NATCHEZ — The Miss-Lou’s wooded areas will be covered with squirrel hunters from all over the region next week as dozens of hunters flock to the area to participate in the 11th Annual Redneck Adventures Squirrel Hunt.

Redneck Adventures’ Jim Allgood said the event has continued to grow since its inaugural year.

“Folks from all walks of life come to the Miss-Lou (for the event),” Allgood said. “Many have purchased the rights at hunting and fishing banquets to bring father and son or mother and daughter to the event. Then we have a mixture of wounded war heroes, special needs kids and adults to those stricken with cancer and other disabilities.”

Allgood said the hunters will go out Friday for a squirrel hunt that will include volunteer squirrel dog trainers from all over the region.

After Friday’s hunt the guests will head to the Riverview RV Park to enjoy a dinner prepared by Carriage House chef Bingo Starr and chef Red Owens.

Allgood said approximately 250 people are expected at the dinner, which will also include entertainment.

Dinner and entertainment will be part of Friday night’s awareness banquet. The banquet features live and silent auctions, which raise funds for future Redneck Adventures events, Allgood said.

Saturday the hunting will get serious when the special needs hunters are paired with groups of top-notch squirrel dogs and squirrel hunters to compete for the chance to be named the event’s top squirrel hunter.

“We break them into teams, and we try to place special needs hunters on these teams for a friendly competition,” Allgood said. “They compete for prizes and yearly bragging rights.”

Allgood said this year’s event will see some new faces and also several returning hunters like 11-year-old Austin Dungan.

Dungan is a student at Adams County Christian School, and he said he has been participating in the squirrel hunt for a few years.

“I just love the outdoors and having fun,” Dungan said. “I just like having fun (at the event) and being with the guys.”

Dungan said he killed six or seven squirrels last year, and that total brought his lifetime tally up to 17 squirrels.

Another Natchez-native, Dilou Smith, pulled off a rare feat at last year’s hunt, Allgood said.

“She got a Redneck Adventures squirrel grand slam by killing a fox squirrel, black squirrel and cat squirrel all on the same hunt,” Allgood said.

Allgood said being able to get the special needs hunters out in the woods is what makes the event special.

“Getting these folks outdoors takes a little extra effort, but the return of the smiles on their faces and the friends you make along the way are nothing short of awesome,” he said.

Allgood said the beauty of a squirrel hunt is that it allows the hunters to interact more.

“The great thing about doing a squirrel hunt is that it’s not like taking someone out one-on-one and sitting in a deer stand. Now we can take 250 people and bring them together.”

Allgood said volunteers that donate time and tools are what makes the event work.

“Most of the folks that donate time and effort do go the extra mile,” he said. “We have many that have handicap accessible golf carts and ATVs.”

For more information about participating in the squirrel hunt or auctions contact Allgood at 601-597-6658.