Eagle Hunting Traditions
What it's like
The eagle sits hooded on its master's arm, still as stone. Then the hood comes off, the bird reads the valley in a single glance and launches. Among the Kazakh families of the Altai, this partnership between hunter and eagle is passed from parent to child.
Eagle hunting has been practised across Central Asia for centuries. In Mongolia it survives mainly among Kazakh families in Bayan-Ölgii, where burkitshi train female golden eagles, larger and stronger than males, to hunt foxes and hares in the winter months.
A bird is usually taken young, trained over months, and traditionally kept for a number of years before being released back to the wild to breed. The bond between hunter and eagle is deep, and many families take great care to keep the practice responsible.
We visit eagle-hunting families in their homes, with time to watch training, hear stories and share a meal. In autumn you can also see the hunters gather at the Golden Eagle Festival near Ölgii; winter hunts are for hardy travellers only.
Adventures with this
More experiences
Staying with Nomad Families
Sleep in a family ger, help with the herds and share the rhythm of a working nomadic camp.
Horse Riding
Ride sturdy Mongolian horses across open steppe, river valleys and forested hills with local horsemen.
Camel Trekking
Travel the Gobi on the back of a two-humped Bactrian camel, guided by the herders who raise them.
The Naadam Games
Wrestling, horse racing and archery: the three manly games at the heart of Mongolia's summer festival.
Throat Singing and the Morin Khuur
Hear khöömei, the overtone singing of the steppe, and the morin khuur horsehead fiddle, both UNESCO-listed traditions.
Dinosaur Fossil Sites
Walk the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag, where the first recognised dinosaur eggs were found in the 1920s.
Ready when you are
Tell us your dates and dreams. One specialist plans everything and replies within two working days.