Eagle hunting in the Altai Mountains

Hunting with eagles has been a traditional nomadic clan hunting practice for centuries in Mongolia.

The hunters climb up to these crevices to capture the birds at around four years old, just old enough to know how to hunt but young enough to accept a human master with proper training.

To hunt, the men take their eagles high in the mountains so that they can scan the valleys below for potential prey. Female birds are preffered as they are said to be lethal hunters equipped with an eight-foot wingspan.
The bond between the eagles and their master is built on trust and dependence. The eagles becomes a member of the family and develops a true sense of comfort when in the presence of the family.

Although eagles can live for thirty years, the hunters keep each one for only about ten years, then release it to live out its last years in the wild.