Hunting and drinking alcohol do not go well together. You were always welcome to drink at our hunting camps but when the booze flowed, the guns and bows were put away and the hunt was over.
Alcohol slows reaction time, reduces common sense, and becomes an immediate safety concern. Taking a shot can get someone shot. On cold and wet days, alcohol makes you colder and more miserable. Save the drink for after the hunt.
Years ago, I remember hunting ringneck pheasants near an old apple orchard. The grass had grown up around the trees and the fruit had fallen and was decaying. We could hear several roosters cackling and calling. During the decaying, fruits ferment and create alcohol. This happens in vineyards, orchards, and fruit patches.
It turns out that animals love alcohol too. The pheasants in this patch were having trouble flying. The hunting dog caught 3 roosters without a shot being fired. Other birds could barely fly and seemed to be stumbling around. Too many “Cocktails”!
The sugar in fruit makes the mash to create alcohol. Wild fruits like persimmons can be a real attractant for hard drinking critters. Big Bucks love wild plums and persimmons to take the edge off.
Animals process booze differently. Chimps, baboons, and elephants show drunken behavior quickly. Other critters like birds and dogs seem to manage their drink better. The fermented fruit tends to have around 2% alcohol. It takes a lot of fruit to make a reaction. It may take a few days of feeding for pheasants to tie one on.
Getting drunk does not help the critters survive. Their senses and survival skills decline when under the influence. This is when predators can strike. Alcohol does tend to function as a sanitizer and can help with parasites and diseases.
Hornets can consume huge amounts of alcohol with no effect. Other insects can also hold their liquor well. Critters with a larger body size take longer to become under the influence. It also depends on the fruit type. In Sweden, moose target fermented apples. After a few hours, they become drunk. Smaller berries and unripe fruits take longer to affect animals. If fermented fruit gets aged in holes and pockets, the proof can get higher.
If you are hunting near a concentration of old fruit trees, do not be surprised if there is a wild party going on!
Montana Grant
