Photography And Half-Thoughts By Mitchell Hegman

...because some of it is pretty and some of it is not.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Drunk Deer

Somewhere in France, there exists a woodland happy hour. French police recently warned drivers to watch for drunken deer wandering into roadways after eating fermented fruit and decaying plants. Police described the animals as displaying “totally unpredictable behavior,” which is apparently the upscale French equivalent of saying, “The deer are absolutely hammered.”

A video accompanying the warning (which I have shared here) shows one deer twirling and frolicking like it had just rediscovered disco music. Authorities cautioned motorists to watch for erratic crossings, strange trajectories, and disorderly escape attempts.

I can’t entirely fault the deer. Winters are long, and living is hard in the wild. If I were living in the woods and discovered that rotten apples could briefly transform existence into a warm, spinning lantern festival, I too might give them a whirl.

Of course, here in Montana, our mule deer can handle their liquor. They are not apt to spin themselves into oblivion. They are more likely to get surly and show you the business end of their antlers.

—Mitchell Hegman

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fofBnwT3p1A

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