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I have to admit that I also enjoy his videos. Most people calm down a bit in their older age. He is a known risk taker which is not that big a deal if it is only your life at stake. Imagine some of the close calls his trackers have experienced. Notice the forearms of trackers that have done a good amount of buffalo hunts. Most all of them have scars from deep cuts and bruises. Many of their wounds come from dogging and climbing trees to get away from charges. I wonder when SCI will allow him back to the convention? Here is a rhetorical question. Who would you want to have to back you on a buffalo charge? | |||
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Mark's on camera personality is nothing like he is off camera,in fact, not even remotely close. The on camera personality is all for show. | |||
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I enjoy his dvds and books. Yes he has a "big" personality. Self promoting ??? undoubtedly !!! I think he really enjoys what he's doing and as a result he's a bit "over the top" but good on him if he's doing something he honestly enjoys............and gets paid for it. He covers his methods in his books and dvds. His clients don't get on these forums and bad mouth him !!! He dispels a lot of the opinions/experiences of a lot of the "legends" that we've all read and cherished over the years and we don't like that. Probably because we realise that what we have idolised was wrong. Remember Sullivan shows you the photos and the dvd footage backing up what he says. I don't agree with his use of solids for body shots. In his dvds it shows clients blowing daylight through buffalo that run off. I think that softs would do a better job on body shots. Solids would be preferred for "incoming" head shots. However it's very difficult to dump the softs out of your gun and replace them with solids when your realised that "the sh*t has just hit the fan". I have shot NO Cape Buffalo !!! His tips on carrying a double rifle, wearing binoculars, slings and spare cartridges come from a hell of a lot of experience. As to his client's shooting. Who among us shoot our "big guns" as well as we would like too ?? Who among us can really say we could stand up to a Cape Buffalo charge like the cool block of granite that we picture ourselves doing in our trophy rooms ??? I think he has so many detractors because we are all aware of our shortcomings and doubt our abilities to do what he does........we call it "Tall Poppy syndrome". Would I hunt with him - in the event of a large Lotto win and available vacancies - Hell yeah !!! But I'd make sure that I bought a double of adequate quality/calibre, fitted to me, and then work on wearing it out practicing so that I'd have a chance of proving adequate when "the moment arrived". I do not pretend to speak on behalf of Mark Sullivan. I have never met the man. These are just my opinions. Remember "free advice is usually worth as much as you paid for it". | |||
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With any half decent shot from a hunter, and Mark would not have anything to brag about | |||
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twobobbwana, are you serious? A good PH shouldn't ever have to fire HIS weapon. It's a sign of incompetence or very bad luck if it occurs. If it occurs ten or twelve times in a season, it's planned ahead of time by the PH. Sullivan's dvds are a seemingly endless chronicle of ineptitude by clients. Nothing heroic about them. Or him. He causes the charges for film footage and his own narcissistic self-promotion. He's like a woman who has been married and divorced half a dozen times and still insists on wearing a new white dress at her next wedding. I kill my own game, and that has included Cape Buffalo in Zimbabwe. your post is funny, Rich | |||
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Outside of a case of clap in my youth I don't have dangerous game experience. But I have a couple dozen years of exposure to what I call "incidental hunters". People who, because of a circumstance, get the opportunity to hunt but have no real passion or desire for either hunting or shooting per se. Maybe they just want bragging rights. In my case it's a type of hunter frequently found at company deer camps used to entertain clients. Probably less than 15% are dedicated shooters and/or hunters. The shooting skills are often abysmal. Missed and wounded game are often the norm (and that's with medium calibers). But those people are essential to the businesses' revenue so it is what it is. I suppose it's the same for someone like Sullivan. If he limited himself to only top shots he'd be a mite more the poorer for it. They "Experience" is the only class you take where the exam comes before the lesson. | |||
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ISS, Yes I'm serious. The best PH in the world can only locate the game and put the client in the best position to make a good shot. He can't make that client a good shot. There is responsibility on the part of the client as well. They must be fit enough to hunt/stalk the game and then must be a good enough shot to humanely kill the game. If the PH finds the game and gets the hunter into a good position and the hunter makes a good first shot a lot of hunting videos would show game crumpling at the shot. The fact that Sullivan sells so many dvds/videos is that people want to see more. I kill my own game as well........but if I stuff up the shot, especially on something dangerous, I would expect the PH to "chip in" if I can't "seal the deal". Yes I would be embarrassed due to the need for the PH's contribution but, for the sake of my vanity, a large dangerous and wounded animal cannot be left at large...........I would suspect that a PH would lose his license if he made a habit of allowing this to happen. Remember most of the "letting the buffalo/lion/hippo decide how he is going to die" happens after the client has had a go and stuffed up. I agree that most PHs have a good year if they never have to fire a shot backing up clients...........but it happens !!!! Women who have been married multiple times are a different kind of "Dangerous game". When dealing with them you might wish for Sullivan's .600 Nitro backing you !!!! I'm pleased that I bring humour to you.....even if accidently. | |||
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As Eddie posted above,"Rumor had it…" That's it in a nut shell. To separate face from fiction, look to the three-part article published in the African Hunter magazine (III is just out) by a world famous author. As to the number of charges and killed animals, refer to my post of 3-4 years ago when I tabulated each of Mark's films. It is much less than what is talked about. It is far less than what is believed. As to the ego issue. I would equate this to a marketing tool. Same as John Sharp hunting without a shirt (former bodybuilder) or Ivan standing in front of an elephant and waving his rifle (no one gets on his case for this), or Boddington's PH firing at his wounded buffalo. It would be interesting to compare Mark's dvd sales with other dvds of fellow PHs. Or how many Saeed has given away. What Mark does works. There is no doubt about it. And, it is still true to the norm, his detractors are those that have never hunted with the man. Be careful how you reply to me, Saeed, has I have been logging your anti MS comments for the past few years and it is embarrassingly easy for me to point out inconsistencies in your posts all the way to outright hypocrite. Gents: we are all in the same league here. We can piss amongst ourselves but we are not the enemy. It is the antis who want us eliminated. A house divided against itself can't stand. We need to forget the others that don't hunt like we do and remember them first as hunters. Then, make a unified front agains PETA, HSUS, ALF, etc.. I'd much rather have Mark Sullivan in my camp as well as Saeed and most of you here than the anti hunting groups that permeate the lowest of the low levels. We are hunters hear us roar in numbers (with rifles to big to ignore) to big to ignore. Let's save our animosities toward those who want to stop what we do, stop what we shoot. Mark and Saeed need to break bread together at a meal and discuss ways to thwart the antis--through marketing, unification, cooperation, publicity, etc. All of us, dammit. And, I'll use my George Cloomey and Tom cruise good looks to do my part. If we continue to be divide we will fall faster. Cheers, mates. Cal _______________________________ Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska www.CalPappas.com www.CalPappas.blogspot.com 1994 Zimbabwe 1997 Zimbabwe 1998 Zimbabwe 1999 Zimbabwe 1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation 2000 Australia 2002 South Africa 2003 South Africa 2003 Zimbabwe 2005 South Africa 2005 Zimbabwe 2006 Tanzania 2006 Zimbabwe--vacation 2007 Zimbabwe--vacation 2008 Zimbabwe 2012 Australia 2013 South Africa 2013 Zimbabwe 2013 Australia 2016 Zimbabwe 2017 Zimbabwe 2018 South Africa 2018 Zimbabwe--vacation 2019 South Africa 2019 Botswana 2019 Zimbabwe vacation 2021 South Africa 2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later) ______________________________ | |||
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Having spent a weekend shooting birds and hogs with Mark and Rick Taylor, I have to say that I imagine most of his detractors would actually like him,even Saeed. He is a very nice guy who absolutely loves to hunt. In the real world, he is absolutely nothing like one sees on the DVDs. The shtick get turned on and off like a light switch. Cal is right. Fighting among ourselves is counterproductive. | |||
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I have watched a couple of Mark Sullivan's videos. I find them unusual based on my experience. However, I watched the Jim Shockey show on a mean hippo that he shot very close and have seen a bear or two of his very close, same for moose. I am not so sure Ivan Carter getting so close to elephants is a good idea. I have been close twice and I would not do it again. Unless we know for sure some of the accusations against him (wounding animals to induce a charge) I would give the benefit of the doubt. When I read about Osa Johnson and her husband doing the same thing in the 1920's and 30's to make movies, I tended to give them a pass as I am not sure what they did. I agree with Cal, we can thrown rocks at Sullivan but we may be hitting ourselves. For those that "like to kill their own game", I agree, we all do, but a PH is there to back up as needed. I have asked PH's to fire on three occasions - one a buff that was mortally wounded but running right at us (Dean Kendall), on a lion that was hit in the chest twice but still moving toward us at 12 yards away (Jamy Traut), and a buff that was hit in the shoulder but running to a herd (Thierry Labat). So, I for one am happy to have the PH shoot when needed rather than have the risk of a lion making it another 12 yards before it dies or a buff running into me with his head down because he is hit in the lungs and shoulder and is just running..... | |||
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sci is a joke of an organization and their numbers dwindle by the year, we quit going to the convention last year and won't go again. that said, i put no stock in them kicking him out. hilarious i say. that said, he is hated imho bc he is successful and he has called out soooo many in the industry on their bullsh&t. i've talked to numerous hunting references of his and never heard a bad word and "rumor" is the best word you can call accusations he intentionally wounds animals, in all it's BS and just jealous BS at that and have never heard of anyone substantiate that claim in any way. i went to south africa a few times and asked my ph about it and he said that he doesn't hunt buff any different and doesn't let them "stiffen" in the bush wounded and that thats cruel. on my last buff when we went in after we didn't wait, it was established if i can get another shot on the buff i will but if it charges they will shoot too. fair enough, it's what i signed up for but i wasn't about to wait so that i could be the only one to shoot my animal, that's not ethical and not how i hunt. i shoot it, i go in after it. if it charges we all shoot, not sure what's so complicated about that. | |||
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I know how we can fix Mark Sullivan.........!!!! All his detractors should "put their money where their mouths are" and book a hunt with him. This surely would book out a few seasons of Mark's time. Aforementioned detractors should then display the super human marksmanship that they must be capable of ...thereby killing all their game with one shot. No wounded game. No follow ups. No "letting the buffalo make the decision of how he's going to die". This would rob Mr Sullivan of anything to put in a dvd. Surely nobody would want to watch a dvd of things collapsing at the one shot !!! How many hunts/dvds would that sell ???? Ante up boys !!!!! Unless of course you're scared to find out truths that may interfere with your biases. Surely your portrayal on his next dvd will not display your shortcomings. If you don't like the man or his manner or his methods don't book with him..........move on !!!! The fact that you don't book with him won't bother MS at all.........because, I think you'll find, that there's plenty of satisfied customers who are keeping the man busy. I hope that if the lotto numbers fall the right way for me that both Mark and I will still be young enough and capable enough to hunt something/anything that might "bite back". Until that time I aim to watch his dvds and read his books and envy him his experience/knowledge. I won't agree with everything he says........but then I would suspect anybody who I agreed with all the time. But I'll certainly be entertained and educated. As for his detractors "go ahead" deprive him of your company and money. Don't book with him. Don't hunt with him. I think he'll get over it. | |||
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He was in big trouble in Tanzania, never heard the final on that, and he was gone for awhile and is back now, I know a lot about him but its all heresay so I'll refrain from comments. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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