It is a relationship forged by destiny, patience, and an immense amount of healing. Martin Tyner, a federally licensed falconer from Enoch, Iron County, recently celebrated a monumental 20-year milestone alongside his closest friend: a magnificent, eight-pound golden eagle named Scout. But the story of how this breathtaking bond formed is truly extraordinary, starting with a terrified little boy.
As a child, Tyner was severely dyslexic and possessed a deep, paralyzing fear of birds. With the patient guidance of his grandparents and mentors, Tyner not only conquered his phobia but achieved something completely unprecedented: he became the very first person in North America licensed to trap a wild eagle for falconry.
Acquiring Scout required what Tyner calls a literal "act of God"—getting three separate government agencies to agree simultaneously. Scout was originally located in Wyoming, where a rancher mistakenly believed the eagle was killing his livestock. Tyner notes that golden eagles are primarily scavengers and the bird was likely just eating already dead animals, but the farmer wanted him gone and would have shot him if he returned. To save Scout's life, Tyner traveled to Wyoming, trapped the eagle, and guaranteed the predator would never return to the area.
To forge a trusting partnership with the lethal predator, Tyner performed a traditional falconer's "wake". He sat in a dark, quiet basement with Scout for three days and three nights, waiting patiently until the eagle finally felt safe enough to settle down and eat.
Today, that patience has blossomed into an incredibly affectionate friendship. Every morning, Scout calls out from his enclosure, waiting for Tyner to come out, talk to him, and give him a big hug before the day begins.
But Scout also has a hilarious, mischievous side. As a wildlife ambassador for the Enoch Wildlife Rescue—a facility Tyner runs after volunteering for nearly 60 years—Scout frequently performs for crowds and even earned a Silver Creator Award from YouTube for surpassing 100,000 subscribers. Because he is so highly intelligent, Scout loves to show off and tease Tyner during presentations, deliberately stealing the falconer's glasses to throw them into the audience, or ripping buttons off his shirt just to spit them onto the floor.
During hunting season, the duo works as a perfect team. Scout flies thousands of feet in the sky, soaring completely free with wild eagles while Tyner flushes out jackrabbits below. Though Tyner jokes that Scout simply "exploits" him for easy meals and "tidbits," the deep love between them is undeniable.
With a captive golden eagle's life expectancy reaching up to 40 years, Tyner hopes to be in his 90s still working alongside his feathered best friend.
"To have a wild animal like a golden eagle that I have the opportunity to bond with and to create a partnership with is truly a gift," Tyner reflects.
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