Falconing activities of the Naxi people

Generally speaking, the Naxi falconing activities can be divided into four parts: eagle catching, eagle training, falconing, and flying.

Eagles are migratory birds. Every autumn, eagles from the north migrate south, passing through several large mountains such as Yulong Snow Mountain and Laojun Mountain in Lijiang. Mountain people go up the mountain to catch eagles. At three or four o'clock in the morning, the falconer was about to set out. He climbed the mountain in the dark and came to the place where the net was laid earlier. He tied the pigeon to one end of the bamboo pole. A fulcrum was fixed in the middle of the bamboo pole to make a lever, and a rope was tied to the other end and placed it in the pre-built grass shack, where people hid and waited quietly. After dawn, the eagle catchers observe the sky through the shed. If an eagle flies in the sky, they pull the rope and let the pigeons flutter up to attract their attention. When the eagle flies down to hunt, the net can be closed.

After catching the eagle, the eagle catcher will sew the eagle's eyelids together and sell it in the market. "The eagle is a fierce animal. It is very unfamiliar to the human world. A frightened eagle may have a great change in temperament and be difficult to tame." Eagle hunter Li Shi introduced to us that after the falconer bought the eagle, he put on cowhide gloves, held the eagle in his hand and began to "boil the eagle." "Boiling the eagle" is the first step in falcon training. After undoing the eagle's eyeliner, you have to get up every day before dawn and put the eagle on your arm, and take it wherever there are many people.

"People who don't know will think that Naxi men are showing off that they are their pet. In fact, this is to get the eagle used to getting along with others and getting familiar with the human world." In addition, tie the dog next to it during rest at night so that the eagle is not afraid of dogs. "Falconing requires the cooperation of eagles, dogs and people, and one is indispensable." Li Shi said. The entire process of "boiling the eagle" takes 8 - 15 days until the eagle is supported on the arm of the falconer and can eat and sleep safely. The "boiling the eagle" is basically completed.

"Fattening water" is the key to falcon training, and "Fattening water" refers to the oil and water in the belly of an eagle. In the first day or two of "boiling the eagle", the eagle eats about three taels of good fresh beef every day to let it eat well and eat well. Then in the following days, the eagle's food intake should be controlled, allowing it to eat only 80% or 80% of its food every day, so that the eagle can maintain the best "fat water".

Eagles with "fat water and fertilizer" are unwilling to hunt. Although eagles with "fat water and lean water" have a strong desire to prey, they will find it difficult to catch prey due to lack of physical strength. Only by just right can a good eagle be trained. The experienced eagle training "Old Master Style" can judge whether an eagle's "fat water" meets the standard by observing the eagle's eyes, movements, and body shape.

The last step in taming the eagle is to take the eagle to an open area while it is eating, unbuckle the ankles, and let the eagle fly freely, then raise the arm that normally supports the eagle to feed, shout the command, and let the eagle fly back to the arm to eat. Training started in places where there were few people, then in places where there were many people, until wherever the eagle heard the command, it flew back to the master's arm.

After the falcon training is completed, Naxi eagle hunters can go up the mountain to "falcon hunting", which is commonly known locally as "hawking". In Naxi dialect, eagle hunting is transliterated as "Wukeke", which means "release the eagle and release the dog". The unique hunting method of the Naxi people is to lead eagles and dogs to hunt wild animals by "driving mountains"(driving). Throughout the autumn and winter seasons, Li Shi and his eagle friends go out falconing every week, sometimes even several times a week. However, every time the mountain has to be changed. This is a rule passed down by our ancestors. We cannot fish by fishing.