Eagle Hunters Festival in Western Mongolia September 17-18, 2024, September 21-22, 2024 September 28-29, 2024 October 5-6, 2024
Eagle Hunters
According to historical records, eagle hunting dates back three thousand years. In Marco Polo’s writings, he mentions that Kublai Khan (Chingis Khan’s grandson) had 500 white falcons and other hunting birds and that 10,000 servants (hunters) took care of the birds.
During the Middle Ages in Central Asia, kings and lords hunted with the birds and special places were reserved in their castles for them. The hunters were respected people among those who worked for the king, because the people who were nominated as hunters and caretakers of the birds were aristocrats and merchants or warriors with wealthy backgrounds.
According to some historical accounts, Chingis Khan’s son Joshi had three thousand eagle hunters in his time.
Nowadays, the Kazakhs of Mongolia continue their ancestors’ golden eagle hunting tradition during the cold months. One of the last Kazakhz Mongolian Eagle hunters still hunts golden eagles. The cool season is the best time for both the eagles as well as for the hunters; the ideal period to retrieve the most colorful and valuable fur skins.
The female eagle is the toughest—females are more aggressive and heavier than males and are almost always used for hunting.
There are many ways to get an eagle, but the most common three ways are: to get an eagle from the nest when it is a baby and just before they are ready to fly far, to take proper mature eagles, or to take eagles from the wild. Mature eagles inherit hunting skills from their mothers. They can be very good hunting birds but need patience and effort to be trained. To catch mature birds, hunters use nets and animals alive or dead.
An eagle can be as valuable as a horse; in ancient times, the Golden Eagle Hunters of Mongolia offered to trade a horse for a good eagle. Mongolian golden eagle hunting is one of the most unique features of Kazakh life. The hunter is called a kusbegi. The experience of training wild birds was developed by Kazakh kusbegi over many centuries and the secrets were passed from the father to the son and kept highly guarded within the family.
The Kazakhs call male eagles sarsha and female eagles uiabasar. When a female eagle reaches four years old she will be ready for making nests and a family. Male and female eagles mate for life. Each couple has two or three nests which they often change. An eagle has sharp vision which can find prey from up to 10km away.
During March and April, the female lays one to three eggs (she sits on them for about 45 days) and it will take four months for her chicks to be ready to fly. The first flight will be with the support of the mother. Golden eagles can live up to 80 years, weigh between four and five kilograms, and can fly 150km/h at six to seven kilometers high.
The Mongolian Eagle Hunters name their eagles based on age: until 1 year – balapan, 2-years – kantubit, 3-years – tyrnekl, 4-years – tastulek, 5-years – muzbalak, 6-years – koktubit, 7-years – kana, 8-years – zhana, 9-years – maytubit, 10-years – barkyn, 11-years – barshyn, 12-years – shogel.
Kazakhs use many techniques to catch an eagle. Here are a few techniques most used by hunters:
Uiadan Alu - This technique is used for taking balapan (1-year) eagles from the nest. This is considered a difficult tactic because the nests are located high where and are hard to access.
Tor Huru or By Net - Most eagle hunters use this technique to catch mature eagles. A two meter long net has to be set round not touching the ground. A real animal, a stuffed animal, or a bird has to be placed in middle of the circle. The space below, between the net and the ground, should be open and free for small birds to come through in and out.
The color of the net should be same as ground. The eagle will feel jealous that other birds are eating the food and will swoop down and be caught in the net. These last two techniques need more patience, effort, and luck. The first two techniques are the most common used by eagle hunters.
Ushiryp Alu - This Mongolian golden eagle hunting technique requires many people to work together to catch the eagle. It is used to catch balapan eagles with developed body structures that and ready to fly without the mother’s help.
Kakhpanmen Ustau or Trap - The location is important to use this technique. For example, the trap has to be set close to the place where an eagle has its nest, at the tops of mountains. The trap needs to be wrapped with felt so as not to hurt the bird. It should be set close to the bait but in a slightly higher spot. When an eagle comes close to the food, it will land nearby where the trap is set
The eagle is also a superstitious bird for the Kazakhs Tribe. Keeping an eagle head and talons in the house, sweeping the room with an eagle feather, hanging talons and the beak on a newborn baby’s cradle, bringing the eagle close to women who are about to give birth, and setting an eagle on the head of a person who has mental problems are all superstitions that Kazakhs adhere to. They are all signified as a cure, luck, and protection against evil and harm.
Eagle training isn’t an easy job. After an eagle is brought home, the training will start. Training mature eagles is much more difficult and takes a lot of time and patience, as opposed to training an eagle caught young. The Golden Eagle Hunters of Mongolia use many techniques to train an eagle and to help to make the eagle less aggressive, even keeping the eagle awake for extended periods of time in order to break the eagle, much as a wild horse is broken in. The caught bird gradually grows more accustomed to its owner. It can take feed (bits of uncooked meat) only from the hands of the owner so as to build trust between the owner and the eagle.
After the bird gets used to the hunter and his horse and dog, the hunter begins to train it to hunt for stuffed foxes. Only after all of these things does the real hunting begin. Specially trained eagles hunt for small animals: rabbits, foxes, partridges, and black hazel grouses.
Specially prepared equipment for hunting birds includes: a coverlet to wrap the eagle, a hood, a couch and a leash. Additionally, a baldak – a special wooden prop for the hunter’s arm – is used on horseback and a shyrga – a skin of hare or fox stuffed with straw. The hunter drags the shyrga along the steppe with a long rope and teaches the eagle to attack prey. Kusbegi, the hunter, must have inexhaustible patience and persistence. Hunting with an eagle is done five to six months of the year. Especially cold seasons are the best time, from October until March, and the rest of time the eagle has to be isolated and well fed.
The reason they don’t hunt during warmer months is because of the weather conditions and because animal furs are not thick enough to be taken. Also during this season, the eagle molts loose feathers and new feathers grow. The eagle will lose damaged feathers from hunting and will have new feathers, ready for the next hunting season.
In 1941 the eagle hunting culture of Bayan-Olgiy province was declared by UNESCO to be a world heritage practice.
Discover the heart of Mongolian culture and tradition at the annual Eagle Hunters Festival, a captivating event that brings together over a hundred skilled eagle hunters from the enchanting Altai National Park. Held near the charming city of Olgiy at Sayat Tolgoi, this festival showcases the extraordinary bond between man and majestic golden eagles.
This extraordinary event, taking place on September 7-8, 2024, offers a unique opportunity to witness the awe-inspiring Eagle Competition, where skilled hunters showcase their falconry prowess. Beyond the main event, immerse yourself in the thrill of traditional horseback games like Kok-Bar, Hyz-Khuar, and Tenge-Ilu, adding an extra layer of excitement to the festivities.
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At the Eagle Hunters Festival, you'll have the chance to "Live like a nomad of Altai" and "Visit nomadic families," experiencing firsthand the rich cultural heritage of Mongolia. Sayat Travel offers expertly guided Mongolia tours, catering to various preferences such as group travel services, family travel, and adventure tours.
Explore Mongolia's beautiful destinations, including the stunning Altai National Park, and participate in the world-renowned Golden Eagle Festival on October 4-5, 2024. Our guided tours provide an exclusive opportunity to witness the captivating traditions of the eagle hunters and engage in thrilling adventure trekking amidst the picturesque landscapes.
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Don't miss the chance to be part of the Eagle Hunters Festival – an extraordinary adventure awaits in the heart of Western Mon