supergame Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 I noticed in Sporting Gun a photo of someone with a bag of woodies and a Herring Gull. Obviously Herring and Blackback Gulls are classed as vermin. Do any of the forum users shoot them on a regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 My concern has always been identification. I,m think I know which seagulls are which, but I,m not 100% sure. I know it shouldn,t be a consideration, but I also think what it would like to the uneducated, if they saw me shoot a seagull. Apart from making horrible marks on your car, when you go to the seaside, what harm do they do ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzer Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 Supergame, i to saw that, cant say that i have ever shot one, had many a chance while in the hide Buzzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJ Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 Never shot them myself, but I once missed out on a chance. A mate of mine was asked to shoot the herring gulls that were decimating the baby carp in a fishery stock pond, and I didn't find out until after the event. What is the law regarding lead free shot on gulls? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 To the best of my limited knowlage. They are classed as a pest . all the best yis yp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammergun Posted March 2, 2003 Report Share Posted March 2, 2003 Non-toxic shot is not necessary for seagulls themselves, but lead is "banned on all coastal foreshore areas and on certain inland and coastal SSSIs which are of importance to waterfowl. Additionally the use of lead is banned for shooting all species of ducks and geese as well as common snipe, golden plover, coot and moorhen." Anybody know if gulls are any good to eat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highdowns hunter Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 If you have ever visited places like Aberdeen you will see what harm the gulls can do, They are a real pest everything is covered with their droppings, They even fly around with carrier bags in their mouths and drop them on people all the bin liners are torn to pieces scattering litter everywhere on collection days In fact they make more mess that the bin men :laugh: :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 Gulls were decoying beautifully on Sunday. They seemed to have a partnership thing going with the pigeons over drilled beans. I had to shoot near the gulls to frighten them off, otherwise they would have knocked my deaks over. Like Cranfield, I`m not sure on identification, otherwise I would not shoot to miss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul collins Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 we have a saying around here about s*@#te hawks.. that the only reson they have wings is to beat the scousers to the tip!! and this was the place that a mate of mine had been granted permission to shoot these varmints,,so we had a go, quite a few years back now ,,i can tell you the first dozen are easy and after that hides have to go up , if you saw what they eat you wouldnt even pick one up,, i had to put the dog in the car he couldnt stop laughing and was starting to get on my nerves!! we shot five bin bags full....pesky things! there was a school near and it was claimed it was a bit like alfred hitchcock, within a few weeks there was very few left and most got the message! black back ,,,,black headed,,,,BLACK BAGGED Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elma Fud Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 The lad in question in Sporting Gun is a mate of mine, and loves shooting them, and even takes trips to the Outer Herbrides to shoot them. As far as I am aware, you can only shoot Black-backed gulls Lesser blacked gulls and Herring Gulls. NOT Black Headed Gulls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergame Posted March 3, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 I've never had a problem identifying them, Blackbacks are huge in comparison to other gulls as are herring gulls. I havn't shot many in the past but I am seriously considering giving them some lead. BLackbacks are shot as much as carrion crows on grouse moors as are Herring gulls. Next time one floats over you consider the disease, ****e they spread chicks they slaughter and eggs they eat. Fllowing that consideration drop em with a pigeon special Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzer Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 Supergame, well put! watch out the next hering or black back gull that flys over me :evil: Buzzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 I`m on, but will someone please post some recognition pics first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quercus Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 When I worked in Norfolk I used to shoot a few Great Black Backed Gulls. In the spring they would hunt along the hedges in pairs looking for eggs and chicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quercus Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 Flightline, this link might help; Gulls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 Someone once told me that the Herring Gull and the Lesser Black-Back are the same species. They evolved, apparantly, in different directions from the Baring Strait and we are where the ranges of the differently evolved species merge. Not sure if it's right and no birdwatcher is able to tell me different. YET!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quercus Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 rjimmer, you are correct, it is a phenomena known as a ring species. Herring gulls inter breed with a similar American gull, which then inter breed with another gull further round the chain and so it goes on until you end up with the lesser black backed gull. All around the ring the gulls breed with their neighbours, except where the two ends of the ring meet, the differences being so great that they are basically two different species. Hope this all makes sense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted March 4, 2003 Report Share Posted March 4, 2003 Flightline, this link might help; Gulls Many thanks-ugly looking brutes, aren`t they? Makes me wonder how that breeding cycle ever takes place. Or is that being anthropomorphic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
columbus Posted March 4, 2003 Report Share Posted March 4, 2003 Flightline anthropomorphisism is a trait that no shooting person should even contemplate. we are what we are, and they are what they are.And never the twain shall meet ,exept at the end of a barrel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flightline Posted March 5, 2003 Report Share Posted March 5, 2003 Gosh. I am truly reproved, Columbus. Won`t happen again sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
columba Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 I was interested in Supergame's topic about shooting gulls. I always shoot them if I get the chance and despite what you think they make good eating--better than pigeon as far as my family is concerned. We started eating them in the bad winter of l963. We used to put them in pies. Now my wife seals them in butter with black pepper and cassereoles them with fish stock. (mackerel is best, but I have used roach when I've been short of money) and a liberal amount of red Thai curry paste (any curry powder will do if you can't afford the Thai stuff. We call this dish Jonathan--after that old story about Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. My grand daughter loves it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergame Posted March 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 Columba, could you please forward the cooking instructions, it sounds scrumptious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
columbus Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 Columba I am a person who will eat almost anything,but i certainly would not eat a gull if you seen what they ate niether would you. I live on the coast every morning i get flights of gulls passing over the house, heading for the nearest landfill site.They are so toxic that i cannot feed them to my bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 I remeber my mother cooking seagull when we were kids.She ended up throwing it out. My everlasting memory, is that the kitchen smelt like the estuary at low tide. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzer Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 Cranfield, did you taste any of it all that c**p they gulls eat :( Buzzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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