kazakhstan golden pics finally

[alltails]

My sister finally came through on a couple pics and says she might have a falconer meeting set up......which could (fingers crossed) get me some hunting photos from kazakhstan. remote area and she only gets to check her email about once a week.

[alltails]

sorry hehe here is one

http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc340/alltails/sisfrwgold.jpg

http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc340/alltails/siswgold.jpg

[Ted Bell]

Said by the Golden after the second picture: "Aww, do it again - my eyes were closed!"

Great pics! Looking forward to hearing some stories. I'd be interested to hear details about how they catch the birds (I assume they're passage), train them, etc. Do they have any laws or regulations over there re: falconry and raptors? What else do they typically fly? (I assume they don't just decide to be a falconer one day and start out on Goldens, or maybe they do if everyone else in their community is hunting with them.)

Thanks,
-Ted

[threetoe]

Incredible feet!!!

Watch the movie "Kiran over Mongolia". It's very well done and will give you a REAL idea of what the Eagle Masters do. It's not phoney Hollywood.

Their whole society is centered on those birds. It's a treat to watch and gave me a deep respect for the people who live that life.

Kiran over Mongolia...TWO THUMBS UP.

haill

[Ross.Spafford]

Ted,

I watched a show recently on discovery called "A boy and his eagle." It led me to belive that most Goldens taken in this area are taken as eyases and released after 10 years.

Very entertaining show. Looked great in HD.

-Ross

[tony123abc]

Okay, what am I missing? I just can't get it in my head that these guys are good hawkers. I put them in the same boat as yogis, alternative medicine and all the other voodoo practicioners. Goofy people who walk about with a puffy chest because no one will call them on the crap they are spewing. People who have not seen a decent eagle fly may think it is way cool. Me, I have seen what eagles can do. Eurasian hawkers have nothing on European and American eagle hawkers IMO. There is a teaser of Kiran Over Mongolia. Watch it. They miss a rabbit with two eagles down hill that my worst ever hawk would have stuffed. It is all ceremony. It is show. It is not good game hawking. Just cuz it is a zillion years old don't mean it is good. Why do I see something so different from what others see? Don't say cuz I am a d#$% head. That is too easy. tony

[alltails]

I agree that there are obvious differences, also that some falconers over here in the US obviously did an insanely good job working their eagles. however, I doubt very seriously that any falconer here will say they have a 100% kill rate. Also eagles are used to hunt for food and furs. The training that their eagles go through is probably 100 plus years old. it is a tradition there, A life style for them. Falconers there are called berkutchi the live breath and die bird trainers as do their sons and so on. It is a huge honor for them. They have NO reason to improve their style it works for them. I personally just enjoy falconry whether your bird can hunt is the fun part. take it as you like but I will definitely take the side of the people who just love falconry why put people down based on skill???confusedd sorry if im being defensivecrazyytoungeout

[tony123abc]

You are not being defensive at all. Argueing a point you believe in is a very good thing. Keep at it. Especially with me. Making me think is never a bad thing. It hurts my head, but I am generally better for the experience in the morning.confusedd I don't have a 100% success rate either. I do however, have birds that can fly up hill. They can miss, recover and still take that jack in the second attempt. My birds are healthy enough that if they get lost they can fly to a perch hang out and kill something the next day. Kazaks & Mongols, I don't think so. As for history and culture, great. But just cuz ya always do it that way don't make it good. Remember, the rule of thumb was at one point a good law. I guess my beef is that I have trouble calling a mule a race horse. I call it what it is. To me the Eurasian hawkers are less than what they potentially can and should be. David Blane is pretty cool, but he really can't float. tony
A great book I read as a child is Bird Of Jove. It is all about the GE in Asiatic falconry. You too will love it. Its about 40 yrs. old.

[alltails]

Great pics! Looking forward to hearing some stories. I'd be interested to hear details about how they catch the birds (I assume they're passage), train them, etc. Do they have any laws or regulations over there re: falconry and raptors? What else do they typically fly? (I assume they don't just decide to be a falconer one day and start out on Goldens, or maybe they do if everyone else in their community is hunting with them.)

Thanks,
-Ted




thought maybe you mught want to check this site out.... good information although not completely thorough. it is the closest thing to a full description of eagle capture and training in kazakhstan i know of.......
http://proeco.visti.net/naturalist/falconry/geagl.htm