# Anybody shoot seagulls?



## yakfish

I was rescently scouting some new (to me) hunting areas around a local lake when I came across a spot the overlooking the water and there were dozens of seagulls standing in the shallow water. I thought it would be fun to sit up there with my .22 and try to pick off a few from about 150 yards. But is this legal? I have looked thru the regulations and didn't see any mention of seagulls so I have no idea if it is even allowed? Anybody know?


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## rod bender bob

yakfish said:


> I was rescently scouting some new (to me) hunting areas around a local lake when I came across a spot the overlooking the water and there were dozens of seagulls standing in the shallow water. I thought it would be fun to sit up there with my .22 and try to pick off a few from about 150 yards. But is this legal? I have looked thru the regulations and didn't see any mention of seagulls so I have no idea if it is even allowed? Anybody know?


Very expensive target. No shooting allowed. Why would u want to kill them, tHey clean up our waterways.


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## firstflight111

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh nnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooo dont shoot them ever


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## DaleM

yakfish said:


> I was rescently scouting some new (to me) hunting areas around a local lake when I came across a spot the overlooking the water and there were dozens of seagulls standing in the shallow water. I thought it would be fun to sit up there with my .22 and try to pick off a few from about 150 yards. But is this legal? I have looked thru the regulations and didn't see any mention of seagulls so I have no idea if it is even allowed? Anybody know?


That's a good way to lose your hunting rights for at least 3 years. 
I could ask another question of you, but the mods would remove it.
Shooting a rifle over a lake is also against the law. Maybe you should get a rules book or take a hunters safety course. This is basic stuff even a young hunter knows.


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## Huntinbull

I don't know where Fairborn Ohio is, but i am holding a Hunters Education course Near Akron on November 12 and 13. Would love to have you come join us. PM or check my profile for contact info.


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## chadwimc

I always wondered why nobody hunts seagulls. They must taste real bad...


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## I_Shock_Em

Seagulls are illegal to shoot. Just like cormorants. However, last year the DNR reduced the fine on seagulls and cormorants from$ 100 per bird down to $25 per bird. (And no, i do not know this from experience. I read it somewhere when it took effect.)


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## freyedknot

WHO ARE YOU????????? you want to shoot down at water with a rifle and shoot illegal game???????????? you really need some schooling before you make a big mistake.


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## PapawSmith

Lighten up fellas, the way I read his post is that he is asking if shooting these flying rats is legal. He didn't know so he didn't do it, he asked first. Some of you act like he shot first and asked later.
Truth being told, I'd like to shoot a few of the dirty bastards myself sometimes.


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## ezbite

i remember years ago some nut job was shooting them off ashtabulas breakwall with a machine gun. i wasnt there, but was told by the old guy i used to fish with when we'd go out 330degs and he said it didnt take long for the police to arrive. not sure who the police were. 

i dont really care if you kill gulls, i hate them from my Navy days, just dont shoot a rifle at the water.


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## bdawg

They need to change the laws for seagulls and comorants. Should be able to shoot them just like ducks, geese, and crows. The parking lot at the mall is a good place to set up. Just buy some fast food for lunch, then shoot your dinner! I've heard they taste a bit fishy though!

Everyone should get off his back for asking this question. Much smarter to ask the question than to go out and do it, then post the pics online!


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## Huntinbull

Still room in the hunter ed class. You are cordially invited.


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## Jigging Jim

Seagulls just clean up the fish and stuff near the surface. They really are a good bird to have on the waterways. No need to kill them.


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## beaver

I wish you could kill those stinking things. I wish we could knock a few cormorants down too. Theyre a real pain in the butt if youre a duck hunter.

I agree with some others though, dont jump on this fella for asking a question. Yakfish, dont pay any attention to some of these bashers on here. In the short time that Ive been on this site, Ive come to realize that a lot of guys spend more time on here than they do fishing and hunting anyway. You cab't even ask a question around here. You'll have one fella answer you and ten tell you what an idiot you are for asking the question. Some of these guys need to turn off the computer and get a life.


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## I_Shock_Em

I think that the dnr should offer a cormerant/seagull permit. It would be another way the dnr could make money. Id buy one. There have been those days when the ducks aren't flying but the seagulls/cormerants have been in full swing. It would make for some fun wingshooting


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## creekcrawler

I'm not a hunter, but I can't believe cormorants are protected!
Those fish-eating sob's should all be shot.
They aren't native anyhow, that I know of.


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## creature catcher

Why kill it if you aren't going to eat it? Go shoot sporting clays or go to a turkey shoot where you can get a frozen turkey or a few pounds of bacon for a buck a shot?Have you seen meat prices lately?


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## beaver

creature catcher said:


> Why kill it if you aren't going to eat it? Go shoot sporting clays or go to a turkey shoot where you can get a frozen turkey or a few pounds of bacon for a buck a shot?Have you seen meat prices lately?


So are you against killing coyotes?


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## chuckyhumper

Forget about the rifle,a co2 pellet pistol works just as good!I always take mine perching!


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## Jigging Jim

Cormorants are different than Seagulls. Cormorants gorge themselves with live fish. They dive deep and take all the live fish that they can put in their stomachs. Seagulls take the floaters and what's just under the surface of the water. A Seagull's mouth is not large enough to take a larger fish. They eat small ones and just poke and tear at the larger floating fish carcasses. Cormorants are also responsible for killing the trees and vegetation on some of the islands on the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway with their toxic poop.


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## creekcrawler

You got that right Jiggin Jim!
Their favorite food is _*smallmouth bass!*_
I remember some old fishing guides up north (Michigan?) went out to an island at nesting time and blew away over 3000 of 'em a few years back.
They were angry because they used to be guides and the cormorants destroyed the fishery.
These were older fellows in their 60's. They ended up getting jail time, but they didn't care.


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## bdawg

creature catcher said:


> Why kill it if you aren't going to eat it? Go shoot sporting clays or go to a turkey shoot where you can get a frozen turkey or a few pounds of bacon for a buck a shot?Have you seen meat prices lately?


If I kill it, I'm gonna eat it. I'll throw that bird in the oven and see how it comes out. If I don't like it, I won't shoot anymore. I just think we should have the oppurtunity to legally do it if we choose.


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## Header

I wacked one with the corner of my windshield because he did not fly up fast enough from the parking lot. Just bumped him no kill hit.


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## BigDub007

I dont shoot them i just feed them alkaseltzer and watch them blow up ........j/k i would not do that .......you may just want to hunt crows with a 12 gauge.....This is a little off the topic but......I was watching swamp poeple and they were shooting gaters in the water with a 10/22....I was thinking man some one is gona get shot ........If any of you have watched that are they being unsafe i want to hear some responces


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## Jigging Jim

creekcrawler said:


> You got that right Jiggin Jim!
> Their favorite food is _*smallmouth bass!*_
> I remember some old fishing guides up north (Michigan?) went out to an island at nesting time and blew away over 3000 of 'em a few years back.
> They were angry because they used to be guides and the cormorants destroyed the fishery.
> These were older fellows in their 60's. They ended up getting jail time, but they didn't care.


I heard that it was the Thousand Islands Region on the Saint Lawrence River in NY State - and it was 800+ Cormorants. After that incident, the NYS Department Of Environmental Conservation decided to finally kill some of the Cormorants. NY has never killed enough - and the fishing on the Saint Lawrence River SUCKS now! Some beautiful islands are now just dead trees and poop-covered rocks....Vermont kills a lot of them though.


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## BunkerChunker

I read an article about Dnr culling some on one of the islands in eire I think it was in the sandusky paper but I can't find it now. It said they were shooting them with compensated rifles if I find the article i'll post the link.


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## BunkerChunker

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/125412674688870.xml&coll=2 

I found it. it was in the plain dealer not the register. The article says sharpshooters no metion of type of weapon used my mind must have just made that leap.


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## Pike

In the UP of MI, the US Department of Wildlife has started oiling commorant eggs in the Spring. By the time the birds realize the egg is not viable, it is to late to re-nest. I think that should be done other places on the Great Lakes until the population is under control.


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## Skarfer

anyone seen the cormorants on Portage Lakes? They are terrible. there's one spot - a small island - there's like 4 or 5 trees that are totally WHITE from their poop.......it's unreal. 

They definately need to be regulated.......


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## Dfrenzy

Wow the way I read it the seagull permit has been reduced to $25.00. LOL I do agree they clean up the lakes of the dead fish and so on. But why are they at Walmart, Kmart, and the Mall? Could they be over populated? I also understand the fact of eat what you kill. I guess this is why god created ants and maggots. I may have to limit myself to $150.00 in seagull permits this duck season. What size shot would be best for them?


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## armyMOSfishin

I understand the seagull issue and their benefit but name one good factor about having these cormorants around? I would really like to know. anybody?


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## beaver

I'd say 3" #2's.


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## armyMOSfishin

beaver said:


> I'd say 3" #2's.


hahahahaha!!!! good one


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## lg_mouth

...if you can hit a seagull at 150 yards with a .22, you are a better shot than I!

Lg_mouth


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## creekcrawler

> ...if you can hit a seagull at 150 yards with a .22, you are a better shot than I!


Many, many years ago when we were young, dumb & stupid (as opposed to being old, dumb & stupid now), we had a few gulls 
waaaay up there, circling over our warehouse in the _city_. They seemed like they were an 1/8 of a mile up. 
We spent an evening, sipping beers and taking shots at them with an old single shot .22
I winged one and made him flutter a bit, but we never did bring one down.
I do remember one 22 slug hitting the pavement a short distance from us though. . .. . 

{Please no lectures please, it was a long time ago and like I said, we were still young & dumb}


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## davie1989

lmfaooo thats great  ...jus wait the internet cops will show up Cc they allways doo


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## Header

They are at Wal-Mart, K-Mart because there are fast food joints close by and the birds, at least, like the fries and any other scrap food.


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## rod bender bob

I have to think that people who shoot whatever they want just because they want to are a bigger problem for hunters and gun owners than the anti crowd??? They make great examples for the anti's to point to.


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## jrsfish

Seagulls are good eating,they taste a lot like a bald eagle!


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## K gonefishin

Not only can you not shoot seagulls they are actually federally protected no different than a Bald Eagle belive it or not, the penatly probably isn't the same but nonetheless both federally protected.


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## 5gabrielfinch2004

Would you guys do it for 2 scooby snacks?


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## dirtandleaves

No, I wouldn't. I also wouldn't be responding to 12 year old threads. Neither one will get u very far


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## jkiefer1362

Should be careful using a 22 or any rifle near water. Really not a good idea. Seagull also clean our beaches to dead fish. 

Sent from my SM-S908U using Ohio Game Fishing mobile app


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## DaleM

His first post and it’s a 12 year old thread. Nice way to start off as a member. 🙄


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## mrb1

DaleM said:


> His first post and it’s a 12 year old thread. Nice way to start off as a member. 🙄


That avatar and the "Scooby Snack" comment seems awfully familiar for some reason.


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