Eagle hunting is a traditional form of falconry that was practiced throughout the Eurasian steppe. Today, several forms of this art can be found in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as in the Bayan-Ölgii province of Mongolia, where many Kazakhs live, and in Xinjiang, China.

Although the Turks are renowned for hunting with golden eagles, they also train wood pigeons, peregrine falcons, and other sacred falcons.

The Kazakhs living in Bayan-Ölgii province continue to perpetuate this ancestral art. Today, there are still around 250 eagle hunters, or berkutchi, throughout the province. The form of hunting practiced here is atypical and unique in the world, as it takes place exclusively on horseback, in the company of a golden eagle. The prey consists mainly of foxes, though eagles sometimes catch hares, and more rarely small wolves. Several eagles can hunt the same prey, thus catching larger animals, such as ibex or an adult wolf.

The hunting season extends from early October to late March, as the golden fur of foxes is more easily visible against the snow.

During your stay with an eagle hunter's family, you will follow the hunter on horseback through the surrounding mountains. The pace at which we travel is almost exclusively a walk, so beginners can join the hunt. Once in the mountains, the eagle hunter removes the eagle's hood, and the bird then scans the horizon. Its panoramic vision is eight times sharper than that of humans. If it spots prey, it begins to cry out so that its master will release it. Once released, the eagle swoops down on its prey and attempts to catch it. If the raptor succeeds in its catch, the eagle hunter quickly dismounts to reach his eagle as fast as possible. The animal must not damage the prey's fur, or worse, the wounded prey could injure the eagle in turn.

For those who do not enjoy hunting, rest assured, this practice is highly noble, complex, barely profitable, very time-consuming, and reserved for those who have received extensive prior training. Moreover, the eagle remains a wild animal that can suddenly decide to disappear into the sky and abandon its trainer.

Eagle chicks are captured from the nest when they cannot yet fly, or trapped later with a net. Eagle hunters prefer females, which are larger and more powerful than males. They can weigh up to 7 kg with a wingspan of over 2 meters. The eagle hunter will first starve the animal for several days before beginning its training: balance, so the eagle can follow the horse's movements while perched on its master's arm, then actual hunting by training on a lure called the shirga.

The animal will follow its master on hunts until it is 8 or 10 years old. It will then be released and can live another 20 years in the wild, finding a partner to breed with.