www.huntresslife.com | Huntress Life Magazine March/April 2016 | 1
Explore Ancient Eagle Hunting With Lisa Selner
VOL 2 ISSUE 3 May/June 2016
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Articles A Long Shot
By Candace Hubble.........................................................................................4
The Year in the Hunters Eyes By Candy Yow................................................................................................6 Shot Gun Rider
By Christy Turner...........................................................................................9
Balancing Family, Life and Hunting By Kimberly Snyder......................................................................................12 Lets Talk Turkeys By Kristi Lynn Hair......................................................................................16 Ancient Eagle Hunting By Lisa Selner..............................................................................................20
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A Long Shot By Candace Hubble
It was a Monday night, January 18, 2016 to be exact, and I felt compelled to go out searching for hogs because I was unable to go on the weekend. I met up with Jackie, one of the girls who worked on the ranch, and we set out stalking for hogs. As we walked down the road we saw 2 big black spots running across the field in the dark; we tried to turn to cut them off but they linked up with another group of hogs that came into range before we were ready. Frozen in an open road with no cover and less than perfect wind, I stood and watched their movement. We couldn’t advance forward so we crouched and watched. Unfortunately they started to scatter, I stood and began to draw on one but they crossed a small hill and headed downwind of us eliminating any attempt of a shot. As we made our way back down the main road towards the target feeder I saw another large group of hogs crossing the field. Once again we stopped and I watched them cross the road. This time we had good wind but they were splitting up and moving away from us. I was conflicted between continuing on to the hog at the feeder and trying to stalk this group. As I stood and contemplated, I watched the hogs; the group had stopped nearly 80+ yards away and 3 solo hogs had broken away from the group and were now parallel to us and the road. I ranged one of the solo hogs at 48 yards. I was unsure of the shot at that distance. I practice out to 55 yards, mostly for elk hunting, but this was at night, in tall grass, on a smaller target, and out of my comfort zone. The hog I ranged moved
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away but another one nearby was still standing and feeding in the field, so I drew and decided to take the shot. My hope was that if I missed it would be a clean miss and the group would spook slightly, move on and we could continue to stalk to the hog at the feeder. The red light on my bow was dim at 50 yards so I took a few extra looks outside of the peep. I put my lighted 50 yard pin on the hog and released. Although I have increased my draw weight to 48 pounds, at 50 yards there is still some time to watch my arrow get there. So as Jackie and I stood in the dark watching my blue lighted nock fly through the air I heard it hit! Not only did the arrow hit on the hogs left shoulder area, but it squealed, completed a 180 turn and dropped right in her tracks! As I began to freak out, Jackie was just as excited. Jackie is a hunter, but has never been involved in bow hunting and as she expressed “that was the coolest thing I have ever seen” I responded in disbelief by saying “I am not that good, they never drop like that!” I ranged the hog again to confirm I wasn’t completely insane and it said 48 yards. Jackie tapped me on the shoulder and said “Candace, you were standing back here next to me”. Apparently I had taken a few steps forward after I shot to anticipate the hog running and I needed to keep my red light on her for as long as possible. So I took a few steps back to where Jackie was still standing and ranged again. 50 yards! I nearly fell over from disbelief but I still had to finish the job. As a bow hunter, typically the only time an animal will drop like that is due to a spine shot which requires a follow up shot. With my pistol on my hip and my AR-15 in Jackie’s hands, we slowly made our way over to the downed hog. I told Jackie, if she gets up to run shoot her! As we approached I looked for my arrow in her spine but couldn’t see it. She wasn’t trying to get up but still breathing slightly, so I told Jackie to put a bullet behind the ear for our safety and to ensure faster expiration because I was unsure of where she had been hit. As we flipped her over to see my shot I found my arrow broken and bloody, lying under her body. To my surprise there was a broad head hole right in her lower shoulder where I had pierced her heart! The rainbow effect of my arrow at 50 yards created a perfect downward angle right behind her shoulder and it had created just enough penetration to knock her down. I was completely baffled and stunned that I had just made that shot! Everyone told me I should have just said “yeah I am that good” or “I do that all the time” but my over-excitement clearly showed that didn’t happen all the time! I practice shooting my bow quite often, I practice out to 55 yards, I even practice in the dark, but to see it come to fruition with a witness by my side, I was in heaven. We drug her to the road and weighed her on our hitch hoist at 133.5lbs. It was officially my longest confirmed kill shot ever with a bow and one of the few shots where tracking wasn't necessary! I was impressed with her extremely long Russian snout and the smile on my face could not be erased for days!
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By Candy Yow
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When we think about hunting season most people are thinking August – December during the actual hunting seasons, but as a hunter it is a yearlong process. Each season almost as exciting as the actual “Hunting Season” itself. There is so much more to hunting than just cleaning your gun ad heading out to hunt, there is the “Putting for tags” season, “shed hunting” season, “Drawing of the Tags” season, “Spring Bear” season “Scouting” season, “Dreaming” season “Hunting” season and then guess what, we start all over again!!! There is a small gap from end of November till January, but if you are attending any of the shows you know that season is full to with RMEF in Vegas, ATA, SHOT show, Sheep show, Western Hunter Expo and I could go on and on. Alas if you are really into hunting it is a full time year round project, and each “season” is fun and exciting. I know around our household, we spend months looking at stats in Huntin’ Fool & Eastman’s, calling friends and acquaintance’s asking about this unit in this state for this tag to get information. Then comes the strategic application so you don’t get lucky and draw 2 good tags at the same time! It is a long process with lots of hours of research, stats, and silent prayers for that incredible tag to be drawn. Then comes the waiting process, which is pain staking except for the fact that usually about this time we can take a break and jump into the “shed hunting” season. This allows some time outdoors, with fresh air and the excitement of finding where the bucks and bulls are hanging out this time of year. Finding “Brown Gold” is getting to be quite a big deal and can consume your mind if you allow it to. If you are lucky you will get to add a “Spring Bear” Season in about right here, or possibly “Turkey Season” That is always a bonus and tons of fun although sometimes Mother Nature will mess with you as far as weather wise.
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Then different states begin the draw and we wait with impatient excitement for the draw, way too many times we get the “unsuccessful” status, but with patience and preservation we will get that coveted “successful” on the dream hunt you have always wanted. Now it gets busy, now you have drawn and must know the country, animals, private and public lands, water, where the animals travel, basically you must learn everything you can about that species in that unit. We start calling again, study Eastman’s, Huntin’ Fool and order maps of that unit. We talk to Fish & Wildlife, BLM, who ever we think can help us find the right place to hunt. Randy & I like to be away from people so we will need to find a camping area as remote as we can for that particular hunt, whether we are packing in, driving in or hiking in. Each one will take tons of research. Then comes the scouting, we need to go to the area, make sure it will work for us and start learning it through scouting. Following the herds, climbing the hills, valleys and peaks. Learning the animals and where they go to water, where they prefer to be at daylight. Then we talk to the locals, make sure we have our OnXmaps to show us Private lands from Public lands, it is so very important to respect this. Once you are comfortable with the area, animals, and feel like you are ready to start the hunt, then we begin the next season! Dreaming season, this is when I become consumed with dreaming night and day of that huge bull I spotted scouting, or the Big Buck we saw on the horizon but never made it to check him out. The beautiful draw we will be camping in, the sunsets and sunrises, the fresh air and sounds of horses’ hooves on a frosty morning. All of these and more consume me as the excitement for the hunt takes over, to the point I can hardly wait for opening day to arrive! Hunting Season, this is really what we have been waiting for all year, we have drawn the tag, scouted, dreamed, did our homework and now we can live it. Yes it does take the entire year to put this all together, but look back at the fun we had doing so. Hunting Season is truly a year long season, it is what we live for, dream of, work for and once we achieve our dream, it is what we are so very Thankful for. Candy Yow Extreme Desire TV Cabela’s Pro-Staff
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Shot Gun Rider By Christy Turner
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Friday at noon I take off from the office early and rush home. I load up the truck with all my hunting gear, groceries for the weekend, kids, husband, dogs, and my 12 gauge shot gun by my side. We are heading west to our deer lease for opening weekend of Spring Turkey season. The weather is nice and the sun is shining and Ryan Bingham is playing on the radio. We have the windows rolled down and the excitement is flowing throughout the truck in-between all the turkey calling practice from the front and back seat. I start getting a little bit of a headache, but I just ignore it because I love the sound of turkeys and what the weekend has in store for us. As the alarm sounds the next morning at 5:00 am I jump to my feet with excitement. I start the coffee and dress in my Prois Camo I had laid out the night before. One thing I love about turkey hunting is you do not need to worry about scent control. I wake up the sleepy kids and the sleepy husband and hand them their camo clothes I had laid out for them as well. I was so prepared this
time and felt so organized. I grabbed the turkey decoys and my bag of turkey calls and extra shells for the shot gun. I’m ready to get this party started. We had been scouting these turkeys for the last month and we knew where they were roosting. We took off in the dark but we did not need a flashlight you could see just enough with the moon shining. After walking for about fifteen minutes I felt like we were at the right spot. I blew my owl call to see if I could get a response from a roosting gobbler. No response, I waited a minute and blew again. Still nothing. Billy and I whispered back and forth for a minute we were pretty sure we were at the right spot. He took out his mouth piece and called quietly, and still no response. The sun was just starting to create enough light I could make out the tree line. Billy suggested we walk through the woods and set up the decoys on the other side and wait. Just as we started to walk I heard a loud swooshing noise and looked up and seen the silhouette of a
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Turkey flying out of the tree top. We froze in our tracks. I said, “That was a Turkey!” and then after I said that, another and another flew out. Probably a dozen flew out of the trees right above us. My heart sank, we just scared them all off. We turned around so we would not keep pushing them and went a different way to where we thought we would cut them off. We set up the decoys in a perfect spot and found a good place behind brush to hide and call in some Tom’s. But again there was nothing. No response. My heart was getting heavy and disappointment kept creeping in. We tried till about 10am and decided to go back to camp. I thought I would make some breakfast and get a little more coffee and re think our game plan. After we re-fueled ourselves we headed out the other directions of our property where there has always been known to be turkey. We set up our decoys and called and waited. We called and waited some more. The only thing we called in was our neighbors. I had my decoys set up about 100 yards from the neighbor’s fence line. They started riding their four wheelers and atv’s up and down the fence line several times laughing and screaming. I became really disappointed once again. We moved locations again, deeper in the woods to where no neighbors could try and destroy our hunt. We stayed there for a few hours then went back to camp to get a snack and headed out to another location
that is a prime spot for turkey. We sat until dark; we never had a turkey respond to our calls. I love spring time. I love the warmer temperatures, the birds singing, the butterflies dancing, and the turkey’s gobbling. I love grabbing my shot gun and my turkey call and doing a little communicating. It might be my favorite thing to do, right after deer season of course. Spring turkey season is always an adventurous one, but not very easy for me. I love that my kids like to turkey hunt with me. I think they enjoy it more because it’s not too cold and they like to play with the box call, it gives them something to do and they love it if they are able to make noise. Yes it is worth every second, minuet, hours and days spent. Sitting, waiting, anticipating, calling, trying, sitting, freezing and pushing through the exhaustion to finally make that contact. It is worth it. Chilling, relaxing, enjoying, and just taking it all in. I love spring turkey season, even if I don’t come home with a turkey. It just means I get to try again!
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Balancing Family, Life and Hunting By Kimberly Snyder
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A question that I hear quite frequently is “How do you do it, balance your life, your job, your family and still have time to hunt”? As many times as I hear that question, it still is baffling to me on how to answer with a short response. If I actually stop to think about how I actually do accomplish all the daily tasking, responsibilities and still have time for hunting it is probably answered shortly by God’s grace. If you ask any working mother what she did that day her list is probably longer than she even imagined it was. We get up and get our children ready for school, breakfast and lunches packed, get them on the bus or daycare, go work our jobs, home to do laundry, prepare dinner, drive to after school sports, homework, cleaning the house, bath time and of course put in some extra time to talk and hug each child in the house. This in itself can be exhausting, but throw in some target practice, working the dogs, occasional doctor appointments, preparing our locations for the next hunt, scouting, skeet shooting and a million other things that need to happen in order to be successful hunters is just more than 24 hours of a day can allow; forget sleep. To top it all off, I personally love to promote hunting for various companies and work on behalf of local organizations to increase awareness of hunting and conservation of habitats/promoting children in the outdoors. To put it simply, my days are very exciting, there is always something to do and always something to keep me engaged and working towards my passion of getting outdoors. My husband and I try to engage our children in all of our activities. Whether we are rigging decoys, painting duck blinds, cleaning our guns, training the dogs or scouting properties, our children are encouraged and always there to lend a hand. This enables them to grow in the knowledge of the outdoors as well as allowing them to learn about our passions. I can’t tell you how many times we have gone hunting in the morning, to only rush to a football game or baseball practices in the afternoon. There have been many times I have sat while trying to write, or putting together a grocery list and multi-tasking with a turkey call in my mouth to help teach my youngest how to use a call. There have been numerous times, my children will be with me on our way to school and we will either blow on a duck call or work on duck identification and put in some
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scouting. We take our children with us when we train our dogs, so they can throw bumpers or just help with the task. Our children never complain and love being with us and experiencing the bond of hunting and family. The word family goes hand in hand with the word Hunting! We of course make time for baseball games, graduations, school functions, church, family days out fishing or boating, picnics, hiking and other bonding moments. The time I spend with my husband and children is very special to me, not a moment is taken for granted and nothing happens without all of us working together. Life is all about balance and finding a happy place between work and fun. I keep God at the forefront of my life and allow him to make a way to balance life’s demands and he utilizes my gifts to benefit and glorify him. In general life is very simple, we just insist sometimes on making it complicated. Make time for the things you love and keep your eyes focused on your goals and dreams, wherever there is love and inspiration you can’t go wrong. Just remember that if you work hard for something you love it is called passion, if it’s something you don’t enjoy that is called stress.
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By enabling your family to be engaged with your passion, allowing them to make it something they can call their own is key. I don’t call anything I do all day long work, other than my 9-5 job; the rest is what brings joy and fullness to my life. Every task enables me to grow as a mom, a wife, a friend, and a hunter and I wouldn’t give up my hectic days for anything in the world because after all I am blessed to be given each one of them to enjoy my family, my life and hunting! To each one of you, may your days be full of love and enrichment, bringing what you pursue into light and creating moments and memories to last forever. Don’t ever think you can’t do it all; because you can. Put your heart into your passion and make time for those that you love and the outdoors, because that love will pass on to your children in the great outdoors and their love for their life and family!
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Lets Talk Turkeys By Kristi Lynn Hair
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here is just something about Spring Turkey hunting in middle Tennessee. It is really magical. We have an outstanding amount of mature birds. Nothing gets my heart pumping like a deep gobble, watching toms fight for dominance or having to spot and stalk the non-cooperating turkeys who are suddenly hush mouthed. The challenge of turkey hunting is like no other. I swear if they could smell we would never kill them. Incredibly intelligent & highly aware creatures. In my opinion, they are one of the most difficult big game animals to hunt. Their eyesight is impeccable. They can pick you off from the ever so slightest of movement or by merely not covering up one little area of your skin with camo. We use Serpent Skin Camo to rattle our prey. Turkeys are: highly alert, always ready, territorial, fierce, tenacious and FUN to hunt! April 2, 2016. It was opening weekend. I had missed opening morning due to a terrible sinus infection. I was beyond devastated. I am absolutely, undeniably obsessed with turkey hunting. I could not stand being in the house on OPENING DAY of TURKEY SEASON in my home state of TENNESSEE! I decided it would not hurt to go out back & sit in the blind for a mid-day set! As much as I wanted to run & gun, with my health not being at 100%, it just made sense to sit in the blind. My sweet husband, Clay Hair, was kind enough to cart my sick self-back to the back of our property, set my blind up, put a decoy out & promised to pick me up. I literally had no strength. Clay was crucial to my success or lack thereof on this day & I must give him the proper credit he deserves. Thank you Clay.
It was right around 12:45 when I began my sit. About 15 minutes into my sit, I decided to use my Conviction Game Call - The Aftershock. Clay (my husband) had instructed me to call about every 15 minutes and stop. Some make the mistake of over calling. That is a huge mistake. Not only will you spook off the birds, you will educate them. Our birds here in middle Tennessee are Easterns. They are highly intelligent. As I was hunting solo this time, I was very cautious on my calling. I do not claim to be a great caller, but I am a good killer. The Aftershock by: Conviction Game Calls is deadly & a great tool to have in arsenal. My husband has a wealth of turkey hunting knowledge for well over 20 years that I merely cannot ignore. I listen to what he says as he knows far more than I do about turkey hunting. After my first call, I had a hen come in. She was completely silent. I found it odd. It was opening day, the birds had not yet been hunted and she was in stealth mode. She milled around me for about 20 minutes and then she went and literally laid down no more than 10 yards from my blind. The thoughts that went through my head.... GREAT. Fresh bait. OH NO. I cannot make the slightest of movement or she will bust me. GAME ON! About 20 minutes went by and my peripheral vision caught the glimpse of a few very cautious turkeys approaching my decoy. 2 jakes & the biggest tom I had EVER seen in middle Tennessee, let alone potentially have the opportunity to kill. Allow me to explain, our decoy, “Sir Field Pimp Extraordinaire” is actually one of our turkey mounts & a STUD of a bird. He is in full strut. That can work to your advantage or disadvantage. It’s a RISK. One I was willing to take. The dominant tom may decide to come in and challenge your decoy OR merely walk away. I did have the lone hen to my advantage as she was already lying down. The jakes ever so cautiously milled around and slowly were making their way towards my decoy.
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I lost sight of the big red head with the long beard who had my heart pounding ferociously. I ever so slowly grabbed my Mossberg .20 gauge & placed it in my lap as I had NO idea where this giant was. I peeked out of the window to my right and only saw my decoy, there was no tom challenging him. Dang the luck! I made my way around the left of the blind and peered out the window. There he was in all of his glorious beauty. Approximately 45 yards out, hung up... He would NOT commit & facing the opposite direction. My educated guess was that he was intimidated by my decoy. I knew I had ONE chance, ONE shot, ONE opportunity at the bird of a lifetime. I slowly lifted my gun, clicked off the safety and attempted to steady my shaking hands. 45 yards is a very long shot with a .20 gauge. However, with the Jeb’s Choke, I felt confident. If I could keep steady and remain calm, I could kill this bird. I lifted up my shotgun, pulled it in tight on my right should, tucked my head, closed my left eye, lined up the beads and waited. I was waiting for him to lift his head so I could squeeze the trigger. I had to be diligent about this. I could not afford to lose this opportunity. I wanted this bird. It felt like an eternity. In reality it was merely seconds. Mr. Glorious lifted his head to peer in the woods (the opposite direction of me). I waited until he made the ever so slightest turn in order for me to make the most ethical kill shot. I aimed for where the neck meets the body. I held steady although I was shaking like a leaf. I squeezed. It sounded like a cannon inside of that blind. I hit him. He was flopping around intensely. I pumped my shotgun & expelled the empty shell. I ran out to him as fast as I could and stomped on that neck. I had just accomplished the greatest feat ever. I called in my own birds. I was on a solo hunt. I was on 3 antibiotics battling a SEVERE sinus infection. I had just killed the biggest bird I’ve ever taken in my home state of Tennessee on opening day within 2 hours of sitting in the blind on my own land. Say WHAT? Tears of joy steamed down my face. I called my husband (who promised to pick me up). As he arrived the shaking had not ceased. Clay proceeded to shout (and I do mean SHOUT) over & over.... “I’m SO proud of you girl!!! YOU can do anything! You’ve come so far!” You have no idea how much this meant to me. I’ve just impressed: my mentor, my teacher, the man I admire most. Okay, now more tears are flowing.... This moment is truly heaven sent. It is difficult to put into words. God gets all the glory. I am too blessed! My opening day turkey was the biggest one I’ve ever killed in my 6 years of turkey hunting. His official measurements were: 24 lbs., 10 inch beard, 1 1/2 inch hooks. Estimated age: 4. I am incredibly grateful, humbled, honored & blessed to have taken a turkey of this quality. To be honest, I would have shot a jake.... Glory to God. Thank you to my sweet husband, Clay Hair! I love you more than you’ll ever know. I appreciate you more than my mere words could describe. You’ve taught me everything I know. I am eternally grateful for your belief in me, support of me and encouragement to push me beyond my limits and make me the very best hunter I am capable of being. Please watch our show premiering on the Pursuit Channel, July 1, 2016 @ 11:00 a.m. as we share our passion of the hunt with you all! Peace, Love & Gobbles, Kristi Lynn Hair
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Ancient Eagle Hunting By Lisa Selner
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hat would possess me to travel to the other side of the planet, in winter, no less, where temps can drop to 40 below zero? As an avid outdoorswoman, my desire was too great to hunt with the Kazakh’s and their golden eagles, on horseback, and in the remote Altai Mountains of western Mongolia. This is one of the coldest and harshest places on earth. The Kazakhs continue to follow their traditional ways as they did in ancient times, hunting for sustenance using trained wild golden eagles to subdue their prey, most commonly, fox and rabbit. The golden eagle is one of the largest and most powerful of all raptor species. Hunting of furbearing game is done only in winter, when pelts are of best quality. Learning the skills involved in the capture, training, and use of their eagles in a hunting partnership is a wonderful opportunity to witness an ancient tradition in modern times. In Kazakh culture, the eagle is said to have magical powers. Hunting with a golden eagle is one of the most unique hunting methods in the world. The Kazakhs carry with pride, their tradition of hunting using birds of prey that stretches back to the days of Genghis Khan, who is said to have had over 5,000 eagle riders in his personal guard. The ancient art of eagle hunting is one of many traditions and skills that the Kazakhs have held on to for many centuries. Though it is threatened by the encroachment of globalization, the hunt remains an honorable tradition and rite of passage for the Kazakh men. Hunting with a golden eagle is a traditional art of the Eurasian steppes, usually defined as “horse riding falconry” or “the eagle falconry” in Central Asia. It is a type of falconry. The relationship between bird and man is constant and all-consuming. The handler must sacrifice his sleep for long periods during the training of a young
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bird. For weeks, the growing bird is rendered sightless under its hood until its dependence on its master becomes complete. Such intimacy must turn into a lifelong trust with the eagle. It has been said that as the man trains the eagle, so does the eagle train his man. Hunting with golden eagles is one of the most unique features of the Kazakh life. Across the mountains and steppes of Mongolia, many furbearing animals are hunted with trained golden eagles from horseback. These furs are used in making an integral part of traditional Kazakh clothing. Usually in mid-September, the Golden Eagle Festival signals the beginning of the hunting season. The festival is an important community celebration, attracting the best hunters and birds in a colorful and picturesque occasion. The Kazakhs indulge in richly embroidered clothing. The women wear bright headscarves (ah jaulih), and the men wear skullcaps (tuhia), or fox-fur hats. Their culture differs greatly compared to Mongolian culture. Even Kazakh saddles are a different shape. Golden eagles are exceptionally strong and potentially dangerous wild animals. Kazakh eagles are well-trained, calm birds. They are also powerful hunting animals. Birds are not “wired” like our domestic pets, and cannot be treated the same way. You should never approach an eagle (or any falconry bird) without its trainer’s expressed consent. Never touch a bird in any way unless you are invited to. Do not stand within an unhooded bird’s reach. Do not attempt to give them treats, or tease them. Birds do not like being patted like dogs. Do not pass behind birds; keep all movements slow, and don’t suddenly point or wave your hands to get a bird’s attention. Do not ever whistle or shout at an eagle; these may be ways that their trainer’s use to signal game. If a bird is on a lure or kill, stay away. Even “friendly” birds can be dangerously defensive around kills, and possessive of lures. Just because their trainers handle them “casually” does not mean that you can. Above all, show manners, respect, and caution. Err on the side of quiet. Stand farther away, not closer. Listen to the eagle trainers; they are eager and happy to show you their way of life. The Kazakhs go about their training style quite a bit differently than falconers from other parts of the world. One aspect noted immediate-
ly is that they fly their birds off their strong arm, often the right arm. As falconers here in America, we are taught to use our left hands. They know how to train their eagles, and put a lot more concentrated time on the job than most. At age 13, a Kazakh boy traditionally starts learning this ancient hunting technique from his father. At this time, he is strong enough to carry the weight of the eagle. In recent years, interest in eagle hunting amongst a few Kazakh women has taken shape. It takes the hunters about five years to finish their training. After that, the boy must have a successful hunt, after which he will receive the title “Eagle Hunter.” But it is not merely a title to them; it is a way of life. There are very specific rules on the capturing, training and handling of the birds. The Kazakhs have many ways of training and hunting with the eagle, but each family masters their own special technique. The eagles are always treated with respect and honor. The Kazakh eagle hunters
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obtain their birds from the wild at a young age. They are not bred in captivity. Female eaglets are chosen because they grow to a larger size and are more aggressive, fully capable of bringing down larger prey. A large adult golden eagle from these parts can reach fifteen pounds or more, with a wingspan near eight feet in length. As mentioned previously, females are usually larger than males in most bird of prey species. As the eaglet is raised, it is fed, given a warm place to rest during the cold Mongolian nights, and taught how to hunt. The hunter spits into the mouth of his bird, as they believe this strengthens the bond between them. As the captured bird gradually becomes accustomed to the hunter, it learns to take bits of uncooked meat from his hands. It will later be trained to be around horses. Then trained to catch game using a lure, which is either a fox or rabbit pelt stuffed with straw, until the opportunity arises to capture a live one. The lure is dragged with a long rope by the hunter. The skill of hunting with eagles lies in harnessing an unpredictable force of nature. As with all types of falconry, you never really control the bird. You can try to make the bird hunt an animal, but the rest is up to Mother Nature. It is a true test of inexhaustible patience and persistence. A hunt begins with days of trekking on horseback through snow to a mountain or ridge providing an excellent view of prey for miles around. Hunters generally work in teams. When prey is spotted, for example a fox, riders charge towards it to flush it into the open, and an eagle is released. If the eagle fails to make a kill, another is released. The eagle can see prey up to two miles away, with eyesight eight times more powerful than that of a human. They are one of the fastest animals in the world while in pursuit, flying at speeds greater than 120 miles per hour. Its talons can exert pressure of upwards of 200 pounds per square inch, allowing it to hold prey while ripping into it with a razor-sharp hooked beak. They are a deadly and accurate hunting weapon. Ideal hunting conditions incorporate a light dusting of snow (as it is easier to see the prey against the snow), good visibility, and calm winds. The eagle must stay hooded most of the time until the prey is spotted. Wearing hoods keeps the bird calm. Sometimes, even through the gauntlet you can feel the eagle’s talons pierce through to your skin. They can pierce right down to the bone!
When heading out for a hunt, the hunters ride over miles of arid plateaus and over high mountains, with extreme gradient slopes. A hunt consists of long hours in the saddle with eagles in tow. When an ideal hunting location is spotted, some horsemen will stay in the valley to flush such prey species. The other hunters will ride with their eagles to the highest point possible, climbing 1,000 feet or more through thinner and thinner air. They will stop at the very best vantage point, with a bird’s-eye view over the entire valley; anything that moves below is subject to attack by the eagle. As the hunters make it to the top of a ridge, they position themselves and will sit and wait in stillness and silence, scanning below for movement while the flushers begin riding back and forth to flush prey into the open towards the hunters above. Catching a gray wolf is a hunting jackpot! Wolves are worth a lot more than a fox, not to mention, it is one less enemy to the Kazakh’s domestic livestock.
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Launching an eagle is like firing a weapon. Posture is important; they must be pointed towards the prey. The hood must be taken off quickly when prey is spotted, and vocalizations (command cries) are necessary to get the bird excited. The time of the launch must be just right. You have a split-second to unmask and launch the bird. The timing is critical for the success of the hunt; otherwise, the prey will have a chance to escape. When the eagle locks on to the prey, it is a race to the kill site. The hunter must run to the kill site and get the eagle off the prey quickly; otherwise the pelt will become full of holes. The prey can also do damage to the bird as well. Foxes and wolves can bite the talons and easily harm the eagle during the struggle. Normally an eagle will try to flip its prey over, and as it goes in to bite the eagle, the eagle will then grab its prey by the snout and lock into position until the hunter arrives to help with the kill. Two beautiful creatures are locked in a fight for survival, the eagle and its prey. The hunter will help the eagle to dispatch the prey more quickly. As the eagle positions itself on the prey’s neck, it watches the animal’s last breath. The hunter rewards the eagle with the prey’s tongue, and pulls the bird away to prevent further tearing of the pelt. The experience of a successful hunt can be most extraordinary. This hunting is important to the Kazakh culture. To see it firsthand puts things in perspective. The furs are precious; they are the difference between freezing to death and survival. Furs are essential to the survival of the Kazakhs during this time. The eagle is kept well-fed during the spring and summer months, as it is fattening and strengthening. Come fall, the diet is reduced to an adequate hunting weight, as with most falconry practices around the world. After many years of service (between six and ten), a hunter will release his mature eagle for a final time back to the wild. At this time he will leave a butchered sheep on the mountain as a farewell present. This is how hunters assure the eagles will go back to nature
and have their own strong newborns, for the sake of future generations. It is the Kazakh hunter’s tradition of living in harmony with nature. This is a tradition that could easily die in the next couple of generations, if not for the continued passing from father to son. My pursuit of what many would call the epitome of falconry adventures. Bringing a multitude of passions for wildlife and the outdoors to a whole new level, I combined my interests in falconry, hunting, horseback riding, working with pelts, and exploration of rugged and beautiful terrain, by engaging in this expedition of a lifetime! It has truly been a life-changing opportunity. Fortunately, the trip didn’t whoop my behind as much as I thought it would, and I enjoyed every minute of it! I imagine it would be challenging and uncomfortable at times for most. Though the photographs are not my most glamorous of moments (I wasn’t able to bathe, brush my teeth, or change my clothes the entire trip), they were definitely some of my happiest moments. The people were amazing, and the experience very eye-opening in many ways; the ultimate adventure for the ultimate adventurer. If you are interested in learning more please visit my website at www.BuffaloAnnie.com.
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