Hunting with Eagles in Kyrgyzstan

Eagle hunting Hunting with eagles is another tradition of the nomadic Kyrgyz since ancient times. Many cultural tours in Kyrgyzstan include demonstration of such hunting. You will see impressive scenes of hunting with an eagle or a falcon on a hare. These majestic birds can also fight with a fox or a wolf. This type of hunting today is part of the national culture of Kyrgyzstan. Hunting takes place riding a specially trained horse, (called a “bercut”). To allow a rider to carry an eagle a special device (a “baldak”) is fitted onto the saddle to support the rider’s arm. Sent out to hunt fawns, foxes, or other small animals, the eagle dives down on them and kills them. But often it is also capable of killing young wolves when they cannot negotiate the deep snow. Sometimes the eagles hunt in pairs, just as they would in the wild.