Eagle hunter with his Golden Eagle @Bayan-Ulgii
There are many varieties of eagles but the Mongolian Kazakhs prefer the majestic Golden Eagle. The Golden eagle is a graceful creature. It has the sharpest talons and a wingspan of over two meters. A fully grown bird can weigh as much as 10 kg.
The Eagles are taken from their high eyries when they are mere eaglets. In most cases, female eaglets are preferred because they grow larger.
The eagle is trained over a number of years
Hunting with eagles requires a lot of preparation and training. The first rule in training an eagle to hunt is to treat it with respect and gentleness like it is a baby. The budding eagle hunter should never cry or shout around the eagle because the eagle might get frightened. Care should be taken to see that the eagle is not ill-treated or given any other causes for complaint. If not, the eagle might fly away and never come back.
Eagle hunters @Bayan-Ulgii
The trainer also constantly hums, sings and speaks to his bird to imprint his voice its memory. He must keep the eagle on his hand with a hood on its head for long durations. The hood keeps the eagle calm and dependent on its master.
When the eagle is trained sufficiently, the eagle hunter takes his eagle to a high ridge or mountain with a good view of the surrounding countryside. Once he spots a prey, he removes the hood from the eagle's eyes and points it towards the prey. The eagle instinctively knows what to do and it flies away, towards its quarry. The eagle can hunt prey much larger than itself, including foxes and wolves. It can also hunt hares and other small creatures.
The final salute
Despite the eagle's utility, the hunter does not keep the eagle with him forever. He knows that the eagle must be returned to the wilderness so that it can help preserve the wild population. So after years of service, the eagle is released one last time. This time, the hunter won't collect the eagle.
High on a Craig, he has slaughtered a sheep, a parting gift for the eagle for serving him for so many years. This way, the eagle hunter ensures that future generations can also take part in this ancient sport.
Mongolia is famous for its annual Golden Eagle Festival where eagle fanciers and trainers gather from far away to showcase their Golden eagles and to hunt.
The event is usually held in early October in the Bayan-Ulgii province of Mongolia where many Kazakh people live. This is the best season to hunt with eagles because, at this time, the prey is easier to spot against the white snow. If you want to visit this event or to meet some eagle hunters, please contact us.
Tourist with Golden Eagle @Baya-Ulgii
