Something Strange Happened on the Water

While running the boat down the lake last week I spotted what looked like a bird of some sort on the water. Expecting it to fly as we passed, I was surprised when it didn’t. I slowed the boat, and turned around to investigate.

As we got closer I could see it was a young gull. Grabbing the landing net I scooped up what turned out to be two birds hooked together on a fishing lure. Each gull was impaled on a treble hook through the beak.

They were barely moving, but when I twisted the hook out of the first bird’s beak and dropped it back into the water it immediately took flight.

The secon...