Viewing of Golden Eagle hunting in the Syugaty Valley
Tours to Kazakhstan

Geographical location. This tour occupies a small area, 150km east of Almaty.

Hunting spot. Syugaty valley - from west to east, its length is about 50 km. Bartogay resevoir is located here, and the Chilik river flows through the valley into this reservoir. The valley is defined by the Syugaty mountains in the north and the Toraygyr range in the south, borders the small Ulken-Boguty mountains in the northeast, and joins the valley of the Charyn river to the east. Access to the valley is via Kokpek gorge. The roads from Almaty - Narynkol and Almaty - Zharkent pass through this gorge.

Climate. Climate in the Syugaty valley is continental. Summer is hot and dry. Temperature in summer (including September) is + 40°C (on hot days). Precipitation is rare. In October, November - by day - warm +20-25°C, cooler at night. In November - possible night frosts, with occasional rain.

The Golden Eagle is a bird in the eagle family. In Kazakhstan it lives everywhere, except in the woodless deserts and steppes; in the south of Kazakhstan they are settled, in the North - partially migratory. Size: up to 95 cm, wing-span - up to 220 cm, weight 4-6 kg. Plumage is of the same kind, dark brown, nape and neck golden red; young individuals are white, with a wide black strip on the end; the tail, lower part of the wings has large white spots. Nestlings are pure white. The Golden Eagle is monogamous, making huge (up to 2 m in diameter) nests in niches and on the ledges of rocks and cliffs, and in trees. In March and April the hen lays 1-3 eggs (and sits on the eggs about 45 days). The nestlings leave the nest at 2.5 months of age, but parents guard them for a length of time. Golden Eagles live about 100 years under natural conditions. Their diet: in mountains - marmots, kekliks, ulars, raven and gophers; in deserts - sandpiper, rabbits, partridges, hazel grouses, turtles, snakes, etc. Occasionally it will attack foxes and badgers.

Kazakh names for the Golden Eagle. For a long time, the Golden Eagle has been used as a hunting bird. Hunting with Golden Eagles is requires experience, and can only be accomplished by expert hunters (berkutchi). Hunting with Golden Eagles requires special knowledge and patience. The berkutchi name the Golden Eagle depending on age: up to 1 year - balapan, 2-year - kantubit, 3-year - tyrnekl, 4-year - tastulek, 5-year - muzbalak, 6-year - koktubit, 7-year - kana, 8-year - zhana, 9-year - maytubit , 10-year - barkyn, 11-year - barshyn, 12-year - shogel. The Golden Eagle is a very rare bird and listed in the Red books of Kazakhstan and USSR.

Hunting with Golden Eagles is one of the most unique features of Kazakh life. The hunter is named kusbegi or berkutchi. The experience of wild bird training was gained by Kazakh kusbegi over centuries, the secrets being passed from the father to the son and kept secret. At the present time there are few people with such a name. These masters have an innate gift for training wild birds. For hunting they tame falcons, golden eagles and eagles. Names of birds are given depending on their appearance and battle characteristics. Hunting with Golden Eagles has been goign on for ten centuries. To present a teenager with a nestling of a hunting bird was considered to wish to him to begin the courageous, strong dzhigit. To train a golden eagle is a high art. The caught bird gradually becomes accustomed to the owner. To do this, the berkutchi some nights doesn't close his eyes and prevents the golden eagle from sleeping. The bird can eat (bits of uncooked meat) only from the hands of the owner. Afterwards, the bird will get used to the hunter, his horse and dog, and the berkutchi begins to train it to hunt for stuffed fox; only after this the real hunting begins. Specially trained golden eagles hunt for small animals: rabbits, foxes, partridge, and black hazel grouses.

Equipment for hunting with hunting birds. Hunting with hunting birds requires specially prepared equipment: coverlet, cap, cushion and leash, and a Bardak - a special wooden shield for the hand - try without it to hold on your outstretched hand a bird weighing 6-7 kg! A Shyrga - skin of a hare or fox, is filled with straw. This is a training manual for the bird. The hunter drags along the shyrga with a long rope along the steppe and teaches the golden eagle to attack its prey. The Kusbegi must have inexhaustible patience and persistence.

The program:

Day 1. Arrival in Almaty. Transfer to hotel. Accommodation at hotel "Otrar" **** . Rest. After breakfast: city tour, visits to the 28 Panfilov's guardsmen memorial, Cathedral, Museum of national musical instruments, National museum, Medeo skating resort. Lunch at the "Kazakh Aul" restaurant (traditional Kazakh food) at Medeo. Transfer: Almaty - Syugaty valley (150 km). Accommodation in guesthouse. Meeting with Hunter and golden eagle, rules of hunting. Dinner. Overnight in guesthouse.

Day 2. Breakfast. After breakfast, viewing of hunting. Hunters will show you all the skills of the golden eagles. The Golden Eagle will be hover in the sky, looking for the prey. Rabbits and foxes are their main prey in this region, but don't be surprised if the Golden Eagle dives for prey such as gopher or jerboa. You'll be riding horses while hunting, and if a guest becomes tired of falcon hunting, he/she may go on a short horseride. Lunch and dinner at guesthouse. Overnight in guesthouse.

Day 3. Breakafst. After breakfast, more hunting. Lunch. After lunch, transfer to Almaty (150 km). Accommodation in hotel "Otrar" ****. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in hotel.

Day 4. Departure from Almaty.

Price includes:

Price does not include:

Visa support to Kazakhstan; all land transfers; meeting and seeing off at the airport; services of interpreter, cook and his helper; guide; accommodation in hotels (double rooms with breakfast); sightseeing; entry fees; ecological taxes; police registration; serving of tea/coffee in the tent in the morning; special permits; full board; guide and hunter consultations; bottled water during transfers: 1.5 L/day/person; 1 horse for 1 person for hunting; hunter services.

Airline tickets; tips; insurance and other medical subcosts; additional excursions not mentioned in the program; personal extras like overweight luggage; laundry; phone, fax, and e-mail services; alcoholic drinks; mini bar and other extra services at the hotels.

Additional information:

We hope you like the program and assure you that we are absolutely open to any suggestions to increase the range of our services for the complete satisfaction of our clients and are happy to meet your special requirements.

You can alter the duration of your tour and places of visits by adding one of the extensions. Our tour operator will work closely with you or your travel agent to carefully prepare an itinerary based on your stated interests.

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