To see them in action, you have to know a guy. That’s why I chased Bashir through the desert.

It ’s not easy to track down a nomad . That ’s because they move . Often . They backpack up their homes , hive up their belongings in a hand truck , and move with their herds to novel grass . And they do n’t leave furtherance addresses , either . Despite those obstacles , my married woman and I were driven to touch one and hopefully get aglimpse into a disappearing way of life-time . To make that happen , we had to swear on the accomplishment and link of our usher , who suggested we call her June .

June also come from a roving family and has recognise Bashir , a 32 - yr - quondam nomad who also happens to be one of the best eagle hunting watch in Mongolia , for days . “ They are very courteous and humble , and always willing to pay for you in for a loving cup of ferment mare ’s milk , ” she suppose of her ally ’s peregrine bird of Jove hunting group . “ But only if a trust supporter has secured the intromission , pave the way , or opened the door . ”

The bird of Jove Hunter are heathen Kazakhs who spend much of the winter in the nearby mountains , searching for foxes , lapin , and other pocket-sized biz . The pelts and gist are crucial to their way of life . Wendy and I went searching for Bashir last autumn , hop to tail him down before the one-year bird of Jove hunter fete get underway .

Article image

Photo by Peter Maize

These festivals cater an chance for men and women from throughout the vast green plains of westernmost Mongolia to evidence their skills during a series of challenger near the dusty townsfolk of Olgii . If we could n’t find Bashir before the festivals begin , he would be too fussy set to foregather with us . And after the festival , he would vanish into the mount with his eagle .

essentially , we had a limited window of metre .

There are three festivals for eagle hunters in the Bayan - Olgiiregion . The largest one , knight the Golden Eagle Festival , isheld in October and attracts thebiggest bunch , as well as slews of Orion . But a diminished consequence , the Sagsai Golden Eagle Festival that begins September 17 , is more familiar . No more than 40 hunters participate , and it ’s much less competitory . Held on a unembellished , beautiful field by a placid lake not far from Olgii , the Sagsai fete seemed like the better bet if we wanted to head off tourist crowd and enjoy slightly warmer weather .

Article image

Photo by Peter Maize

We start our search for Bashir on a pristine morning , and the two - lane route out of Olgii quickly turned to dirt . Soon there was no road at all . We spotted a ger — the large finger tent that are also referred to as yurts in other culture — and enquire as to whether this was Bashir ’s domicile . No , the young lady enounce , gesturing mistily across the vale . We cross a river with no bridge , dodged a ruck of goats , and then eventually arrived outside a tidy ger where Bashir and his child waited . His bird of Jove was there , too .

According to the World Wildlife Foundation , almosttwo - thirdsof Mongolia ’s universe lived in the countryside in 1960 . Nearly half of the commonwealth ’s population live in the cap Ulaanbaatar today , with less than a third keep a wandering way of life . But Bashir went on to explicate that , in fact , those numbers are pitch . Anecdotally , he ’s find that more multitude are actuallyreturningto the land after get the chaos , crowd , contamination , and nerve-wracking surroundings in the big city . The transition has been made easier by a few forward-looking inventions . Like many nomad , Bashir had purchased an inexpensive portable solar collector which power his smartphone , lights in theger , and a videodisk player .

I handed Bashir ’s three - year - one-time son a balloon — something he ’d never seen before . He chased it through the air travel as his six - twelvemonth - old baby sat silently , uncertain what to make of us . Although Bashir can speak Mongolian , he is more comfortable in Kazakh . Through our guide , he explained that his way of lifespan is not “ die out ” or “ vanish . ” As he spoke , I could n’t help but notice he reminded me a chip of cowboy and ranchers I had known when I lived in Oklahoma . He seemed subdued - spoken and even a bit diffident .

Article image

Photo by Peter Maize

Just like the archetypical cowherd , Bashir seemed to relish freedom and ego - determination . And while it is straight that these appliance , along with a hefty Japanese hand truck , make life easy , Bashir stress that the pillar of his aliveness are traditional : family , punishing work , and a recognition that his existence is owe to the land that he crisscross throughout the year . And his bird of Jove .

Bashir was surprised when we asked the bird of Jove ’s name ; the concept of name any animal , including the goats and buck he keeps , perplex him . The Kazakh nomads , like many Mongolians , have a deep obedience for nature and their place within it . He know , for instance , that eagles can live up to 30 years and that females are preferred for hunt , since they are larger and intend to be braver . Even this especial bird of Jove , a female that Bashir took from its nest and cautiously trained for years , will be return to the baseless next yr to start her own family .

The sun was begin to set as we packed into the Land Rover for the trip-up back to Olgii . We leave Bashir to prepare for the large Golden Eagle fete that would take position a duet of weeks afterward . Then we set off to see the other Orion in action .

Article image

Photo by Peter Maize

A brightness level snowfall greet us the next day as we arrived at the fete . serviceman clothe in creature pelts carried eagles among the gersthat had been go down up on the immense open plain . A match of underage traditional event were featured throughout the day , including a biz of jerk - of - war over a headless Capricorn . In another case , the name of which translates to “ girl chasing , ” a young gentleman galloped alongside a young woman and set about to osculate her as she wielded a lash to keep him at bay .

But the main event of the festival was the Eagle Call .

There were no grandstands . hunter , their families and a handful of tourer stood shoulder to shoulder or sit on the dusty ground , looking on as one by one , the eagle were carry up a unconscionable escarpment to a rocky outcropping , about 200 feet above the plain . This materialise on base — the terrain was too unconscionable it to go any other way .

Article image

Photo by Peter Maize

The eagles were hood , as they had been for much of the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . June   take down his is common and keeps the birds more placid than if they were perpetually glint around , as they think it ’s nighttime . She was correct : The animals alight motionlessly on the arms of the Volunteer who trudged up the hillside to the launch area . Far below , the first dissenter began a slow Trotskyite , haul a dodger hide on a foresighted roofy behind him as he move up .

This event would require the eagle to guess both length and stop number as she dive toward the move target . They ’d be affect fast — up to 120 miles per hour . With a shout or yodel or guttural cry , the hunters took bout calling down their eagles , knowing that they would n’t respond to any other .

One hunter wear all opprobrious underneath a fox fur pelage that extend to his human knee . A hopeful red aggrandise lid line with fur covered his head . He stand up asunder from the others , holding his horse and hold off his turn with silent intensity . When the fourth dimension occur , he trot out to the meat of the plain as his eagle was carried to the peak . The crowd grew silent in prevision of the moment when the call was issue and the eagle launched itself into the sky .

The huntsman ’s rallying cry was two long syllables — not words but urgent sounds that we could hear clearly from our vantage stop more than a 100 yards off .

The spectators shout encouragement as the bird of Jove dive at full speed , then abruptly flare its wings . Cheers rang out as the piranha snagged the pelt with its clenched talons . The intact event had taken less than 15 exhilarating seconds .

With the eagle now perched on his weapon , the hunting watch head up back toward the assembled crowd , where he met applause with only a tenuous nod . A brusk while later , he draped a gold laurel wreath with a bright blue ribbon around his eagle ’s neck .

As the Orion packed up their gersat the final stage of the day , our intellection return to Bashir , the enigmatical nomad . On our way back to Olgii , I asked June what he might call back about all the attention that his mode of life attracted from foreigner like myself . She smiled .

“ Frankly , I do n’t think it matter to him , ” she said . “ As long as he still gets to live the way he wants to . ”

Peter Maizeis an American who expend most of his life history as a TV journalist in the US and Hong Kong .