During the long winters, eagle hunters leave their homes and head into the mountains on horseback with their eagles. Almost all the hunting takes place in winter. Fox, hare, and wolf tracks can easily be seen in the snow and when the animals are found, they have nowhere to hide in the vast whiteness. Sixteen foxes are needed to make one traditional fur hat. Wolves’ fur is the most valuable fur, but if the hunt is not done properly, wolves could kill the hunter’s eagle.
Western Mongolia’s Altai region is one of the most remote spots on the planet. Few roads traverse this massive area, and the high icy peaks of the Altai Range bordering Mongolia, Kazakhstan, China, and Russia form an impenetrable wall that keeps all modern encroachments at bay. Traveling through this region at minus 10F in early November made me wonder how the hunters survive the harsh winter.
Aigerim is drawing her inspiration from Aisholpan, the first eagle huntress crowned at the Eagle festival in Ulgii in 2014. While there were many old Kazakh eagle hunters who vehemently rejected the idea of any female taking part in their ancient tradition, Aisholpan’s father, Nurgaiv, believed that a girl can do anything a boy can, if she is determined. Asker, Aigerim’s dad, is a firm believer that his daughter should not only become an eagle huntress, but also get educated.
