This kind of lends a different interpretation to the term "Booze Cruise."

Maybe too boozed to cruise would be more like it. And while it's far from peak pheasant hunting season in Montana, it's never the wrong time to share an amusing hunting story.

Our friend Montana Grant, hunting and fishing correspondent with the Montana Outdoor Radio Show, told us about what can happen when pheasants and fermented fruit collide. It was, needless to say, a most unusual day for hunter and hunting dog alike.

Grant recalled a day long gone by of hunting ringneck pheasants with some companions near an old apple orchard. They were walking through grass that had grown up around the trees and the fallen fruit was decaying. They could hear several roosters cackling and calling, an encouraging sign for a successful hunt.

Of course, during the decaying, fruits ferment and create alcohol. The pheasants were having trouble flying. Grant says their hunting dog caught 3 roosters without a shot being fired. Other birds could barely fly and seemed to be stumbling around, after having a few too many.

The sugar in fruit makes the mash to create alcohol. From grizzly bears to hornets, animals react differently to alcohol consumption. Fermented fruit tends to have around 2% alcohol. It can take a lot of fruit to make a reaction. In the case of pheasants, it may be a few days of feeding for them to appear to have tied one on.

Alcohol does tend to function as a sanitizer and can help with parasites and diseases. The downside is that senses and survival skills decline when under the influence. This is when predators can strike. Or in the case of larger game animals, it can make them angrier and even more unpredictable.

In conclusion, Montana Grant says, "If you are hunting near a concentration of old fruit trees, do not be surprised if there is a wild party going on!"

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