STORY BY ERIK RINTAMAKI

PHOTOS BY DOUG JULIAN

If you ask Erik Rintamaki, the man behind the discovery of Yooperlites, to describe the 2021 Yooperlite hunting tour season, he can sum it up in one word: Fantastic.“I’ve had a lot of people come from far away to hunt Yooperlites,” said Rintamaki, who leads multiple hunting excursions each week from July through the second week of October. “It’s been really fantastic. I had one woman come from Virginia to do her third and fourth tour with me. “I have many people who’ve come before, and they return for another tour.”

The Yooperlite hunting season this year has seen a few differences. The hunt has been more fruitful, and in some cases, the Yooperlites are easier to find because Lake Superior is down by six or so inches creating about 20 feet more of lakeshore to scan, Rintamaki explained. Participants have also been treated to some amazing sunsets because of wildfires in Canada.

The bulk of the Yooperlites discovered during tours this year have measured between the size of a quarter and that of an adult’s fist, Rintamaki said. On occasion there are larger-sized specimens, but as Rintamaki explained he prefers the smaller ones, as they are lighter in size, and often they glow brighter.