Shirtless — as is the default for Vladimir Putin holidays — the newly single Russian president and his sidekick, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev took off on a manly hunting trip in the country’s Siberian Tyva region this week.

The pair, who were also joined by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, were caught by official Russian photographers hunting, fishing, petting reindeer and otherwise looking macho.

These are the first Putin holiday pictures — which have become a anticipated annual release — to emerge since the Russian leader divorced his wife of almost 30 years in June.

Putin’s testosterone-fueled appearances have earned him the nickname “alpha-dog” in U.S. diplomatic cables. In the past he has been pictured sparring with his judo coach, flying a fighter jet, hunting Siberian tigers,  hugging and radio tagging a polar bear, bombing wildfires from a plane, revving up his three-wheeled Harley Davidson and posing with Hollywood hardman Steven Seagal.
Added to this list now will be Putin posing with a bloodied 20-pound pike.

While the president still enjoys widespread domestic support, the strongman images will provide a welcome distraction from controversy elsewhere in Russia:  on Friday, a court rejected an appeal by a member of Pussy Riot against a previous court ruling that denied her an early release.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has served a year and a half out of her two-year prison sentence and was appealing for parole. She was convicted of hooliganism.

That isn’t the only Putin social policy that’s been raising anger. Putin recently signed a law that will impose hefty fines for holding gay pride rallies or providing information about the gay community to minors.