Seals freind or foe

[darlick]

Seals have to compete with other predators for food.

 

Remove the large finned predators, leaving hordes of mainly undersized fish, and the seal numbers are bound to increase.

 

Is culling them the answer?

 

Well it wasn't so long ago that thousands and thousands of them died due to a distemper like virus, but because there is plenty of small stuff for them to eat, and few large predators left to compete with them, their numbers bounce back strongly.

 

So, it's unlikely that a few blokes with rifles are going to make much difference to their numbers.

 

Restore, the big cod and bass etc, get the ecology back into balance, and you might stand a chance.

But are there as many now?

Apparently not in Shetland!

 

see: http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.p...ooting_ban.html

you mention shetlands i have a mate who lives up ther and he was telling me that a lot of the lads he knows shoot them on sight

[John S]

SEX

 

Whatever turns you on Ken....

[Snatcher]

Seals you just have to tollerate.

 

But mind a couple of times I have lost fish to them

 

Willie my commercial salmon buddy actually had a party at Amble after he shot "Snorkle" with his 303. This was a well educated seal or so the story goes. For years it took salmon from his nets,nice easy brekkie I suppose

 

The rules of engagement are you can only shoot a seal if it is your nets - or so I am told. And only if it is seaward to the rifle.

 

Willie was in the "grey" area

 

All you ever seen of snorkle was his snout.Anyway about two years ago Snorkle popped his head up and Willie had a pop at him.Got a hit and sped up and put a shot into his head. They towed the corpse back to Amble harbour to show the salmon fishing fraterity. The party lasted a few days or so Willie said.

 

The same guy hates seals!!! honest

 

He was at the back of Coquet island a few years ago and he said to me a couple of seals laughed at him so he shot them

 

A twitcher happened to see it so willie finished up in court

 

If there is a lesson to be learnt it is if you are a seal keep away fom Willie Henshaws nets for fear of death

[DJMCJERICO]

A cousin of mine thought he had the fish of a lifetime one dark night untill he put his headlight on and saw a rather large pair of eyes looking back at him through the surff {lol} he managed to land it 6 O hook in its top lip led it up the beach like a bull it was not happy he managed to cut the hook off as close as he could he ran back while the seal bobbed back to the sea.Thoughts and experiances please.

 

There's your answere

 

 

I wonder how long it would be untill some preditors turn up?

[Snatcher]

just telling it how it is

 

Given a rifle I could not pull the trigger. Seals are part of the environment. will still cast a popper at there head though I cannot believe how good a caster I am. Honest. Can hit a seal at 50yds with an 18gm Aille Yozori SB Slider every other cast.

 

Honest after one "hit" they swim away

[DJMCJERICO]

John, I feel a challenge of a lure made for seal's comming on

 

 

Maybe you could make it look like a disco, I hear they are always walking into clubs oversea's

Edited August 28, 2006 by DJMCJERICO

[Snatcher]

I am sure the same seal "Stalks" me in Luce Bay. Like I say I am a very accurate popper guy.At 50 yds would not miss by 2 feet.

 

Have "bounced "a popper off a seals head on a few occasions.

 

They normally get the mesasage then

[Jaffa]

Seals have to compete with other predators for food.

 

Remove the large finned predators, leaving hordes of mainly undersized fish, and the seal numbers are bound to increase.

 

Is culling them the answer?

 

Well it wasn't so long ago that thousands and thousands of them died due to a distemper like virus, but because there is plenty of small stuff for them to eat, and few large predators left to compete with them, their numbers bounce back strongly.

 

So, it's unlikely that a few blokes with rifles are going to make much difference to their numbers.

 

Restore, the big cod and bass etc, get the ecology back into balance, and you might stand a chance.

But are there as many now?

Apparently not in Shetland!

 

see: http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.p...ooting_ban.html

 

Evidence for any of this? !

 

Well it wasn't so long ago that thousands and thousands of them died due to a distemper like virus, but because there is plenty of small stuff for them to eat, and few large predators left to compete with them, their numbers bounce back strongly.

 

Let me get this straight. Your saying that its lack of predators left to "compete" with them, rather than left to feed on them that is the problem?! Sorry Leon, but that makes no sense to me at all

[Fastd]

Snatcher

 

Tell willie the .243 is a far better tool than the .303. Flatter trajectory and higher velocity gives better accuracy and stopping power.

 

The best place to drop twitchers is just above the third button from the top of their camo jackets as a head shot can occasionally lead to dangerous ricochets off the binoks.

 

Dave

[Davy Holt]

Simple solution to keep seals away when using big fish baits, even 80lb class gear aint any good against a big bull grey seal when he picks up your double mackerel bait from the bottom in 400' of water

 

Black widow Catapult and a bag of marbles, when said seal gets a tad too close, fire said marble so that it lands as close as you can to the seal. The marble hit's the water the same way a bullet would and almost all seals know that sound means danger. So they make for a safe distance away from you and tend to keep that distance.