21 days with Mark Sullivan

[Vintageguy]

I enjoyed watching it. No one is going to book with him without knowing what to expect. They are going with him to hunt with HIM. They want to be shoulder to shoulder with him blazing away at a buffalo. They are probably adrenaline junkies too.
On buffalo, he has his way of doing things. But the client does shoot first. Then it’s party time with the doubles and I doubt many can match him there.
It seems more like two friends out to heat up the barrels of their doubles together than a hunter and PH and I think that’s exactly what they are paying for.
If you want to spot and stalk or track a buffalo and fire your one shot, likely, off sticks with a scoped bolt gun there are the other 99.99% of PH’s out there to do it with and it’s a rush that I would wholeheartedly recommend to all. But if a firefight with double rifles up close on a bull turns your crank..? He’s the man.

 

[Brent in Az]

View attachment 762672

He can pay the trophy fee's

 

[Red Leg]

I enjoyed watching it. No one is going to book with him without knowing what to expect. They are going with him to hunt with HIM. They want to be shoulder to shoulder with him blazing away at a buffalo. They are probably adrenaline junkies too.
On buffalo, he has his way of doing things. But the client does shoot first. Then it’s party time with the doubles and I doubt many can match him there.
It seems more like two friends out to heat up the barrels of their doubles together than a hunter and PH and I think that’s exactly what they are paying for.
If you want to spot and stalk or track a buffalo and fire your one shot, likely, off sticks with a scoped bolt gun there are the other 99.99% of PH’s out there to do it with and it’s a rush that I would wholeheartedly recommend to all. But if a firefight with double rifles up close on a bull turns your crank..? He’s the man.

Firefight with double rifles. Sure. Matches his other rhetoric about being prepared "to go to war" in other videos. Sorry. Simply can't manage that whole equivalency bravado. I actually think Ivan Carter, who would never back up a client until and unless necessary, has it correct when he reminds the gung ho contingent, "we are the only ones with the guns."

 

[dchum]

“I guarantee you 8 of of 10 PHs would have shot that leopard not knowing it was a female”. Really?
Ah yes, mark Sullivan - One of the only PH’s in Tz that can properly sex cats.

Even I knew it was a female!

Why must he exaggerate every time he opens his mouth.

And then the first animal of the safari just being a standard run of the mill young impala for bait, nothing wrong with that…. But then mark must lie to the client and say wow, that is a very old impala and a trophy blah blah blah. And the hunter goes “ya he’s not nice sharp tips!”


They are the perfect match,
A Clueless Hunter and lying PH.
At least they both had fun.

I never got past the first 14 mins of the film.

 

[Firebird]

Gentlemen-there are 30 pages of banter under the title “Mark Sullivan the Expose” already on this site and fairly recent. Do we really need to beat a dead horse for afew more pages?

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Gentlemen-there are 30 pages of banter under the title “Mark Sullivan the Expose” already on this site and fairly recent. Do we really need to beat a dead horse for afew more pages?

Feels like we’re overdue for a new thread on the subject. Kinda like the new thread on CBL I saw. Thankfully it hasn’t taken off other than some preemptive shots fired

If there’s never any opposition it would seem as if people condoned and accepted that stuff as normal

 

[Brent in Az]

Even an inexperienced guy like myself could tell that was a female leopard by the slender neck and upper torso.
Nobody better double tap my shots on a Buffalo or any other game.
If it comes down to an eminent threat of a charge or a dangerous follow up situation, then fine, fire away

 

[wesheltonj]

Gentlemen-there are 30 pages of banter under the title “Mark Sullivan the Expose” already on this site and fairly recent. Do we really need to beat a dead horse for afew more pages?

Of course we do, along with CB & CBL. Let the flogging begin.

 

[BRICKBURN]

 

[kpoynter]

Honestly I think the Hunter made really poor first shots on both the ones I watched. The first he hit it way back I believe (like two feet back of vitals). On the second the thing was quartering way forward and it looked like he basically put a raking shot way too far forward (and he didn’t handle the recoil of the .500 too well).
Point being I think Sullivan did the right thing with the follow up shots based on what I saw.

 

[375Fox]

I watched the whole thing. I actually don’t see too much wrong (at least nothing unethical). Mark Sullivan is clearly the guy’s hunting hero. He’s naive and absorbs everything Mark says and does even if it’s ridiculous (like the 80% leopard comment). Looks like he finished thinking it was a great trip. I’d be very annoyed at more than a few things though. I’ve said it before but I don’t understand the draw to hunting with this kind of PH.

 

[Betterinthebush]

I feel sorry for the bull. He forever has to hang on a wall knowing that he was too much of a pussy to face the fire.

 

[mark-hunter]

Few notes of mine:

- Why did I watch this video?
Because it was professionally done. Amateur videos, in general, I avoid, unless looking for something specific.

- What did I expect?
Going into "the battle", blazing guns, charges and buffalos dropping on PH foot. Not my favorite movie director (M.S.), but in this respect, I was pleasantly surprised this time. No charges. This was almost "normal" buffalo hunt. No "battles" just "skirmishes"
MS must be getting old...

- PH hunting, instead of client hunting?
Ufff. I always tell my PH to back me up if he considers necessary during DG hunt. (But they never needed to)
I am not sure in all three cases M.S. had to shoot.
But he gives explanations about his "back up shots", I think in other movie clip "expose" also available on the forum with link to YT.

After M.S. made his first safari as a client, he started thinking about doing this for money, and becoming a professional. If true, this explains it. The idea was to be paid to hunt.

So, overall, not my type of PH, no impressive shots by client (like zebra broadside) but movie was well made. Zebra shots gave a taste of reality. It happens. Down in tracks 100% as in most of commercial movies, is not realistic.

 

[Miletic]

Mark is the legend

 

[mark-hunter]

Mark is the legend

Hahaha somehow you dont surprise me!

The trick question for you is:
Is he famous legend or infamous legend?

 

[Scott CWO]

Not much for cats on bait. Same tree all the time. Buffalo hunting looked pretty good but I would be a bit disappointed to not get at least a leopard on a 21-day safari in Tanzania, if not a lion. Buffalo hunting seemed to be like a buddy hunt with both shooting.

 

[Badboymelvin]

I enjoyed watching it. No one is going to book with him without knowing what to expect. They are going with him to hunt with HIM. They want to be shoulder to shoulder with him blazing away at a buffalo. They are probably adrenaline junkies too.
On buffalo, he has his way of doing things. But the client does shoot first. Then it’s party time with the doubles and I doubt many can match him there.
It seems more like two friends out to heat up the barrels of their doubles together than a hunter and PH and I think that’s exactly what they are paying for.
If you want to spot and stalk or track a buffalo and fire your one shot, likely, off sticks with a scoped bolt gun there are the other 99.99% of PH’s out there to do it with and it’s a rush that I would wholeheartedly recommend to all. But if a firefight with double rifles up close on a bull turns your crank..? He’s the man.

I agree.
I've never hunted Africa and have never met Mark Sullivan, but I've read enough on here to get an idea what my hunt would look like.
And if I were happy with that, I'd hunt with him.
If not, I wouldn't.
But from what I've also gathered on here, he seems a nice enough guy – and I've never heard anyone criticise his marksmanship or his use of a double.
At least, if something genuinely went pear-shaped on your hunt, you'd probably be in good hands...

Russ

 

[Miletic]

Hahaha somehow you dont surprise me!

The trick question for you is:
Is he famous legend or infamous legend?

What do you think my dear friend?

 

[pilar]

Hahaha somehow you dont surprise me!

The trick question for you is:
Is he famous legend or infamous legend?

MS is the most infamous of the infamous of our Era, a true legend in his own mind

 

[mark-hunter]

What do you think my dear friend?

I am aligned with above post by @pilar.

How would you feel about your PH shooting your well earned and paid buffalo on high value hunt, in case there is no need for it?
You have not settled yet from recoil of a first shot, and PH shoots two shots immediately after you, in clear situation, without necessity for back up shot, which should be your right that you pay for, as seen on this video?

Your shooting right costs 1000 to 2500 USD per day, plus trophy fee if you spill the blood.