A Fierce Hunter.

• Author: Kinzer, Stephen
• Position: Eagles trained as hunters in Central Asia - Brief Article

WHO NEEDS A SHOTGUN? EAGLES RARELY MISS.

BOKONBAYEVA, KYRGYZSTAN

The fiercest and most successful hunter in these parts, heir to a tradition that stretches back many centuries, does not use a rifle or a bow and arrow. His weapon is a magnificent golden eagle who is also his intimate friend.

"We've been together more than 30 years," the hunter, Sulaymanbekov Kutuldu, says as he gently strokes the eagle's breast. "He loves me, and he knows I love him. We understand each other perfectly."

Eagles are used for hunting nowhere in the world except in Kyrgyzstan and in some parts of neighboring Kazakhstan. Altogether, about 100 men still hunt with what they call the "god of birds." Kutuldu, 65, is one of a handful of acknowledged masters. During a normal four-month hunting season, he and his eagle bag 50 or 60 foxes, a dozen badgers, a couple of lynx, and 4 or 5 wolves.

"Wolves are very smart, very hard to Catch," he says. "But eagles are superstrong and aggressive. Eagles aren't afraid of anything. They'll fight a fox, a wolf, even a man."

Most of the birds, which have a life span of about 40 years, are caught when very young. Once captured, the eagle is deprived of food and placed in a cage with a perch that sways constantly, so the bird cannot rest. Finally, the hunter begins to feed and stroke it, and the weakened creature comes to rely on its master. Eagles who take to the training display intense loyalty, and always return...