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NATCHEZ — Squirrels of the Miss-Lou beware! Participants in the 25th annual Miss-Lou Outdoors Extravaganza Redneck Adventures World Championship Squirrel Hunt are coming after you.

Squirrel hunters and their world-class squirrel dogs will converge on the Miss-Lou on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22. Eager hunters from all over the U.S. hope to capture the title of World Champion Squirrel Hunter

“It’s a fun fundraiser for our non-profit organization TEAM (Together Each Achieves More) Up 4 All,” said event founder Jimmy Allgood of Natchez.

TEAM Up 4 All is a 501c3 non-profit organization that benefits a number of causes, including Allgood’s accredited film and technology program that involves a multitude of students from all Natchez schools — public, private, and parochial.

“It all started 25 years ago as the LSU versus Ole Miss squirrel hunt by Redneck Adventures. It transformed after the first years into something bigger that benefits a bunch of groups and people in need, like wounded soldiers and veterans, special needs kids, adults battling setbacks, including those who serve and protect,” Allgood said.

The weekend begins Friday night with a banquet at the Vidalia Convention Center. Hunt masters Glen and Dustin Carroll of Natchez, father and son, will break hunters into teams and will reveal where those teams will hunt at the Friday night banquet.

“Glen Carroll has been hunt master since Day 1,” Allgood said. “We hunt in about an 80-mile radius of Natchez. We go from Jena, Louisiana, to Harrisonburg, Louisiana, to Woodville, Port Gibson and Liberty.”

The banquet will be a celebration of hunting, sports, food and music, and a family-friendly event.

“Former LSU football players, pro athletes from the past and future, race car drivers, TV celebrities, movie stars, wounded warriors and people from all walks of life are expected to attend,” he said.

VIP tables and vendor booths are still available. Doors to the Vidalia Convention Center will open at 5 p.m.; music and entertainment will begin at 5:30 and continue until 7 p.m. Dinner is at 6 p.m. The live auctions and raffle auction begins at 7 p.m. Donnie McIlwain of McIlwain Auction Services will conduct the auctions.

“We’ve got kids packages, girlfriend getaways, other trips, outdoor gear, and autographed memorabilia that is only available at this event,” Allgood said.

Chef Charlie Galatas, the creator of the seasoning Sweet Heat for Your Meat, will create and serve his pastalaya. Galatas was raised in south Louisiana, has been cooking for more than 30 years, and has won several wild game cooking and gumbo competitions.

The easiest way to purchase tickets is to email redneckadventure@yahoo.com or kfnvtraffic@gmail.com. Those wishing to purchase tickets can also call 601-597-6658.

“Thousands over the past 24 years have enjoyed this life-changing and life-saving event,” Allgood said. “Five men and women soldiers over the years have admitted at different events that they were planning on committing suicide but came to our events and decided to live.”

Hunters will meet at 6 a.m. on Saturday at select locations and depart for the woods.

“They will return around noon, and we will crown a world champion,” he said.

“This is the largest hunting event of its kind every year in the Miss-Lou, and the funds raised here truly stay on the ground here with our students from all of our area schools,” Allgood said. “I would love to fill that convention hall on Friday night to help our kids and the soldiers.”