Kristi Noem Slammed After Sharing Graphic Photos Of Elk She Took Down During 'Super Fun' Hunting Trip

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was criticized after she shared several gory photos on Instagram of an elk she'd killed during a recent hunting trip.

The Instagram carousel, which the platform labeled as “sensitive content,” shows Noem and the other hunters smiling for the camera and posing with the elk’s carcass as if displaying a trophy from their “super fun hunt.” In several of the photos, Noem’s weapon is positioned beside the animal’s wound, with blood visibly seeping from the injury.

She wrote:

"Finally had a little time to post a few pictures of my archery elk. Super fun hunt with Patrick, Randy, Jason, and Taylor. The strategy and work paid off and I’m so grateful for their help and friendship."

You can see her post and the photos below.

@kristinoem/X

Seeing that Noem killed another animal angered the public because she once killed her "untrainable" 14-month-old puppy, Cricket, because she wasn't good at hunting and was too excitable.

Noem laid out the decision to kill the dog in her memoir No Going Back. She wrote that “Cricket was a wirehair pointer, about 14 months old" with an “aggressive personality." She said she "hated" the "untrainable" dog and decided to shoot Cricket after taking her to a gravel pit.

The disturbing anecdote first garnered attention after The Guardian reported on it, noting that Noem also wrote about killing a goat she claimed was "nasty and mean" and “loved to chase” Noem's children.

Noem has defended the decision to kill her dog, framing the story as an example of the grimmer aspects of farm life that sometimes have to be faced. She said she has "never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle" and that she had simply "followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor."

She was criticized after publishing her post.

Not a good look, Kristi.