This weekend, fearless teams of hunters will brave the wintry landscapes of Dowagiac’s great outdoors, in search a single prized game — squirrel.

The Dowagiac Conservation Club will cap-off its big Hunter’s Rendezvous weekend with its second-annual squirrel hunt on Sunday. Teams of two will compete against one another to shoot ten or less of the common rodent, with the total weight of each teams’ combined quarry determining the winner.

The conservation club began hosting the event last year, taking over from the previous organizers of the event. Despite the fierce blowing winds and winter conditions the previous evening, the competition still attracted lots of local hunting duos, said Audrey Atkinson, an organizer with the club.

“There were quite a few teams who showed up,” Atkinson said. “It went very, very well. In some cases, the participants were marching waist deep in snow, out hunting. There were a lot of squirrels out that day as well.”

The day will begin with a mandatory meeting at 7:45 a.m., with breakfast starting at 7 a.m. Following the meeting, the teams are free travel to any nearby grounds, fields or forests that permit hunting to catch their prey.

The club encourages hunters to bring their youngsters out with them for the morning as well.

“We had a lot of father-son and father-daughter teams who came out last year,” she said. “Quite a few girls participated last year.”

The weigh-in will take place back at the conservation club grounds at 4 p.m. sharp, with cash and other prizes to awarded to the winners shortly thereafter. Any late arrivals will be disqualified.

Only rimfire rifles or handguns will be allowed for the hunt, except for youths 14 or younger, who are allowed to use shotguns. Dogs are also forbidden from use.

With conditions looking improved over last year, Atkinson is hoping that even more teams will make it out to this year’s event.

“It’s a good wintertime activity,” she said.

Registration costs $20. The size of cash prizes will be determined by the number of participants.

To sign up for this event, contact the Atkinson household at 269-424-5186. Hunters can also sign up and learn more about the event at the Hunter’s Rendezvous, which takes place on Jan. 31, 2015 at the Dowagiac Conservation Club, located just north of Dowagiac on M-51 North.