# seagull with hook



## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

My sister and I went to Rockport, MA today for a relaxing afternoon near the sea. For supper, we went to a place on the water. A seagull landed near us outside the window & I immediately noticed a fish hook lodged in his mouth.

I pried open the window and proceeded to lure the bird with scraps from my plate. He ate from my hand with no problem, but I could not catch him to remove the hook. After 1/2 my dinner was gone down his clever gullet, I gave up in frustration.








Does anyone have experience with this type of thing? I would gladly return to the place tomorrow if I thought I could catch the poor gull and safely remove the hook...I have not been able to get it out of my mind, although there was no sign of infection or distress. (Note that I could only pry the window open wide enough to get one arm out.)


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Poor guy, but don't worry, with a little work and a few tools, it is not that hard to remove a hook from a beak, thank goodness. I have done it on a number of occasions. Keep in mind that a seagull's wings and beaks are stronger than they look; if possible, bring a friend and a towel or small blanket to wrap the gull in while working on it. Get a pair of needle-nosed pliers, a pair of slim (and sharp) wire cutters, a pair (two pair if you have a friend helping) of thick gloves, and you should be ready. A fishing net with a handle makes it easy (easier!) to catch the bird. You may want to let the restaurant know what you're up to, and I'm sure they won't object (I'm sure they see this gull often and some of them feed bad for it). 

Once the gull is wrapped up "burrito-style" in the towel, and have your friend hold the beak firmly with one hand(again, they're sharp and very strong with the beak, and use it as a weapon when they feel threatened; I had an unreleasable seagull for awhile and learned the hard way!  ). Using the wire cutters, cut the barbed end of the hook out. If often helps to hold the hook steady with the needle-nosed pliers. Hopefully then you will be able to slide the hook out the rest of the way with the barbed end cut off. You may want to apply a little Neosporin if you're able to hold onto the gull for that long.  

If you have trouble removing the hook or the beak has started to grow over/around it, this guy will need to head to a wildlife place where they can treat him and release him back at the restaurant. Thanks for helping this guy out, hope this helps. Good luck!


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi Maryjane,
Thanks for the advice & warnings!
This would definitely be something the restaurant would have to agree to ahead of time & probably before open or after close. The ledge is not wide enough for a person to sit on safely as there's at least a 30 foot drop to the shallow water below. So the bird would have to be caught from inside and carried through the place. (I'm sure they would not agree to the "surgery" being done on premises.)

I'll see if I can make the arrangements but now that I have thought about it more I am less hopeful


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Karen, thank you for your concern. Thank goodness, the hook is in a location where it doesn't appear to have damaged the inside of its mouth. Too, hooks can also come out on their own so maybe you can just keep an eye on him.


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