A 23-year-old huntress who kills and then poses with brown bears has slammed the ‘uneducated hypocrites’ who eat meat but threaten her for shooting wild animals.
Alexandra Tyutcheva is a hunting manager from Serpukhov, Russia and has been travelling up to 300 miles away from home to track down deer, bears and rams with her father, 53, since she was 18 years old.
Online trolls have labelled Alexandra a ‘cruel killer’ and said, ‘I wish it was you lying there instead of the bear’ in a series of vicious messages online. Others said her future children ‘will pay for that’.
But Alexandra revealed ‘hunting is part of who I am now’. She’s writing her bachelor degree thesis on the sport, and works to ensure hunts are ‘sustainable’ and ‘for conservation’.
She said: ‘There are many people that don’t understand and throw hate at you whilst having zero knowledge on the topic.
Alexandra Tyutcheva, 23, is a hunting manager from Serpukhov, Russia. She’s pictured with a Kamchatka brown bear she shot while on a hunt with her father, 53
Alexandra (pictured, left, and comparing her hand with the paw of a bear she killed, right) has been hunting with her father since she was 18 years old. Before that the pair went camping and fishing together
‘It’s hypocritical to eat meat and then also criticise people who work hard to provide their own meat for themselves. On Instagram, I share links to articles that educate people about sustainable and conservation hunting.’
Alexandra has been fishing and camping with her father since she was 12, but her mother and three sisters aren’t interested in joining them.
‘My father and I are very close. We spend a lot of time together hunting with our guests. My mum and three sisters don’t enjoy hunting but they support us. Hunting isn’t for everyone,’ she added.
Properly managed hunting ‘can increase the number of elephants in Africa by thousands or bighorn sheep in the US’, Alexandra claimed.
She blasted her critics for not understanding the effect of hunting on ecology.
No part of the animals Alexandra and her father kill go to waste. She dries out the skin, eats the meat, and boils antlers and horns for taxidermy.
Online trolls have labelled Alexandra a ‘cruel killer’ and said, ‘I wish it was you lying there instead of the bear’ in a series of vicious messages online. Others said her future children ‘will pay for that’
Alexandra (pictured as a child with her father) said her mother and three sisters are not as interested in hunting as her, but she added that it’s ‘not for everyone’
The hunting manager revealed hunting involves staying out in all weathers in an effort to track down the animals. Here she’s pictured in the snow with a moose
The pair will travel up to 300 miles to go hunting. Here she is pictured as a teenager with the head of a ram. She revealed they would use the horns for taxidermy
Alexandra and her father pose alongside one of their kills. Alexandra revealed ‘hunting is part of who I am now’. She’s writing her bachelor degree thesis on the sport, and works to ensure hunts are ‘sustainable’ and ‘for conservation’
Hunting is Alexandra’s ‘hobby, job and philosophy’. She said: ‘ I love the strong connection I have to nature and the understanding of how things work in life
During this hunt Alexandra took pictures with the head of a ram they had shot. Properly managed hunting ‘can increase the number of elephants in Africa by thousands or bighorn sheep in the US’, Alexandra explained
She added: ‘In Russia, it’s not unusual to drive five hundred kilometres to go hunting – especially if you live near a city – so you don’t go very often.
‘The biggest hunt I’ve had was a Kamchatka brown bear. We don’t weigh them but it must’ve been around two hundred and fifty kilograms.’
Hunting is Alexandra’s ‘hobby, job and philosophy’. She said: ‘I love the strong connection I have to nature and the understanding of how things work in life.
Going on a hunt involves camping, wearing head to toe camouflage gear and walking for miles as they track down an animal. Pictured left, posing on a tree and right, standing on the top of a mountain
No part of the animals Alexandra and her father kill go to waste. She dries out the skin (pictured), eats the meat, and boils antlers and horns for taxidermy
Alexandra is pictured with skulls and horns that she will boil and mount for decoration. Alexandra hopes to inspire others to embrace their passion as she does hers
Sometimes the hunt takes the father daughter pair onto the water as they track down the animal they want to shoot. Alexander is pictured as they prepare to go out onto a river
‘You challenge yourself in harsh conditions – storms, rain, and snow – but that’s just nature. You become more patient with experience.’
Alexandra hopes to inspire others to embrace their passion as she does hers. ‘Hunters, do not hide your passion or apologise for being a hunter,’ she added.
‘As for other people, do not judge something you don’t understand. Search for information and talk to people – try to learn. Curiosity and self-education is important.’