Total of 20 coyotes brought to scales
The brutal weather this past weekend didn’t stop 85 teams of 260 hunters from competing in the 2016 WeHuntSC Predator Challenge, and it turned out to be the most successful event so far, with over 20 coyotes being brought to the scales on Sunday.
“As everyone knows, the weather this weekend was not the best for hunting. It was particularly difficult for us upstate hunters and for North Carolina teams. The snow, sleet, and ice made travel difficult and it made the coyote hunker down for a good portion of the weekend,” said the competition’s adminstrators.
Team Wind Walker Kryptonite, made up of Tyler Logan, Erica Catoe, and Jacob Gainey took the win. They hunted Lee, Darlington, and Sumter Counties, and finished the weekend with a total of eight coyotes.
The Carolina Dawg Killers took second place. Cody Ahlstrom, Trent McWhorter, Simmty McWhorter, and Cambel Cox hunted Chesterfield and Union Counties. They brought seven coyotes to weigh-in. They also won the Big Dawg Award for killing the biggest coyote of the challenge, which weighed over 43-pounds.
Third place went to McKenzie Outdoors, made up of Eddie McKenzie, Barret Griggs, Scottie Hoffman, and Patrick Griggs. They hunted Chesterfield County, and killed two coyotes.
In years past, the competition organizers included foxes and bobcats as fair game, but based on feedback from the past few years, they decided to make it a coyote-only event this year. The organizers felt that because coyotes do the most damage to other wild game populations throughout the state, this would be appropriate.
While they are pleased with the turnout and results of this year’s competition, and the growth they have experienced each year, Clint Patterson of WeHuntSC said they are even more pleased with the awareness of the sport.
“Ultimately, we are outdoorsmen who love to hunt and we host this competition to help raise awareness for what coyotes are doing to other game populations around the state. The more people we can get hunting coyotes, the better off our deer, turkey, ducks, and other game species are,” Patterson said.
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