New Future for the Ancient Art of Golden Eagle Hunting

Eagle hunting is an ancient art which has been in existence on the Central Asian Steppe, from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan and Mongolia, for some 6,000 years. Societal and political changes have meant that this ancient practice is a dying tradition. But a new generation of Kazakhs, including girls for the first time, is determined to carry forward the ancient tradition of their forefathers.

Eagle hunting is particularly prominent among the Kazakhs living in Bayan-Ölgii Province of Mongolia, of which there are an estimated 250 eagle hunters remaining. Their hunting practice, so-called ‘horse-riding eagle falconry’, is unique and is practiced only with trained Golden Eagles on horseback. Hunts take place during the cold winter months when it is easier to spot their target against the white of the snow. 

The eagles are highly skilled and powerful hunters. Sent out to hunt fawns, foxes, or other small animals, the eagle dives down and kills them swiftly, usually breaking the neck in its powerful claws and rarely leaving a mark on their prey.