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‘He was just a monster.’ Mississippi teen deer hunter harvests giant 167-inch buck

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‘He was just a monster.’ Mississippi teen deer hunter harvests giant 167-inch buck



‘It was getting darker and I had four bucks fighting in front of me. When he walked up he was on a march.’

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A Mississippi teen first got a particular buck on camera two years ago and although it was a 10-point, it didn’t really stand out. Since the buck appeared to be young, the teen’s father said they should let him grow and two years later that decision paid off with a huge buck that unofficially gross-scored 167 inches.

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“He was nothing special,” said Walker Hilbun, 18, of Starkville. “He was 3 1/2 (years old) and my dad said we should let him go and it was a really good thing we did.

“The next year I passed on the deer four or five times. It was extremely hard to do. It was hard to let him go last year.”

When the buck showed up on camera this summer, it was a different story.

“He was just a monster with tons of mass and tons of points on him,” Hilbun said. “I was extremely happy I let him go last year and immediately wanted to kill him this year.”

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Acorns make hunting the big buck difficult

Harvesting the buck was easier said than done. Hilbun said Patterning the buck was difficult because the cameras on the Oktibbeha County property where he was hunting were set up on food plots and at a feeder, but the buck wasn’t frequenting those spots.

Instead, the buck appeared to be feeding on the early crop of acorns in wooded areas, so that’s where Hilbun focused his efforts, but the plan wasn’t working. A month into the season, Hilbun had not had an encounter with the buck.

On Nov. 1, the buck decided to eat something other than acorns. While Hilbun was hunting in a wooded area, the buck showed up on camera at a nearby food plot.

That prompted a change. Hilbun said his dad said he should hunt out of a shooting house at the food plot in case the buck came back. The following afternoon, that’s what Hilbun did.

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A food plot filled with deer

“I got in the stand at 3:15,” Hilbun said. “I saw lots of deer. I ended up seeing about 30 deer in the food plot.”

And soon enough, the big buck decided to join them.

“He did pop out at 5:30, 5:35 and I watched him,” Hilbun said. “He’d feed to me and then feed back.”

The buck continued grazing in the food plot for about an hour, but stayed out of range of Hilbun’s bow. Then something happened the buck couldn’t resist.

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“It was getting darker, and I had four bucks fighting in front of me,” Hilbun said. “When he walked up he was on a march.”

Hilbun said he was nervous, but he managed to stay calm until he got a shot.

“It was right before dark,” Hilbun said. “I slowly drew back and when I shot he was at 27 yards, I think. I was really confident in my shot.”

Even though Hilbun was confident in his shot, his nerves finally got the best of him.

“I was really shaken up,” Hilbun said. “I was super nervous.”

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Long, sleepless night ends with buck of Mississippi hunter’s dreams

Hilbun said he didn’t track the deer that evening because he didn’t want to risk jumping the buck before it expired. He didn’t have to worry about the meat spoiling because the temperatures went down into the low 60s that night.

Even so, it was a long night. Hilbun said he didn’t sleep as he replayed the shot in his mind over and over. The following morning, a handler came with a tracking dog to help with the recovery and it wasn’t long before Hilbun put his hands on the buck.

“It was the best moment in my life, probably,” Hilbun said. “He was just as big as I thought he was. I was really shaken up and excited.”

And there was a lot to be excited about. The buck had 11 points plus a kicker on one of his brow tines. The inside spread was 17 3/4 inches. The G3s measured over 7 inches and the other nine points racked up inches as well.

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And the mass was, well, massive. Hilbun said the total circumference measurements came to roughly 40 inches with a total rough score of 167.

The buck is the biggest he’s ever taken and he realizes he may never harvest another of that size. However, that doesn’t mean Hilbun won’t try.

“It’s probably not super likely, but I can’t kill one if I don’t hunt,” Hilbun said.

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

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11 indicted in $12.3 million Mississippi Medicaid fraud scheme, AG says

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11 indicted in .3 million Mississippi Medicaid fraud scheme, AG says


JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Eleven people have been indicted in connection with an alleged Medicaid fraud scheme involving more than $12.3 million.

This according to Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who said the indictments involve allegations of fraudulent billing, wire fraud, and/or false documentation seeking to defraud the government.

All 11 charged include:

  • Isluv Robertson, 36, of Jackson
  • Shawncee Vassar-Cunningham, 51, of Olive Branch
  • Katricia Smith, 47, of Olive Branch
  • Sheila Boney Collins, 53, of Hollandale
  • Ahyana Nicole Crosby, 34, of Laurel
  • Angela Nannette Crosby, 51, of Laurel
  • Yolanda Evette Blackman, 54, of Hattiesburg
  • Linda Jenkins, 46, of Hermanville
  • Deja Almore, 30, of Yazoo City
  • Curtis Moore, 51, of Gulfport
  • Taylor Christian Rushing, 34, of Gautier

Officials said the defendants are accused of participating in health care fraud schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in intended loss.

“These indictments are just the latest efforts we are taking to fight waste, fraud, and corruption,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I am proud to partner with President Trump to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure that money meant to help those in need is not stolen from safety net programs. I will remain laser-focused on rooting out fraud, recovering money wrongfully stolen from hard-working taxpayers, and holding fraudsters accountable.”

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Copyright 2026 WLBT. All rights reserved.



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Governor: At least 47 homes, 50 roads damaged by Mississippi storms, flooding – SuperTalk Mississippi

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Governor: At least 47 homes, 50 roads damaged by Mississippi storms, flooding – SuperTalk Mississippi


Gov. Tate Reeves has released updated damage assessments following the severe weather and flooding that inundated parts of southern Mississippi last week.

According to Reeves, assessments through the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency are ongoing, and disaster aid is still being distributed through a mix of federal, state, and local agencies, along with nonprofits. But numbers as of Monday morning showed dozens of homes and businesses damaged and even more public roads affected.

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Among the counties with significant impacts are Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Jackson, Pearl River, Perry and Stone. Across those counties and others, at least 47 homes were affected, seven of which were completely destroyed. Nine businesses sustained damaged, six of which are considered major. One farm sustained major damage.

A Harrison County roadway is flooded by the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Photo by Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via SuperTalk Mississippi News)

50 public roadways were affected, including four that are considered major and four that were completely destroyed. Two bridges sustained major damage, while two public buildings sustained minor damage.

Reeves said two rivers are in the moderate flood stage – Leaf River near McClain and the Pascagoula River at Graham Ferry.

15 other waterways are in the minor flood stage: Big Black River near Bentonia, Biloxi River near Lyman, Chickasawhay River at Enterprise, Chickasawhay River at Leakesville, East Hobolochitto Creek near Caesar, Pascagoula River at Merrill, Pearl River at Jackson, Pearl River near Pearl River, Pearl River near Philadelphia, Pearl River at Rockport, Strong River at D’Lo, Tallahala Creek at Laurel, Tuscolameta Creek at Laurel, West Hobolochitto Creek near McNeill, and Wolf River around Gulfport.

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A sinkhole caused by flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur is seen in Covington County on Friday, June 19, 2026. (Photo courtesy of the Covington County Emergency Management Agency)

Damage reports could have worsened on Monday with additional rounds of severe weather in some parts of the state. The worst of the storms and floods came with the remnants of what was Tropical Storm Arthur late last week and into the weekend.



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Family of 1-year-old killed by police at a Walmart in Mississippi wants video released

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Family of 1-year-old killed by police at a Walmart in Mississippi wants video released


(AP) – A Mississippi family whose 1-year-old child was killed when police fired into a moving vehicle said Monday they want authorities to release video showing whether officers were in danger of being struck when one of them opened fire.

The shooting has sparked outrage in the small city of Senatobia, where some say it’s the latest in a series of troubling encounters between police and Black residents.

Kohen Wiley was riding with his mother and another woman in a Walmart parking lot on June 14 when police responded to a shoplifting call. The family says they were driving away, while the officers say the car was heading toward them.

This undated photo provided by Veronica Roberson in June 2026 shows her grandson, Kohen Wiley, of Senatobia, Miss.(Veronica Roberson | Veronica Roberson via AP)

“I watched my baby take his first breath, and I watched my baby take his last breath,” Vellesiya Wiley said at a news conference Monday.

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The other woman in the car, whose name has not been released, suffered “critical injuries,” according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the inquiry.

Standing alongside Kohen’s parents and grandparents at a local church, civil rights attorney Ben Crump told reporters Monday that the best way to determine whether the officers were at risk is to publicly release any body camera, dash camera or Walmart security camera video.

“If that is the truth, then show us that,” Crump said. “The longer you delay releasing the video, the more distrustful we become.”

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation declined to comment on what videos investigators have or whether they would be released, agency spokesperson Bailey Martin said Monday.

“This case has been made a top priority,” Martin said in an emailed statement, “and we currently have multiple agents working tirelessly to ensure every aspect of the investigation is thoroughly examined.”

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The agency says the officers weren’t hurt. Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford did not return a phone message seeking comment Monday.

State investigators gave an initial account of the shooting last week, saying that when Senatobia police arrived at the Walmart, they found two women and a child getting into a car and driving away.

“Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene,” the agency statement said.

Kohen’s mother has said the shoplifting call was over a box of diapers that her friend was carrying — and that she believes her friend had paid for the diapers. State investigators declined to comment on those details.

Crump questioned why police didn’t let the car go and take down the license plate number.

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“They were called over a box of diapers and a family now has to bury their baby,” Crump said Monday. “You cannot put those two things next to each other and call it reasonable policing.”

Crump also said an independent autopsy would be performed.

While there’s no question the child was shot by police, he said, details about the angles at which any bullets struck the child could yield clues as to whether the officer fired from in front of the car or off to the side — and therefore whether that officer was in any danger.

Policing expert Ian Adams, who teaches criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, told The Associated Press last week that police should know that “shooting into a moving vehicle is a very bad idea and one to be avoided at almost all costs,” noting the danger to passengers and other bystanders.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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