Last Friday I was driving in this area west of Hämeenlinna when a deer suddenly crossed my path. I thought I had it on video, but I also knew how things can go wrong with the camera. And yes, I was inadvertently recording in timelapse mode instead of normal video. So all I have of the event is this frame.
The deer is in the middle, just at the right of the path. This blog shows images downscaled, zoom in with the browser or right-click on the image to open it in a new tab.
Deers are one of the main dangers of riding in northern forests. Fortunately this is the second encounter ever, that I have noticed. The first one showed me how they can run in any direction, not just away from you. I noticed something in the corner of my eye, and I first dismissed it as an optical effect. But then I looked and what I saw was deer running in parallel with me, in a field next to the path. For a brief moment I was fascinated with the situation, but then I realized how dangerous it was and I let go of the throttle. And what the deer did was crossing the path in front of me.
There is not much one can do about the risk of hitting a deer, besides riding so slow that it spoils all the fun. So let’s just hope that luck doesn’t desert us.