Backyard Herding in Mongolia

[Mike CHS]

Thank you for sharing your adventure.

 

[Roving Jacobs]

I see the yurts and wondering, are the nomads using them? If so, were there any discussions as to how often they moved and how they transported? Were some type of tents used for that group of people? Do/are the people/herders actually just using any open countryside? I'm thinking in contrast to USA where you do not have these options. So, what seems to be the Mongolian structure for life as a livestock owner? Are ?there villages where others live and such.

Yes, the nomadic people do use the gers! That's what most people who don't live in cities live in, although there are some small, simple houses here and there. They move seasonally, from grazing area to grazing area, so probably at least 4 times a year but some may move much more often. It started storming as we were packing up to leave ger camp so we didn't get to help take them down but apparently it's not too hard once you're used to it.

The inside is made up of decorated beams that can be taken down and stacked.


There's a ring around the top held up by some pillars.


The whole thing is wrapped in wool felt then fabric to keep it water tight. Unroll some laminate for the floor and you're set! Sometimes rodents like gerbils and pika wandered in and you woke up staring them in the face but most people have their beds raised and it's not a problem. Families we visited generally had at least 2-3 gers so one could be used exclusively for cooking, with one person sleeping there to watch the food, and the others for beds and living. Depending on the size gers can fit 5-8 people. Just have to watch your head around all the beams.They often had solar panels and satellite phones attached to the outside to keep in contact with friends and watch tv.

When taken down the families just stack it on top of the soviet vans or trucks everyone seemed to have and away they went. Those vans can do anything! We stopped for ice cream (flavor options included butter and cheese, I stuck with chocolate coated vanilla) and saw someone's ger all packed up in the back of a pickup with their bankhar dog perched on top guarding it like a black and tan lion. They definitely know how to pack and travel.


Nights get really cold, even in the summer, so I don't think many people sleep just out in the open. Instead if they need to bring baby goats or sheep someplace sheltered to watch overnight they just bring them into the gers. There aren't many villages or cities, people just pick spots with good grazing and set up their gers where ever they happen to be. It's all government land and no one owns any particular spots. The national park had roads but most places we just drove around across the steppe until we ran into groups and stopped to chat with them.

 

[Baymule]

No fences and the animals don't scatter and run for the hills. What happens when any of our animals get loose? RUN! And yet, there are no fences, the animals are herded, but they stay around. Fascinating!

 

[greybeard]

Hard to fathom that much public land where anyone can travel anywhere they wish without trespassing.

 

[Simpleterrier]

Wow that is neat. I have been a few places one was Romania and every village has their milk cow heard and every morning they would come home by themselves to the right house to be milked