Seagulls??

[hawkgirlrandomnumber]

I hope this is the best place to put this thread.
What's the best way to keep a hawk motivated to kill seagulls? I know people don't let the hawk feed off the gull because of disease. Is this the case with all gulls or just gulls found at landfills? The gulls I have in mind are at a golf course, though their food source is a farm nearby where the farmer feeds his cows old cereal and cookies. The gulls are mainly juveniles and are incredibly stupid.Oh and as for species probably ringbilled if that makes a difference. It's for pest control and not hawking as such. The hawk hasn't been entered on any quarry yet. It's a mature bird, a mhh. My sponser has used a fhh sucessfully in the past for this kind of work. I would just like to hear people's opinions on the matter and any advice. Thanks in advance!!!

[Berkut]

To enter a hawk on gulls,the best time is early August when the fresh,stupid young of the year are starting to show in numbers or in your case with a harris hawk anywhere you can get close enough to take them by surprise.
I do a lot of gull hawking with falcons and unless it catches a gull that is obviously unwell,I always let it feed from the breast.There is nothing like fresh warm meat as positive re-inforcement that the experience should be repeated.There are risks in feeding from gulls but you are taking risks as soon as any raptor leaves your fist.
In my opinion the risk from feeding from gulls is minimal , especially if you stick to the breast meat and avoid the intestines and the throat area.

[hawkgirlrandomnumber]

Thank you, that really helps me out! I was puzzled at what to do. The bird hasn't been used much but once he gets going I think he'll be a great little hunter. Thanks again for the help.