Not listed on TPWD as illegal. Just curious...is it legal to shoot seagulls in TX?

Unless TPWD has an open season on something, most everything else is illegal to shoot. Swallows and Eurasian Doves come to mind as shootable, but almost anything else is illegal to shoot.

Official listing is here:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/rehab/protected/

Wild Birds: All wild birds that migrate through or are indigenous to Texas, along with their plumage or other parts, eggs, nests and young are protected from harming, killing and/or possession by state and federal law except that European starlings, English sparrows, and feral pigeons may be killed at any time and their nests and eggs may be destroyed. A permit is not required to control grackles; cowbirds; yellow-headed, red-winged, rusty or Brewer's blackbirds; crows or magpies when these birds are considered a nuisance or causing a public health hazard. No birds may be controlled by any means considered illegal by local city or county ordinance.

They're federally protected by the migratory bird treaty act (MBTA) of 1918.

They suck dick and so do grackles for that matter.

Max06 said:

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They're federally protected by the migratory bird treaty act (MBTA) of 1918.

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This

We got in trouble for shooting sky rats with paintball guns for stealing croaker ( yes I use Live bait).

Game wardens didn't give us a ticket, but said if they saw anymore blue gulls we'd get a ticket for harassing wildlife. Someone turned us in I think.

I will say this. Those gulls hauled ass when you pegged one. It was fun.

Seagulls > turtles

Gull Lives Matter.

Aggieangler93 said:

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Unless TPWD has an open season on something, most everything else is illegal to shoot. Swallows and Eurasian Doves come to mind as shootable, but almost anything else is illegal to shoot.

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Are you sure swallows are "shootable?"

Can't say I've heard that one before.

Seagulls are migratory? They have been around the beach every time I've ever visited.

Buck Turgidson said:

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Seagulls are migratory? They have been around the beach every time I've ever visited.

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They migrate back after hurricanes haul them inland. Well... when they don't setup at the lake.

I have fished south of Casper Wy. I was surprised to see a lot of seagulls and white pelicans.

So you can shoot an African swallow as they are non migrateory

This one hung around the beach for a few days. Got very bold. Caught him stealing a bag of potato chips out of my sisters chair. Kids named him Carlos because his broken wing made him look like a bull fighter. Little racists I guess.

I've seen white pelicans in North Dakota. And seagulls in Carlsbad NM.

Cormarants can also eat a bag of Dicks.

Buck Turgidson said:

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Seagulls are migratory? They have been around the beach every time I've ever visited.

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If you hit the beach year round, you will notice the smaller gulls are practically gone in the winter. The larger ones are present that time of year. Not sure what the difference is. I never liked them enough to care. I do know that if they get in the way a 8oz shark weight mid cast they regret it (unintentional)

Migratory and non-migratory doesn't matter. You can't kill any bird on the "list" on purpose.

Birds not on the list pigeons, European starlings, and other known invasive spices. black birds (and their variants - grackles included, can be taken when depredating or about to commit depredation.

The new stance on the MBTA is that as long as the killing wasn't malicious and isn't to continue an illegal trade of feathers or parts then it'll not result in fines or penalties.


But no seagulls aren't on the "ok to shoot" list.

I feel like we're missing a story here. We all get that seagulls can be annoying and nasty little buggers but why are you looking to shoot them? Just for fun?? Because they damn sure ain't gonna taste good.

Those are most likely terns that are stealing croaker. I've seen SOB's swim 3 feet under water to steal a live croaker.......not that I would ever fish with croaker

I've always thought you should be able to take a shotgun to the beach and bait them in with Cheez-Its.

Yeah just curious, at the beach and randomly thought how fun it'd be to blast seagulls with shotgun. Obviously not going to now.....a man can dream though.

Seminoe reservoir? Because I've seen them there. We have them out in the desert in eastern Oregon.

FTA03 said:

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Yeah just curious, at the beach and randomly thought how fun it'd be to blast seagulls with shotgun. Obviously not going to now.....a man can dream though.

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Not legal, according to the game wardens that happened across my brother in high school... but they are allegedly fun to shoot.

This reminds me of a story my buddy tells. Back to the 70's he and couple other 'hold my beer' friends would drive down old I-10 west. Whenever they say pigeons under the overpasses they would stop and shot guns were blazing. They go overpass again and again.

Well dead pigeons And reports of multiple gun shots Got the police attention. So eventually they return, no shooting, and count the LEOs were looking around the death fields

I have a great video of my buddy fighting with a seagull he hooked fishing because it keep stealing our croaker (yes i know). It didn't end well for the seagull. Our guide was laughing so hard in the background.