TV huntress Larysa Switlyk facing backlash after boasting of 'perfect 200 yard shot' as she killed goats on Scottish isle

"Hardcore Huntress" Larysa Switlyk films poses wit weapons and animals on her YouTube channel.
Larysa Unleashed/Youtube
Nick Charity24 October 2018

A TV "huntress" is facing a backlash after she boasted about her "perfect 200-yard shot" which killed a goat in Scotland, and posed with its corpse, prompting calls for a ban on trophy hunting.

Scotland's environment minister has been urged to look into the incident after a pair of hunters posed with a dead goat on the Scottish island of Islay, and posted pictured on Twitter and Instagram.

Larysa Switlyk, who calls herself a "hardcore huntress," posted the photos of herself beside the "beautiful wild goat" she had just killed, in what she described as "such a fun hunt!".

"We hunted hard for a big one for 2 days and finally got on this group, "said the hunter of Wild TV, and the American "Pursuit" channel. "Made a perfect 200 yard shot and dropped him with the Gunwerks and Nightforce optics!"

"Good thing too because he could have ran off the cliff into the water."

The posts were met with derision on social media as people criticised them for killing defenceless animals.

Actor Robert Lindsay was one of them, saying "With t**** like you in this world no wonder a defenceless harmless goat wants to hide."

Twitter

Deirdre McIntosh tweeted: "This image makes me feel physically sick!"

Another person asked the hunting show host: "Why, what did this animal ever do to you ? I’m not a vegan but killing animals just for fun is sick. It is just sick."

Some even called on Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP to act, and after the photos emerged, Scottish minister Mike Russell called for an end of the hunting of wild goats on the island.

He told Scottish radio that goat hunting was worse than hunting red deer, which is "very firmly regulated", as goats have no natural predators.

He added: "The pictures are horrific. Obviously deer culling and deer stalking is established on the island and it's a necessary thing to do considering the lack of control of deer numbers.

"But to see people in camouflage with highly powered sniper rifles rejoicing at the killing of a goat, let alone a ram, is simply unacceptable.

"The vast majority of people would just not regard this as something that should be happening in their country.

"There has been something of an outcry already about it and as a local MSP I have now raised it with the environment minister because I think it's really undesirable and unpleasant."

The animals are classed as an invasive, non-native species in the UK, and hunting them on private land is not illegal.

Culls have been carried out in some areas to reduce numbers, while contraceptive darts have also been used to stop the animals over reproducing.

Ms Switlyk and her companion, Jason, also posed next to a "monstrous" red stag, and said her team captured the day on film.

Greens MSP Mark Ruskell also urged the Scottish government to "make it known that bloodsport participants are unwelcome to visit Scotland for the barbaric practice" - hunting tourism is believed to be worth £155 million to the Scottish economy each year.

Ms Switlyk's website depicts her glorifying hunting with images of posing with her bow like Tomb Raider's Lara Croft, and traversing wild lands with massive antlers draped over her shoulders.

She is sponsored by numerous weapons and hunting accessory manufacturers, including Stag Arms, SOG knives, Montana Rifle Company and Nightforce optics.

The Standard asked her to comment on whether her tweets were insensitive, and she is yet to respond.

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