Mississippi
MS turkey hunter who thought hunt was ruined bags bird of a lifetime
‘I would call him a hybrid between a smoke phase and a red phase. He’s not a true smoke phase because of all the red in him.’
Hilarious video shows turkeys chasing delivery driver
Wild turkeys chased a UPS driver in Branford, Connecticut, as he tried to deliver packages.
A Mississippi turkey hunter’s season wasn’t off to a good start, but with a change in plans, a little scouting, some luck thrown in, he bagged a rare reddish-colored turkey and it’s considered a bird of a lifetime.
“I’d been hunting the same bird since opening day,” said Barrett Clark of Strong, which is located near West Point. “He finally frustrated me enough to where I just needed to go look for another bird.”
Clark wasn’t able to connect with the gobbler he was after. So, on Friday, March 20, he decided to check another property. He located a few gobblers that afternoon, but one looked different. It appeared to have a lighter color than normal, but Clark figured it was just the way the sunlight was hitting the bird.
The following morning, Clark and his father, Larry Clark, returned to the area in hopes of getting a shot at one of the birds.
A turkey hunt that was almost ruined
“We met and went in early Saturday morning,” Clark said. “We were probably 300 yards away from him when he started gobbling. It was right at sunrise. He was gobbling off the roost.”
The gobbler flew off the roost and continued to gobble. Clark said he lightly called the bird. Then, a gunshot rang out from a nearby property and the gobbling stopped. To make matters worse, minutes later a coyote appeared and it looked like he was after the turkey that had been gobbling.
“That coyote came within 15 feet of my dad and ran straight to where the turkey had been gobbling,” Clark said. “We thought our hunt was boogered up.”
MS hunter shoots turkey with strange colors
The hunt wasn’t over, though. About 10 or 15 minutes later the gobbling resumed and Clark lightly called back. A little later, Clark saw a turkey through the trees in the neighborhood of 100 yards away.
“I was really just seeing his head move,” Clark said. “I would see his fan occasionally, but it was mostly just his head. I could tell he was lighter, but I really wasn’t focused on that. I was trying to stay still and make a good shot.”
Clark said he was hunting in pines that were maybe 10 years old, and the understory was thick. The bird came within 50 yards of him, but there was no shot. The bird began to walk away but stepped into an opening, and Clark pulled the trigger of his 20-gauge shotgun.
Clark still didn’t understand what he’d shot. He said it was only when he and his father got closer that they realized how unusual it was.
“We could tell it was something that neither of us had ever seen,” Clark said.
What is it, and how rare is this turkey?
The bird is a light rust or cinnamon color and lacks any normal coloration, but putting a label on it isn’t easy.
“I would call him a hybrid between a smoke phase and a red phase,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “He’s not a true smoke phase because of all the red in him.”
Hinton couldn’t put a number on it, but he said a genetic trait like this is very rare.
“Like all the genetic mutations, it’s exceedingly rare in the wild,” Hinton said.
And for a gobbler to express such a genetic trait is even more rare. Hinton said that upwards of 95% of the turkeys that express such traits will be hens, not gobblers.
“It’s just a once-in-a-lifetime trophy for the hunter,” Hinton said.
A lifelong outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Brian Broom has been writing about hunting, fishing and Mississippi’s outdoors for the Clarion Ledger for more than 14 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.
STARKVILLE — The 2026 MLB Draft has arrived, and Mississippi State baseball is expected to have players picked.
Ace Reese, MSU’s star third baseman for the last two seasons, is a projected first-round pick. Many of the Bulldogs’ signees in the 2026 recruiting class are also draft prospects. How the draft unfolds will determine if they make it to Mississippi State next season like Jack Bauer and Jacob Parker did.
The draft begins July 11 (noon, NBC/Peacock) in Philadelphia with Rounds 1-4. Rounds 5-20 are on July 12 (10:30 a.m., MLB.com).
The Clarion Ledger is keeping track of all the Mississippi State draft picks, including signees and transfers.
Mississippi State baseball players picked in 2026 MLB Draft
This section will be updated.
Mississippi State baseball signees picked in 2026 MLB Draft
This section will be updated.
Mississippi State baseball transfers picked in 2026 MLB Draft
This section will be updated.
When does the MLB draft start today?
The MLB draft begins July 11 at noon CT with Rounds 1-4. Rounds 5-20 are July 12 starting at 10:30 a.m. CT.
How to watch the 2026 MLB Draft
July 11
- Picks 1-10: NBC/Peacock
- Picks 11-40: MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+
- Picks 41-135: MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+
July 12
- Rounds 5-20: MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+
Where is the 2026 MLB Draft?
The 2026 MLB Draft is in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from July 10 drawing
06-11-13-18-26
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from July 10 drawing
Midday: 8-0-9, FB: 3
Evening: 2-3-1, FB: 7
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from July 10 drawing
Midday: 9-0-5-0, FB: 3
Evening: 9-1-6-6, FB: 7
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 10 drawing
Midday: 01
Evening: 10
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Story continues below gallery.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.
Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:
Mississippi Lottery Corporation
P.O. Box 321462
Flowood, MS
39232
If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.
Mississippi Lottery Headquarters
1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100
Flowood, MS
39232
Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.
When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?
- Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.
JACKSON COUNTY, Ms. (WZTV) — The family of a Mississippi teenager whose body was found after he went missing Fourth of July weekend is now demanding answers.
On Friday, Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump , Rev. Al Sharpton and the family of Wells are holding a press conference to demand an investigation into the teen’s death.
Wells’ body was reportedly found Monday in the water near the end of Horn Island in Jackson County, Mississippi.
Rev. Sharpton opened the conference by stating there are too many unanswered questions to close the investigation into Wells’ death. He says Wells, who is Black, went on a boat with three white men, who returned with Wells’ phone and keys, but not Wells.
“We we’ve been told does not make sense,” Rev. Sharpton said. “There’s just too many questions where they should not be closing the investigation. This does not smell right.”
Attorney Crump leading an independent investigation into Wells’ death.
Investigators are asking anyone who was on or near Horn Island on July 4 to come forward, especially if they saw Wells, spoke with him, heard or saw any type of disturbance or have original photos or videos from the island.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigations Division at 228-769-3065 during regular business hours or 228-769-3063 after hours.
This is a developing story. Check back as we continue to update this story.
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