Kazakh Eagle Hunter
Western Mongolia 2014
The eagle hunter rode into the arena at a brisk canter, shrieking a high-pitched cry that sounded to me like the cry of an eagle. He extended his “eagle arm”, the one his eagle normally perches on when they are hunting, and held out some fresh rabbit meat. High atop the nearby mountain, held tethered by a friend, his trained Golden Eagle saw him and heard his cry.
The rider rode in circles, shrieking for his eagle to come. The handler untethered the eagle and immediately, the raptor took flight, soaring higher than the mountain top, circling above his master before diving with talons extended toward the proffered food.
Timing was key. Like a rodeo, each contestant was timed in seconds. Sometimes the eagles got ‘drunk’ on flying free and disappeared behind the mountain. Immediately, the rider rode out of the arena at a gallop to find his eagle. The best time from mountain top to hunter’s arm was 8 seconds and the winner was a 75 year old hunter whom all respected and admired.
Want to photograph the Eagle Hunters? Check out Jim Zuckerman’s website: www.jimzuckerman.com You’ll have fabulous opportunities to photograph the Mongolian landscape, its people and best of all the famed Eagle Hunter Festival.