BUCK THE CUBICLE
Buck the Cubicle is a mini-documentary series featuring people who get out, get dirty and find inspiration in all manner of offbeat occupations. This episode is a three minute vignette of Lauren's unique relationship with the golden eagle Miles.
GOPRO
Lauren assisted GroPro in producing this mini-documentary "Eagle Hunters in a New World". She took the GoPro team to visit the eagle hunters whom she apprenticed under as a Fulbright scholar and harnessed GoPros to record the eagle's perspective during a hunt. The behind-the scenes video can be seen here. The project was sparked by this Photo of the Day.
bbc world service: the conversation
The ancient art of falconry holds a magical appeal for our guests this week. Helen MacDonald and Lauren McGough talk to Kim Chakanetsa about why they were drawn to this ancient tradition, the unique relationship they form with their birds, and the concerns of those who consider it cruel.
AUDUBON
Stretching their Wings - Lauren McGough became a falconer as a teenager. Now her compassionate training with Miles, a troubled Golden Eagle, has given him a new life. Article by Asher Elbein and photos by Ilana Panich-Linsman
The national
Mother of Dragons - On the Oklahoma plains with the great American eagle huntress. Article by Eric Benson and photos by Suzanne Tennant.
OVERLAND DOCUMENTARY
OVERLAND is a stunning, stirring, and cinematic journey shot across four continents that twists and turns like nature itself, bridging ancient to modern, east to west, and earth to sky. The film follows the stories of three falconers, “Jedi Knights of Nature,” each facing a unique set of challenges as they pursue their passion for the ancient art of partnering with birds of prey. Lauren, a daredevil anthropologist from Oklahoma, trains injured eagles to fly and hunt while scouring the world for age-old falconry secrets. Giovanni fled a troubled childhood in Rome for a solitary life in the Italian countryside with his wolves, hawks, and horse. Meanwhile, in Dubai, Khalifa is training to be the world’s best falcon racer. As each of these stories unfolds; eagles, falcons, and hawks play a critical role in helping their human partners keep the wild from fading out of sight and out of mind.
60 minutes - Fly Like an Eagle
Hunting with eagles in Mongolia In the Mongolian steppe, hunters partner with golden eagles to catch game. When Lauren McGough found out about it she said, "I have to see it. I have to do it." Scott Pelley reports.
‘Fly Like an Eagle’ won Best News Script at the Writer’s Guild of America Awards
Great Big sTORY
Falconry thrills Lauren McGough. She’s practiced the ancient tradition since she the age of 14 and is one of the very few American women to do so. Her love of falconry has taken her all the way to Mongolia, where she studied with Kazakh eagle hunters, and earned her a Fulbright fellowship and a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology. Now, she’s sharing her knowledge and passion with Jamaica Smith, a good friend and budding falconer eager to help rescued birds of prey.
Inside Hook - meet a real life lara croft
Meet a Real-Life Lara Croft: Lauren McGough, Anthropologist, Skydiver, Falconer: RCL adventure correspondent Kinga Philipps chats with a master of an ancient hunting technique.
Black Rifle Coffee
What it’s Like to Hunt with Eagles in Mongolia - Lauren McGough and her Kazakh mentor rode on horseback through the Altai Mountains until they caught up to their golden eagle, who was removing the fur from the fox it had just caught. Because of their language barrier, the two recreated the spectacular flight they had witnessed with their hands rather than retelling it with words, miming swooping and snatching, smiling at the memory of this dance between predator and prey. McGough’s mentor looked at her and lamented, “Why didn’t I take my daughters hunting?” Article by Maggie BenZvi
Falconry Told PODCAST
EP10: Lauren McGough Hosted by Israel Matson. Lauren McGough joins us for the next installment of the Falconry Told podcast. Lauren's falconry career drew early fame after her adventures hawking foxes with Golden Eagles in Mongolia caught the attention of many. Since then, she has dedicated the entirety of her career to these magnificent birds of prey, hunting jackrabbits in the wide open spaces of the United States when she's not exploring other falconry abroad, such as her most recent adventure which I can't give away any details for, you'll have to listen to find out! Listen in to hear about Lauren's experiences, and the chain of events that lead to her ending up on 60 minutes!
Hunting Hares with a golden eagle
Compilation of hunts from flying my imprint male golden eagle, Miles, on black-tailed jackrabbits in Kansas.