Gull hawking

[KevGem1]

hi there,do any of you lads gull hawking within a short distance of the sea? and if so have you ever had a gull take your bird out to sea? what if any precaution can you take to try and keep the gulls from just heading for the big water? i know this sounds a bit silly but i have never pursued the gulls where i hunt for that very reason.i cant help feeling i am missing out on some really good sport if the sea wasnt so close. cheers KEV.

[Berkut]

Kev,
I was flying a gull hawk on a landfill on the north west coast of Scotland.The falcon took a gull and they pitched in the sea.The falcon held the gull but very nearly drowned.Ultimately not a good idea.To continue flying falcons on that particular site would have required a motorised boat for health and safety reasons.

ATB,
Neil

[KevGem1]

thats what i thought neil so i trying staying away from them but you know as well as i do mate once your bird is in the air anything can happen.i just have visions of my falcon persuing a gull out to sea and thats the last i will see of her.i try my best just to slip her at crows and pry she doesnt fancy going for the gulls instead.i suppose at the end of the day you just have to do what you can (beggers cant be choosers) when it comes to land you have permision to fly on. i just thought i would ask to see if anyone else had the same sort of problem cheers KEV.
by the way hope everything is going well for you and all the best for the rest of.

[Hound]

mark collins is the man to ask he flys very near to the coast

[TiercelMan]

hi there,do any of you lads gull hawking within a short distance of the sea? and if so have you ever had a gull take your bird out to sea? what if any precaution can you take to try and keep the gulls from just heading for the big water? i know this sounds a bit silly but i have never pursued the gulls where i hunt for that very reason.i cant help feeling i am missing out on some really good sport if the sea wasnt so close. cheers KEV.

I've been doing gull hawking on a landfill for a few years now that's only 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile from the coast. When the gulls got ahead of the falcons they made a beeline for the sea but they would plunge into the water asap so would never take the falcon out any distance. It didn't take the falcons long to learn to pack up the flight when the gulls were within reach of baling into the water.
Alistair

[Mark Collins]

Hi Kev, a couple of seasons ago i slipped a falcon at a flock of gulls near the coast, the flight started getting some height and then the gull after travelling inland decided to go for the coastline , the falcon stooped and bound to the gull as they both went over the cliff, luckily there is access to the beach it was high tide and as we arrived the falcon was rowing hersel to shore, very lucky if she had gone into the water at any other place she would have drowned as the sea came right up to the chalk cliffs, its not my normal hunting ground and i didnt fly there again, this year a f.peregrine at hack bound to a gull right out over the water fourtunatly she had the sence to let go off it before they went in. Basically i dont slip to close to the sea , if you do the gulls will dive and take your falcons in with them,mark.

[KevGem1]

thanks for the replys i thought it would be interesting to hear of other peoples experiences with gulls and the coast line.and i think its fare to say, yet another pit fall to the art of persuit hawking.