Azerbaijan's Devechi region, on the shores of the Caspian Sea, is poor in economic opportunities but rich in wildlife. RFE/RL Azerbaijani Service photographer Abbas Atilay joined a group of bird hunters on an early morning expedition to try to bring home dinner and supplement their incomes.
Hunting On The Caspian Coast
![These Azerbaijani hunters set out at 5 a.m. in search of waterfowl on the Caspian coast.](https://gdb.rferl.org/08ea8e31-fc5c-42b2-b20a-2e45ba7a699d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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These Azerbaijani hunters set out at 5 a.m. in search of waterfowl on the Caspian coast.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/c0fd575a-7065-4961-b771-bb50e502e390_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![Many species of ducks, coots, and geese live in the coastal area.](https://gdb.rferl.org/b3435fb7-7926-4e64-8ee8-d13eaf85ef9f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Many species of ducks, coots, and geese live in the coastal area.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/535b3611-8aeb-4470-9bd3-ccf6935ccbea_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![The hunters wait patiently on wooden platforms in the shallow water.](https://gdb.rferl.org/b39ea851-4b94-4abd-ac64-b4d4b6a897d6_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The hunters wait patiently on wooden platforms in the shallow water.
![Some of the day's catch will be eaten right away. The rest will be sold at local markets.](https://gdb.rferl.org/9e370c20-f544-4508-95f3-54c09cdb50b4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Some of the day's catch will be eaten right away. The rest will be sold at local markets.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/433664ef-26a5-47f9-8c2f-732b3b47febb_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![](https://gdb.rferl.org/ce7c31ba-4934-4d43-9659-888a2437449d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![A hunter proudly wears the day's catch.](https://gdb.rferl.org/67d8a3e9-bf46-460d-b160-1de0ac7a0469_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A hunter proudly wears the day's catch.