Mark Sullivan the Expose’

[375Fox]

Don’t buy his book. You would only be supporting another influencer.

I never said I’d pay a lot for it, but I think it would be some good comedy. It’d definitely be in the fiction section.

 

[CoElkHunter]

@CoElkHunter - I like your “optimism” that you would hire a PH with a “Well known Style” and think you could change that. Like my friend in college (referred to in earlier post) that was Big, Tough, and frequently started Bar Fights - we went out many weekends and always started off telling him “Chris, let’s just enjoy the night and Not start any fights etc..”. Several drinks and a Black eye later —-it was always the same….But it was Never Boring ! However, when we wanted a “quiet evening” —- we knew to go out - without “Chris”

What can I say except I am an optimist. Life’s too short for me to think any other way. Maybe a little naive, but my previous career tested my resolve on many different levels and I somehow still remain optimistic. Shouldn’t be but I am.

 

[Flbt]

@Flbt - cockiness, arrogance, abundance of confidence can all be offensive. Sometimes, when the person can actually back it up or it is just honestly Who-they-are, like them or Not they march to their own drum. Mark Sullivan’s behavior does Not bother me and does not negatively affect me - I don’t know him, only met him once and it was a pleasant hour of talk, stories, a few laughs etc.. He has attained celebrity status in some ways, takes some criticism for it, those on AH that have met or know him seem to speak highly of him and that’s what I pay attention to…..I wish I could shoot a Double rifle like he does !

I was not talking of him
Or hunting.
Cockiness even with people that good.
Can and does make the over estimate for what can be done or unestimate the other party.
And can very well get others hurt that are just doing there job.
Cockiness/ over conference doing serious/dangerous things can cause very bad outcomes
And again I am not talking about hunting.

 

[HankBuck]

I was not talking of him
Or hunting.
Cockiness even with people that good.
Can and does make the over estimate for what can be done or unestimate the other party.
And can very well get others hurt that are just doing there job.
Cockiness/ over conference doing serious/dangerous things can cause very bad outcomes
And again I am not talking about hunting.

@Flbt - I’m not sure what you are referring to then - thought thread starting leaning towards Sullivan stuff - might’ve mis read….and will assume you have no opinion on Mark Sullivan until you meet him

 

[Flbt]

@Flbt - I’m not sure what you are referring to then - thought thread starting leaning towards Sullivan stuff - might’ve mis read….and will assume you have no opinion on Mark Sullivan until you meet him

Yes I know but I was talking cockiness in general.
His way of doing things never affected me.
But people being cocky and over confident
Has caused a lot of problems. Kicking a door in just a bit to early.
Not talking the time to actually clear a room.
Jumping in the middle of a fight before checking everything out.
I have seen that attitude cause a lot of problems. More so than the person taking every thing easy and doing the job by the numbers.

Just like hay y’all watch this being yelled out.
Is normally some one showing off and fixing to cause problems or get someone hurt.

 

[Flbt]

@Flbt - I’m not sure what you are referring to then - thought thread starting leaning towards Sullivan stuff - might’ve mis read….and will assume you have no opinion on Mark Sullivan until you meet him

I am not that articulate to begin with.
And I have had to take pain pills tonight so I am probably worse than normal.
Sorry

 

[hwr239]

I have to ask then why are you saying that and bringing attention to it.
Instead of just doing it and going about life?

I wasn't talking to you, so there's that.

 

[Flbt]

I wasn't talking to you, so there's that.

Ok
It would not bother me if you were.

 

[WAB]

I had a pretty serious disagreement with Mark at an SCI event in Fairbanks. Bottom line, he suggested that we should use his approach to provoke charges with Alaska brown bear. Suffice to say, I would not hunt with him.

 

[Scott CWO]

I had a pretty serious disagreement with Mark at an SCI event in Fairbanks. Bottom line, he suggested that we should use his approach to provoke charges with Alaska brown bear. Suffice to say, I would not hunt with him.

Me neither. A very foolish statement. Brown bears are much faster and have teeth and claws. Bears will also stomp you, like a buffalo or elephant. Bears don’t have horns but if I had to choose between the two of them being wounded and charging, I would pick the buffalo every time. I know people attacked by buffalo and other people attacked by bears. Of those that survived, the guys attacked by bears were more horribly disfigured with some needing facial skin grafts from their backsides. Wounded leopards are right there with bears but are smaller and die a little easier. A wounded African lion is the worst of all, in my opinion. No thanks!

 

[major hunter]

With all due respect to you @Hunter-Habib and Mark, I believe in putting a wounded animal out of its misery as soon as possible. I would not advocate getting closer than necessary or waiting longer than necessary to finish the animal just so I can provoke a charge and shoot it during a charge to get an adrenaline rush at the animal’s expense. Getting charged comes with the job but shouldn’t be the goal.

Mark admits to purposefully walking up on wounded animals to facilitate a charge instead of immediately putting them down. He also puts himself in the best position when hunting hippos on land and sometimes shoots the hippo when it charges while the client is off to the side at a less desirable angle. Mark has undoubtedly hunted hippos and other dangerous game on his own without clients. If he wants to hunt hippo in that manner, that’s great and I enjoy it as well but I’m not going to pay anyone else to be in the best position and shoot my game for me. To each his own.

Not the ph for me, would never hunt with someone trying to shoot a movie on my time. For those who’ve hunted TZ you have to cover ground. No time for a production

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I wouldn’t mind hiring him for some lessons and critique on shooting a double rifle better

 

[VertigoBE]

He made a very similar comment about my Remington Model 700 .375 Holland & Holland Magnum.
“I’m sure it’s a lovely rifle. Did your girlfriend lend it to you ?”. We both burst out laughing at the same time.

And isn't that kind of banter, with exaggerations, theater and good old ribbing of the fellow members of the safari not much more fun, than emotionless, monotone and practical only discussions?

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Okay, I finally have to comment not that my opinion is worth any more than anyone else’s. I am just a humble (hopefully) Africa Hunting ordinary type of guy member. I take @Hunter-Habib word that Mark Sullivan is a great guy. I would probably enjoy conversing with him so long as I didn’t have to spend much time trying to find a place to be that his ego wasn’t occupying. Frankly, his videos of stopping charges are impressive but they are also like Kim Kardashian with a set of balls the size of basketballs showing off!

I had a pretty serious disagreement with Mark at an SCI event in Fairbanks. Bottom line, he suggested that we should use his approach to provoke charges with Alaska brown bear. Suffice to say, I would not hunt with him.

WTF ! I read this forum much more than I comment and @WAB is up there in my most respected members. If he says it happened, it happened.

Me neither. A very foolish statement. Brown bears are much faster and have teeth and claws. Bears will also stomp you, like a buffalo or elephant. Bears don’t have horns but if I had to choose between the two of them being wounded and charging, I would pick the buffalo every time. I know people attacked by buffalo and other people attacked by bears. Of those that survived, the guys attacked by bears were more horribly disfigured with some needing facial skin grafts from their backsides. Wounded leopards are right there with bears but are smaller and die a little easier. A wounded African lion is the worst of all, in my opinion. No thanks!

@Scott CWO , a professional outfitter of many decades, I take his assessment of guiding and dangerous animals as a fact.

As teenagers many of us yet to gain wisdom did stupid things to prove our supposed manhood from pulling apart all the rings on a 6-pack or two 6-pack retainer plastics, drinking a case of beer by ourselves, drinking tequila until we could drink the worm out of the bottle, driving our cars at 116 mph, jumping dangerous obstacles on bicycles and motorcycles, getting into fights to show others we are the toughest or at least tough, and the list goes on.

Today, teenagers watch social media and join in on challenges like swallowing Tide pods (laundry detergent), ice bucket dumped on one’s head, and very dangerous stunts.
25 Outrageously Stupid Challenges https://list25.com/25-outrageously-stupid-internet-challenges/
List of Internet Challenges https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_challenges

I admit that as an adult I was a risk taker, an adrenalin junkie. I pushed myself to the limit and it was stupid. Perhaps is was a devil may care attitude about life, or maybe I was searching for something more. But, wanting to provoke an Alaska Brown Bear take balls and a disregard for any wisdom one may have!

He made a very similar comment about my Remington Model 700 .375 Holland & Holland Magnum.
“I’m sure it’s a lovely rifle. Did your girlfriend lend it to you ?”. We both burst out laughing at the same time.

Now, suppose one’s retort to a snide remark about the size of a rifle’s bore a hunter uses were to question this PH’s intelligence? “How stupid do you have to be to provoke charges?” Having a big personality to sell oneself or products doesn’t make the PH a bigger or better man. It lessens him in my opinion. I relate this to combat veterans such as snipers with a lot of kills, Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Silver Star awardees, and ordinary un-decorated combat soldiers, Marines, and others who never, ever talk let alone boast about the shxt they had to do. Never.

Also, some of our members have killed many, many plains and dangerous game with a .375 H&H. Clearly since they have more common sense than to provoke charges of dangerous game, the little "rat" gun is adaquate!

I’ve met a famous PH or two, gun writer, and others whose large personalities don’t impress me. Not when I looked, pierce deep into their eyes searching for meaningful qualities. Often, I didn’t discover anything. The humble champions, PH's, military heroes, and a lot of our AH members, who show sincere interest in others, gaze into their eyes and you will find much inside.

My opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it. In fact, if you dispise it then you lost time reading it and time, time is something you can never replace...

 

[HankBuck]

Okay, I finally have to comment not that my opinion is worth any more than anyone else’s. I am just a humble (hopefully) Africa Hunting ordinary type of guy member. I take @Hunter-Habib word that Mark Sullivan is a great guy. I would probably enjoy conversing with him so long as I didn’t have to spend much time trying to find a place to be that his ego wasn’t occupying. Frankly, his videos of stopping charges are impressive but they are also like Kim Kardashian with a set of balls the size of basketballs showing off!


WTF ! I read this forum much more than I comment and @WAB is up there in my most respected members. If he says it happened, it happened.


@Scott CWO , a professional outfitter of many decades, I take his assessment of guiding and dangerous animals as a fact.

As teenagers many of us yet to gain wisdom did stupid things to prove our supposed manhood from pulling apart all the rings on a 6-pack or two 6-pack retainer plastics, drinking a case of beer by ourselves, drinking tequila until we could drink the worm out of the bottle, driving our cars at 116 mph, jumping dangerous obstacles on bicycles and motorcycles, getting into fights to show others we are the toughest or at least tough, and the list goes on.

Today, teenagers watch social media and join in on challenges like swallowing Tide pods (laundry detergent), ice bucket dumped on one’s head, and very dangerous stunts.
25 Outrageously Stupid Challenges https://list25.com/25-outrageously-stupid-internet-challenges/
List of Internet Challenges https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_challenges

I admit that as an adult I was a risk taker, an adrenalin junkie. I pushed myself to the limit and it was stupid. Perhaps is was a devil may care attitude about life, or maybe I was searching for something more. But, wanting to provoke an Alaska Brown Bear take balls and a disregard for any wisdom one may have!


Now, suppose one’s retort to a snide remark about the size of a rifle’s bore a hunter uses were to question this PH’s intelligence? “How stupid do you have to be to provoke charges?” Having a big personality to sell oneself or products doesn’t make the PH a bigger or better man. It lessens him in my opinion. I relate this to combat veterans such as snipers with a lot of kills, Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Silver Star awardees, and ordinary un-decorated combat soldiers, Marines, and others who never, ever talk let alone boast about the shxt they had to do. Never.

Also, some of our members have killed many, many plains and dangerous game with a .375 H&H. Clearly since they have more common sense than to provoke charges of dangerous game, the little "rat" gun is adaquate!

I’ve met a famous PH or two, gun writer, and others whose large personalities don’t impress me. Not when I looked, pierce deep into their eyes searching for meaningful qualities. Often, I didn’t discover anything. The humble champions, PH's, military heroes, and a lot of our AH members, who show sincere interest in others, gaze into their eyes and you will find much inside.

My opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it. In fact, if you dispise it then you lost time reading it and time, time is something you can never replace...

@Mark A Ouellette - so (based on what you’ve heard/read) do you lean towards liking Mark Sullivan or Not??
Maybe he is the “Kim Kardashian” of PH’s - not sincere, not kind, not true Love, Not overly Moral —- BUT we’re Not talking about Marrying him —— have some FUN, a One-Night-Stand type of Hunt !

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

@Mark A Ouellette - so (based on what you’ve heard/read) do you lean towards liking Mark Sullivan or Not??
Maybe he is the “Kim Kardashian” of PH’s - not sincere, not kind, not true Love, Not overly Moral —- BUT we’re Not talking about Marrying him —— have some FUN, a One-Night-Stand type of Hunt !

Gee, I though I was really clear about my opinion of Mark Sullivan and other self promoting personalities. Refering to him as the “Kim Kardashian” of PH’s" should provide an answer.

I would probably enjoy conversing with him so long as I didn’t have to spend much time trying to find a place to be that his ego wasn’t occupying.

Frankly, his videos of stopping charges are impressive but they are also like Kim Kardashian with a set of balls the size of basketballs showing off!

But, wanting to provoke an Alaska Brown Bear take balls and a disregard for any wisdom one may have!


Now, suppose one’s retort to a snide remark about the size of a rifle’s bore a hunter uses were to question this PH’s intelligence? “How stupid do you have to be to provoke charges?”

Having a big personality to sell oneself or products doesn’t make the PH a bigger or better man. It lessens him in my opinion. I relate this to combat veterans such as snipers with a lot of kills, Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Silver Star awardees, and ordinary un-decorated combat soldiers, Marines, and others who never, ever talk let alone boast about the shxt they had to do. Never.

Also, some of our members have killed many, many plains and dangerous game with a .375 H&H. Clearly since they have more common sense than to provoke charges of dangerous game, the little "rat" gun is adaquate!

I’ve met a famous PH or two, gun writer, and others whose large personalities don’t impress me. Not when I looked, pierce deep into their eyes searching for meaningful qualities. Often, I didn’t discover anything. The humble champions, PH's, military heroes, and a lot of our AH members, who show sincere interest in others, gaze into their eyes and you will find much inside.

I did not mention Sullivan's requirement to hunt with a large double rifle. Is he paying for the hunt?

If you can't figure out my answer with all my reasoning behind it will all my above, frankly, the only way I'd hunt with him and his ego would be if YOU pay for it. Any more silly questions?

 

[Rubberhead]

In his Heym video, Sullivan clearly says that less than 5% of wounded buffalo will charge.

I would love to go on a buffalo hunt with Mark Sullivan but I would have completely different expectations than if I buffalo hunted with anyone else.

Like Sullivan says, if someone calls BS on him, he will show them the video...

 

[uplander01]

I've met and talked to Mark a handful of times, he always seemed like a very nice guy too me,...a little off his rocker maybe, but I think that could be said about a lot of us. His videos and book are great entertainment. If you read a lot about the hunting in Africa from the late 1800's and early 1900's I don't know that he is doing anything much differently than Sutherland, Baker, Bell , Taylor, the list goes on. the big difference being he put it out there for everyone to see, and todays society is full of opinions. After hunting with some truly great PH's, would I hunt with Sullivan with the limited amount I WILL BE ABLE TO GO OVER THERE IN MY LIFE, PROBABLY NOT.

I will mention that I worked for a guy named Ed Stevenson in Alaska for a spring bear season a long time ago. He had just taken Sullivan on a bear hunt in SE Alaska a year or two before, said he was a pretty good hunter and shot straight, (was using a double). I don't think Ed was the kind of guy to throw around compliments easily, as he himself was the last of a dying breed of man, yet truly humble.

 

[Vintageguy]

Many are criticizing Mark Sullivan as someone who shoots his clients animals or is reckless in giving the beasts an opportunity to charge thereby endangering his clients lives. Those clients are going with him because they know how he does things and they want to experience exactly that. I doubt there’s anyone, who appeared with him in any of his videos, that got anything but what they wanted.
As far as Capstick goes. I don’t give a rip if his writings were pure fiction through and through or not. I got a lot of enjoyment from his books as a kid and his writings got me into reading many others like Selous. Those stories lit the fire that I hope to kindle the rest of my days.
If stories like mine of bang flopping my first buffalo off the sticks at close range with my scoped 375 bolt gun thrill you, there’s plenty of those out there. Awesome experience and a lived dream for me. But most people, including myself, would be more interested in hearing or better yet watching a pro drop a bull in full charge at 10 feet with his mighty double rifle with cold, cool precision.
Not everyone knows him and not everyone who does likes him, I’m sure, but he is famous far and wide for how he hunts dangerous game, as well as how he handles a double. I don’t know of anyone alive today that is known as widely for either of those things.
He chooses to give the beast a chance, that’s what it is, although with him behind that double it’s not much of a chance. He’s famous for it. The rest of us can spend the rest of our lives sneaking up and popping unaware critters and when we’re gone no one will know or remember us for how we hunted or our opinions on an Internet forum. Same concerning Capstick.

In his Heym video, Sullivan clearly says that less than 5% of wounded buffalo will charge.

I would love to go on a buffalo hunt with Mark Sullivan but I would have completely different expectations than if I buffalo hunted with anyone else.

Like Sullivan says, if someone calls BS on him, he will show them the video...

Exactly, if you’re hunting with him it’s because you know his style and you’re seeking to experience what he does. There’s no clients of his sobbing in the corner because “he shot my buffalo”.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Such an odd desire by a client. I wonder just how many times he’s pulled the trigger on a client’s animal?