One Time, Riding Home On the Bike Trail

I see a lot of wildlife while riding on the bike trail system through the Sioux Falls Greenway.

The best time is at dusk and dawn, when the critters are most active.

Racoons are common. I even saw one crawling up a tree. Weasels, muskrat, hedge hogs -- all the usual suspects. And plenty of deer.

The city deer herd is pretty tame as they see LOTS of people passing through their forest along the Big Sioux River. But I don't see big mature bucks that often and they always seem a little more skittish.

But the other night I was riding home and spotted this fella hanging out near I-229, just east of Minnesota Avenue. He was pretty busy scraping the velvet from his antlers to notice me at first. And I stayed pretty still for the most part. He pawed the ground a little and went about his business mostly.

I'm not a counting the points guy, but I think there were four on each side.

I put this little montage together when I got home. All shot on iPhone. I wish I would have had my real camera but that's the way it goes.

See Also: