natch. Didn't see any coyotes, but I know they're out there.
The only occasion so far in which I have across a coyote face to face while biking was a few Octobers ago in some open/vacant "urban prairie" down around 99th Street (behind the 103rd Steet CTA garage terminal) between Stony Island and a railroad corridor -- a likely place indeed. I did see one while driving by at 116th and Torrence some years ago.
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Great thread Curtis, thanks.
Jeff I saw your buck corking that very intersection today at 1pm. He had a near miss with a motorist, then hopped off into the woods after a few minutes like it was no big deal.
Also saw a dead dog or coyote lying in the road where Touhy intersects the Des Plaines River Trail, that was a bummer.
JeffB (7+ miles) said:
I often see deer on the street on Lansing Ave just north of Forest Glen Ave on my way to the NBT, usually early morning or at dusk.
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