Midwest
Defiant Kristi Noem defends killing farm pup amid criticism from Dems, GOP
A defiant South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem hit back at critics following outrage over her upcoming memoir that reveals she once killed a dog.
“I can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old (sic) story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch, in my upcoming book — No Going Back. The book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons learned,” the Republican wrote in a social media post that was published on X on Sunday.
“The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down. Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did,” Noem continued.
Outrage spread across social media platforms late last week after The Guardian reported on an excerpt from Noem’s upcoming memoir “No Going Back,” which is set to be released on May 7. In the excerpt, Noem described taking her 14-month-old female dog, Cricket, to a “gravel pit” near her farm and shooting her because it was “less than worthless,” “untrainable” and had killed and eaten several chickens.
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She said Cricket had ruined a pheasant hunt when she went “out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.”
“It was not a pleasant job, but it had to be done. And after it was over, I realized another unpleasant job needed to be done,” she continued. In the book, Noem also described killing a “nasty and mean” goat at the same gravel pit, according to the report.
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The report garnered pushback online from Democrats and conservatives, who appeared shocked and outraged over the killing of the dog.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack/File)
“Omg – now my blood is boiling. Remember, I’m a country boy who lives on a ranch . There’s a huge difference between putting an old horse down who is suffering, than shooting a 18 month dog for being untrainable. But then to plug your book at the end,” popular conservative X account Catturd tweeted.
“Seriously, is it just me? I’m have (sic) no words,” he added.
New York Post columnist Miranda Devine commented, “No. Not normal. Shameful.”
“Anyone who has ever owned a birddog (sic) knows how disgusting, lazy and evil this is. Damn,” Democrat Montana gubernatorial candidate Ryan Busse posted.
Noem has been floated as a potential running mate in former President Trump’s effort to regain control of the White House in November. Critics, however, speculated that the controversy over killing her dog may have ended her career in politics.
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Noem initially addressed the controversy on Friday, posting on X that her family loves animals, “but tough decisions” are often made on farms.
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Gov. Kristi Noem takes the stage at a campaign rally on Nov. 2, 2022, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. (AP Photo/Stephen Groves)
“We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm. Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years,” she posted, encouraging people to purchase her memoir for “real, honest, and politically INcorrect stories that’ll have the media gasping.”
On Sunday, Noem said she does not shy away from difficult decisions and believes “people are looking for leaders who are authentic.”
“What I learned from my years of public service, especially leading South Dakota through COVID, is people are looking for leaders who are authentic, willing to learn from the past, and don’t shy away from tough challenges. My hope is anyone reading this book will have an understanding that I always work to make the best decisions I can for the people in my life,” she said.
“Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. Even if it’s hard and painful. I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor. As I explained in the book, it wasn’t easy. But often the easy way isn’t the right way,” she said.
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(WLUK) — Applications for Wisconsin’s 2026 elk season open next week.
The DNR says the application period begins Sunday, Mar 1 and will close on Sunday, May 31.
Selected applicants will be notified in early June.
For the third year in a row, there will be increased opportunity to pursue elk within the Central Elk Management Zone (formerly Black River Elk Range), as additional bull elk and antlerless harvest authorizations will be available through the state licensing system. The 2026 elk quota for the Central Elk Management Zone is six bull elk and six antlerless elk, up from a quota of four bull and five antlerless in 2025.
The Northern Elk Management Zone (formerly Clam Lake Elk Range) quota will be eight bull elk, subject to a 50% declaration by Ojibwe tribes.
During the open application period, applicants will have the choice to submit one bull elk license application and/or one antlerless elk license application, separately. Applicants can apply to any unit grouping with an associated quota for that authorization type (bull or antlerless). The order of drawing will be bull licenses first, followed by antlerless licenses. As a reminder, only one resident elk hunting license can be issued or transferred to a person in their lifetime, regardless of authorization type.
In 2026, there will be one continuous hunting season, opening Saturday, Oct. 17, and continuing through Sunday, Dec. 13, eliminating the split-season structure that was in effect from 2018-2025. This offers elk hunters more opportunities and flexibility to pursue elk in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin residents can submit elk license applications online through the Go Wild license portal or in person at a license sales agent. The application fee is $10 for each of the bull elk and antlerless elk drawings and is limited to one application per person, per authorization type. The DNR recommends that all applicants check and update their contact information to ensure contact with successful applicants.
For each application fee, $7 goes directly to elk management, monitoring and research. These funds also enhance elk habitat, which benefits elk and many other wildlife. If selected in the drawing, an elk hunting license costs $49.
Before obtaining an elk hunting license, all selected hunters must participate in a Wisconsin elk hunter education course. The class covers Wisconsin elk history, hunting regulations, biology, behavior and scouting/hunting techniques.
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