Jack’s Pack Ride
By Bob Maples
My submission is about the near miss Tracy Anderson had on the April 2nd Jack’s Pack ride. We were traveling in a wooded area on a beautiful morning ride when ahead of me a large deer crossed the road just behind the bike in front of me. I had a wide gap between him and myself, so I had plenty of time to react to this dangerous situation. To my relief, the animal crossed the road quickly and headed up a hill on my left.
As always, I watched closely for another deer following the one I saw, as deer strikes are one of our worst challenges as riders and taking the time to check the surroundings is the first task all riders should do. Being aware of the crossing animal, I noticed it headed up to a group of about three other deer of various sizes on that hill to my left. By now I have slowed and signaled to the rider behind me about the deer on the hill and thought the danger was over.
To my complete surprise, one of the other animals suddenly began running down the hill toward the road! I watched in my mirror as the large deer darted back over the road right in front of Tracy, causing her to come to a complete stop. I had no idea a deer would intentionally run in front of a motorcycle or car! I always assumed they crossed during travel and quickly disappeared but I know better now!
During our after-ride chat, Tracy told me my signal was a critical help to her in dealing with this possible accident situation. The lesson I took away from this event is that deer are dangerous, unpredictable animals and our best defense is is to quickly slow down, signal our fellow riders to the danger, and be alert until completely clear of the area. I am glad I remembered to follow these rules and hope this story helps others when faced with a similar situation.