Seagulls vs ducks

[Scott Klecka]

Had a shad kill where I hunt so we had an increase in the the number of seagulls (5 to 10K).  It looked like the coast as the shrimp boats come in.  We only saw 5 ducks and they were up and flying somewhere else.  Our duck numbers are down in this spot but we normally see enough even if they don't decoy. 

I watched as a few gulls attacked a coot so it got me thinking. Do gulls run ducks off?    

What do you think?

[DON MINTZ]

I do think that gulls can overwhelm ducks when in high numbers.  They are more of a scavenger on waterfowl, but I think if in high enough numbers, they might be more alfred hitchcock like.  I've had some retrieves on the river where I had to get the dog downstream a couple hundred yards to get ahead of the bird and by the time it drifted into a slower stretch, the gulls were already on it.

[David K.]

In the rice fields here hunters often complain that the seaguls and Ibis will move in and sour the water. I don't know if it's their feeding activity or droppings but something they do turns the ducks off of the ponds. It could be also that what ever is attracting these other waterbirds is actually what drives off the ducks.

[Steve W]

Gulls like herons eat small ducks.. Seen them go after the G eye young in the spring. Of course you can trust no action taken against the scavenger 

[Mick McCord]

Earlier this year, we had a pair of mallards trying to finish, and as they cupped up 50 yards out, a gull chased them off. Those were the only birds we worked that day, too.

[TomY]

Hunted with a buddy in Maryland who's general rule was...if you're seeing seagulls you wont be shooting ducks.  I have one day of evidence for the theory, we sat in his boat one morning watching a steady stream of seagulls and not much else.

[MattD]

I had a boy the other day tell me about something similar. They watched a big bird dive down in the water about 100 yards off or so. They had a group of mallards swimming into the decoys and as they were getting in range, this bird came up in the middle of the mallards and started harrasing them and of course the mallards hauled tail. The guy didn't know what it was, I didn't know what to tell him other than maybe it was a commorant or something. Had a buddy last year have a commorant get after his dog while retrieving a bird.

[Scott]

I can't say gulls have ever been a problem. I hunt saltwater, so seagulls are always around. I have seen gulls bully divers, the little buffies mostly, and steal food from them when they surface, but blacks and mallards frequently hang out in pretty close proximity with gulls.     

[DanT91683]

Hunting puget sound we see a lot of sea gulls, it doesnt seem to bother the sea ducks at all.  Did have a bald eagle this year circling over one downed bird while the dog was out and then it ended up picking up another downed scoter.  Grabbed the bird, took it to a tree, and ate away.  Had to be one of the coolest things i've ever seen.

[Brad H.]

I noticed a really big increase in gulls on one of the lakes I hunt and the duck numbers were the worst I've seen there.  I was wondering if it had anything to do with it.  Then again I did see a few mallards landing in the general area as the gulls so who knows.