The need to pay attention to animal crossings is a must when you travel.

Animal crossings are something that you can come up on fast and have very little time to react. There are different things you can do depending on what type of animal you come up upon. Some of these animals can range from squirrels to moose. Some that you see far off and others that jump out so fast, you barely see them. Insects can be another real "pain". Those are fairly easy to take care of, wear long sleeve shirts and gloves that go over the cuffs. Eye protection is key too, get hit one time and you'll understand why.

In most areas, squirrels are probably the number one animal that will jump out on you. They are plentiful in both the city and back roads and almost everywhere you might travel. By jumping out in front of you as quickly as they do, they can catch you off guard very easily. The best response to this is really no response at all. Squirrels can get out of the way just as fast as they can get in the way and you trying to avoid them may just cause more problems than just holding your breath and continuing your ride. Chances are, you will miss them.

Dogs are another nuisance. Although I've found them not as much of a problem as they use to be, you can still have one try to come out and chase you. Dogs, fortunately, seem to lack the ability to track and judge angles. They tend to try to come around from behind you and chase you down. If you see a dog coming, you can accelerate and get ahead of them relatively easily. If you can't get out of their way, try to get your leg out of the way on the side that of the bike. They will tend to want to bite at your legs and feet rather than jump up on you.

Deer seem to be all over, especially in the fall and in late afternoon and early evening. Large animal crossings such as deer can be deadly. They can be difficult to spot and bolt out suddenly. You can increase your chances of spotting them by looking for their eyes that will glow similar to small reflectors at night. The old standby of deer whistles, although I don't know if they really scare deer off but I haven't heard of someone with a deer whistle actually hitting one. The best thing to do is slow down and stay alert.

When you are out touring through the large parks in the west, animal crossings can become a spectacular event. Most of the animals in the parks are use to vehicles but you have to remember, they're still wild and it's best to take your quick picture and move on. The Bison of Yellowstone and ridiculously huge and bears can be very temperamental so it's best to take a wide pass around them if you can.

You should always have a plan when dealing with some of these larger animals. The last thing you want is a confrontation. You can't always predict what they'll do so just make sure you know what you'll do in any situation. This includes an escape plan for both you and your co-rider either via by bike or foot.

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