Warning: Distressing Images
Media Drum WorldA woman whose twin sister said she ‘smiled from ear to ear’ after hunting her first red stag claims she has received death threats since posting pictures of her trophy hunts online.
Rikke and Trine Jacobsen, from Ry, Denmark, have been hunting since the age of 10 years old, getting their hunting licence in 2015 after years of shadowing their father.
The 26-year-old twins believe their hobby has strengthened their friendship, with Rikke, a veterinary nurse, saying she’ll never forget ‘the glow’ on her sister’s face when she killed her first red stag in the Scottish Highlands.
Warning: Distressing Footage:
Rikke says her work as a veterinary nurse has only helped her passion for hunting, as her knowledge of animals’ anatomy increases her interest in finding out what organs their bullets go through.
In contrast Trine, who joined the military in 2014 and is now a physiotherapist, said she quickly realised that ‘guns and firearms are something [she is] very good at’, so she just ‘had to have the hunting licence as well’.
The twins have hunted various animals including foxes, boars, deer and pheasants, and believe that being self-sufficient in cooking meat they have hunted themselves is a ‘gratifying’ experience.
Media Drum WorldTo them, ‘hunting is a lifestyle’, with Rikke saying: ‘I live and breathe for nature, and to live and to provide myself through hunting and what nature can provide us with. It brings us closer to our ancestors.’
The 26-year-old disputes the typical perception of hunting held by the majority of people, that it’s ‘all about killing’, saying it’s so much more than that to the twins.
She explained:
There are so many preparations before, during and after the hunt. We respect all wildlife and animals, even though we go hunting. We do not harvest wildlife, we kill and eat them, but we respect it.
Without wildlife in our world, we would have nothing. So every time we kill, we say ‘thank you’ for the opportunity.
Media Drum WorldRikke went on to describe the time she witnessed Trine hunting her first red stag, describing it as a ‘great memory’, adding: ‘The glowing look on her face when she saw that big animal fall was unforgettable.’
She continued:
Her smile stretched from ear to ear. Seeing that look made me realise how special these experiences really are and we get to experience it together. The thought that we have this passion together is what I love, and it has brought us closer together with our father.
To go home with meat you have hunted yourself, and to be so self-sustainable is really satisfying. Food brings people together, and when you have a hunting story behind it – it brings out so much joy and happiness.
Media Drum WorldTrine said hunting has ‘always been a big part of [her] life’, as her father, grandfather and all her uncles are hunters. She said the best thing about hunting is being able to ‘share it with the ones you love’.
She continued: ‘Rikke and I are so close, and to have this together has brought us even closer. As much I enjoy going hunting and killing an animal myself, I enjoy just as much seeing Rikke do it. It’s an adventure every time we go out.’
Regardless of how close they feel it makes them, the twins’ choice of hobby has led to them being on the receiving end of a lot of negative comments. ‘One guy wrote me a message once that I was a “killer slut”,’ Rikke explained. Another man told Trine ‘you may also suffer the same fate as the poor animals you are killing’.
Media Drum WorldDespite this, the twins insist they ‘don’t really care’ because it’s ‘their way of living’. And even though they admit they feel some remorse over the animals they kill, with Rikke saying she thinks ‘all hunters feel remorse over the animals they kill because we do not hate them, we respect them’, ultimately they believe they’re doing good.
Almost every animal they kill they eat, except for foxes, which they say they must kill to control their population. ‘Foxes are our biggest predator in Denmark – and if we don’t shoot some of them, there will be too many,’ Rikke explained.
She continued:
In cities and towns, foxes will eat whatever they can find – thrown away takeaway meals, food left out for cats or birds.
We don’t need the foxes or any other predators to be too familiar with people, so we need fox hunting – otherwise we will see them visiting children on playgrounds or our dogs in the gardens.
Media Drum WorldBecause of this, they believe they are doing the world a favour and so in their minds, their actions are justified.
The twins regularly post pictures of their hunts to Instagram.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).