'People tell me she's going to be a murderer or an assassin': Mother, 23, who started hunting as a child reveals fierce backlash she's had for bringing along her daughter, 4, to 'teach her where meat comes from'
- Jesica Murphy, 23, from Raglan, New Zealand, started hunting at the age of four
- She has now started talking her daughter Lyla, four, along on her hunting trips
- Mother-of-one been sent hateful comments about decision to take Lyla along
- She claims people have told her that Lyla will become 'a murderer or an assassin'
- WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES A mother, who started hunting when she was a child, said she plans to get her daughter, four, involved too despite backlash from online trolls.
Jesica Murphy, 23, from Raglan, New Zealand, has received numerous comments on her Instagram page dedicated to hunting from people who are outraged by her passion.
And the stay-at-home mother, who is getting her daughter Lyla into the activity, has been warned her child is 'going to be a murderer or an assassin'.
Jesica Murphy, 23, from Raglan, New Zealand, (pictured) was told by trolls on her Instagram page that her daughter Lyla, four, would 'become a murdered or an assassin' because she takes her on hunting trups
Despite the backlash she has received from trolls online, Jesica has been taking Lyla along on her trips and the pair often pose for pictures with their catches together
After weeks of non-stop asking, Jesica's stepdad Brendan, 40, began taking her hunting every week when she was just four-years-old.
This soon became a routine and Jesica then began hunting alongside her grandfather Ray Crake, 70, as well.
Now, Jesica is hoping to do the same for her daughter Lyla who loves to accompany her on shooting trips - taking on deer, magpies, possums, and rabbits. The doting mother is able to teach Lyla where her meat comes from and how to respect wildlife as a food source.
While many people have supported her content on Instagram and commended her for being a role model to the younger generations, others are not convinced.
Some called her a 'murderer' or told her to 'bathe in your own mother's blood.' Some have even told Jesica she's raising Lyla to be a 'murderer or assassin.'
Jesica started off hunting when her stepdad Brendan, 40, began taking her hunting every week when she was just four years old
The mother-of-one wants to teach her daughter where her meat comes from and how to respect wildlife as a food source
Lyla often accompanies her mother on shooting trips - taking on deer, magpies, possums, and rabbits
In these situations, she said she tries to explain the benefits of her lifestyle, comparing her free-range meat to mass-produced caged meat available from most supermarkets - but in many cases, she doesn't respond at all.
And it is not just her daughter getting involved. Jesica has started teaching other children how to hunt who might not ordinarily have access to such outdoor activities.
She hopes to educate others on the benefits of organic meat whilst teaching them how to respect nature.
Jesica now begins her hunts just before daybreak accompanied by her dogs which she uses to track and catch her prey - usually pigs - and then she will arrive to finish the hunt.
She says being surrounded by nature allows her to reset mentally and eases her stress.
If the hunt is successful, she will transport the meat to a chiller to set for a few days and then the animal is skinned and cut up and the resulting meat is used to feed the family.
Jesica's hunts begin at daybreak accompanied by her dogs which she uses to track and catch her prey before she finishes the hunt
Anything she successfully hunts is transported to a chiller to set for a few days and then the animal is skinned and cut up
While many people have supported her content on Instagram and commended her for being a role model to the younger generations, others weren't so convinced
If Jesica has excess, she donates it to those in need because the meat is both organic and free-range.
To date, the biggest animal she has hunted was a bull tahr, which can weigh up to 300-pounds at full adult size, on New Zealand's South Island.
Unfortunately, sometimes Jesica's petite frame can often be a hindrance when it comes to big game.
On one occasion, she fractured her spine and sprained her hip from transporting a 99lb pig when she was just 12.
Jesica said: 'Most mornings begin early in the morning just as daybreaks. It's always cold, but the air is so fresh. We get up to a hot cuppa, let the dogs out, and load up into our Utes.
'Once we get to where we're hunting, we put tracking gear on the dogs and search for sign of the pigs.
Some people online have called Jesica a 'murderer' or told her to 'bathe in your own mother's blood' while other have even told her she's raising Lyla (pictured) to be a 'murderer' or 'assassin'
Jesica has also started teaching other children how to hunt who might not ordinarily have access to such outdoor activities
Jesica explained that being surrounded by nature allows her to reset mentally and eases her stress
'I love the feeling the bush gives me. Every time I head into the hills with my dogs, it resets my mental health, all my worries, stress and brain fog lifts.
'Hearing the birds and really just wandering through the bush in our country is so beautiful. We don't do it just to kill animals, we do it to feed families, exercise and also reset ourselves.'
When she first started out hunting with her daughter, Jesica used to carry Lyla around in a pack through the bush and around the hills.
She said: 'Pig hunting isn't her favourite thing to do at the moment because the amount of walking required is a little too much for her little legs, she absolutely loves to go out shooting.
'I love that we get to teach and show her where her meat that we have for dinner really comes from. Knowing that when she grows, she'll know how to respectfully use our wildlife as a food source to feed herself and others around her is a very proud feeling.'
If there is excess meat left after a hunt, Jesica donates it to those in need as the meat is both organic and free-range
Unfortunately, one downside is Jesica's petite frame which can often be a hindrance when it comes to big game
On one occasion, Jesica fractured her spine and sprained her hip from transporting a 99-pound pig when she was just 12
The keen hunter started up her Instagram, separate from her personal account, because her a lot of her friends weren't 'into hunting' but before long she began to gain a large following.
She said: 'People have said how much it inspires them to see my pictures out hunting, how awesome it is to see a female hunter so passionate, and how great of a role model I am not only to my daughter, but to the younger generations.
'I have also received numerous death threats telling me to kill myself in as many different ways as they can.
'I received hundreds and hundreds of hateful comments and messages about my daughter, telling me she's going to be a murderer or an assassin when she's older and that I've messed her up for life and this is not how to raise a child.
'It's bizarre the way people think they can judge and talk to others in this way just because of our lifestyle and because we choose to source our free-range meat organically instead of eating meat from an animal that's been caged its entire life and is pumped full of hormones and other chemicals to make it grow faster and abnormally.
She explained that several people have reached out to her and told her how inspiring her Instagram page is
When she first started out hunting with her daughter, Jesica used to carry Lyla around in a pack through the bush and around the hills
The keen hunter started up her Instagram, separate from her personal account, because her a lot of her friends weren't 'into hunting' and soon gathered a significant following
'I found the best way to respond was by not responding at all. I was taught this way of life and couldn't be more thankful for it, no hateful comments are going to change that.
'I take out a heap of kids that don't get the opportunity to hunt and plan on doing so as much as I can. I believe it's all about teaching the next generation so there will always be the right knowledge passed down over the years.
'We all have our own ways of living - no two of us are the same. Some vegan, some vegetarian, some who get their meat from the supermarket, and then there's us who like to source our own meat organically.
'Just because we have our own beliefs, there's no reason to criticise others for the way they live their own lives.'
To date, the biggest animal she has hunted was a bull tahr, which can weigh up to 300-pounds at full adult size, on New Zealand's South Island
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