DOWAGIAC — The Dowagiac Conservation Club will host its 21st annual Hunter’s Rendezvous on Saturday, Jan. 27, at its club grounds, located at 54551 M-51 North, Dowagiac.

This event will run from noon to 6 p.m. and is open to the public. Admission is free to all.

The event will have a variety of activities occurring throughout the day. The club’s trophy barn will be open with various displays and will house certified scorers. People with trophies they would like scored may bring the trophies to the event and have them completed for free. People who bring any type of trophy for display will be entered into raffle for a Weatherby 12-guage pump shotgun.

New this year are two photo raffles — one for the best trail camera photo, in which participants can bring in a printed copy of any photograph that was captured on a trail cam. When submitting photos, participants will be entered into a raffle for a new trail cam. The other photo contest is for a photo featuring a youth sportsman (hunting, fishing, mushrooming, etc.). Youth who bring in a photo for display will be entered to win a Vivitar action camera.

Additionally, for youth aged 16 and younger, there will be a youth turkey calling contest, as well as hourly free raffles for all who attend. There will be other hands on activities for children to experience like fly tying, wood burning, carving and more.

Returning this year is the annual raffle where prizes include a YETI Tundra 45 cooler, a Ruger .450 Bushmaster rifle and the grand prize, a fully stocked freezer full of meats donated by several local farms. Also returning this year is the silent auction with various items including a pair of LaCrosse boots from Underwood Shoe Store, Swiss Valley ski rental/lift passes, gift card from Battle Creek’s Firekeepers Casino, a night’s stay at the Morris Inn, Kalamazoo Wings hockey tickets, various hunting knifes, hunting accessories, and much more.

Conservation Club members will be serving deer camp chili and hotdogs for a $5 donation.

Signups for the Annual Squirrel Hunt on Jan. 28, as well as the upcoming Youth Pheasant Hunt will be available during the day.

The Hunters Rendezvous is the club’s primary fundraiser for the youth education fund, which initiates various programs throughout the year. The money generated from this event is used to offer free youth related activities. Examples include hunters’ safety programs, wildlife encounters in local schools, sending youth to summer camps and organizing a youth pheasant hunt. The fund also supplies TRACKS magazine to area schools to serve as a teaching tool.  The event is designed to bring sportsmen/women of all ages together and to help introduce new people to the world of outdoor sports. Michigan United Conservation Club will have a representative on hand with information about the youth summer camps. This is the camp that the youth education fund sends several youth to each year.

For additional information about the Hunter’s Rendezvous or the Youth Education Programs at the Dowagiac Conservation Club, contact Craig Lyons (269) 876-7998 or Adam Maxey (269) 340-2358.