Joel Haapalainen of the West Branch Sportsmen’s Club weighs a coyote turned in Sunday during the U.P. Predator Challenge. Teams submitted animals harvested between Jan. 17 and 20 for the event. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck)

By CHRISTIE BLECK

Journal Staff Writer

SKANDIA — Culling the predator herd is a fact of life in ecosystems, and that concept was at the heart of the recent U.P. Predator Challenge.

Sponsored by the West Branch Sportsmen’s Club Inc., the event took place Jan. 17-20.

Teams of one or two individuals hunted over bait, or by calling or stalking. Neither trapping nor obtaining road kills was allowed. The winners were determined by total points, with bobcats earning 30 points, coyotes 25 points and foxes 20 points.

Peter Karttunen of Ontonagon and his partner, Robert Majurin, also of Ontonagon, won first place with seven coyotes, a bobcat and a fox.

The animals weren’t going to go to waste.

“Usually we’ll skin them out and sell them if we can,” Karttunen said.

He said their harvest method was calling them over bait, and then shooting them.

Karttunen’s reasoning for taking part in this particular outdoor activity?

“Helping the deer herd out, mostly, and the small game herd as well,” he said. “There’s a abundance of coyotes. We’ll get a bunch every year, and you don’t even put a dent in the population.”

The duo also won the big animal award for a coyote weighing 40 pounds, 1 ounce.

A $20 “bounty” was paid for every animal turned in, with the exception of the money winners.

Second place went to Phil and P.W. Croasdell of Rock. Chris and Chase Canfield of Newberry took third place while fourth place went to Terry Norman of Gwinn.

Participants must have had their appropriate current Michigan hunting licenses and were to abide by all game laws. Taking fox and bobcat required a fur harvester license.

David Durocher, vice president of the West Branch Sportsmen’s Club, was heavily involved in the event, helping weigh the animals and announcing the winners, among other duties.

“Most of them hunt over bait,” Durocher said.

He echoed the sentiments of Karttunen when explaining the event’s purpose: harvesting predators to get a better white-tail deer herd.

The club hosts the event every year.

“We’ve held it every year for the last 17 years,” Durocher said.

Following the U.P. Predator Challenge, the participants could use their animals in various ways.

“A lot of guys will have stuff made out of them,” he said.

Many people not familiar with events like this one might not understand why predators need to be culled, since many people don’t see coyotes regularly.

But they’re there.

“There’s coyotes right in Marquette, right in the city,” said Durocher, who noted he’s seen them along Lakeshore Boulevard. “I used to ride a bike down there. I still do. I’ve seen them down there on a regular basis.”

These predators, he said, are opportunistic feeders.

“They’re wherever they can get their food at, the easiest food they can find,” Durocher said. “Coyotes are scavengers. Coyotes, fox, bobcats — they’re all scavengers. They’re looking for an easy meal.”

The 2020 Predator Hunt is scheduled for Feb. 6-9.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.