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Will the Real Mark Sullivan Please Stand Up? Part II
By Cal Pappas
"I live a simple life because I am a simple man. I am aware there is a lot of crap floating around about me. I would like to address some of the most stupid.”
The buffalo are drugged so not fully functional. Mark shot a drugged lion in South Africa.
“Wrong. I hunt them down and kill them. After a wounded buffalo runs off I’m hot on his trail. I do not take a cigarette break. I do not sit and wait for the buffalo to stiffen. That is for cowards. You know, the guys who are their biggest around the campfire with a whiskey in their hand. A shot of courage if you will. I immediately take up the spoor because I want to find the buffalo alive. I want him to know I’m the one who did this to him. I honour his life by offering my own in return should I fail to stop his charge.” “The lion in SA was tracked and pushed hard on foot for more than six hours over a two-day period. I gave that lion every opportunity to prove to himself and me that he was a lion. I did everything but give him a prostate exam. I finally killed him at eighteen yards just as it was getting dark. I am confident no one has ever hunted a lion that way before or since.”
There are several PHs backing up Mark.
“If a PH doesn’t have the guts to hunt like I do on his own, why should he be willing to hunt behind me? This is so stupid it just goes to prove how scared and fearful (some)PHs are that they would even suggest such a thing. Of course, I know why they say this. Because this is the only way they would hunt a wounded buffalo. And how do I know this? There is a well-known lion charge circulating on the internet. It features Johan Calitz and four other PHs. They are after a wounded lion. I have never seen so many rifles in my life! Everyone has a gun! Muzzles were pointing everywhere. I have never seen anything so stupid in my life! And these are top-of-theline PHs! The best in the business, or so they believe. I damn near died of laughter watching these guys do everything in their power not to find the lion! Eventually the lion charged and a PH (by the luck and grace of God) shot him between the eyes with the luckiest shot ever recorded. Good for him. But the problem is this, why so many PHs?”
“I will never let anyone but my tracker - maybe two - go in with me. That’s it. I don’t want another gun. I don’t want to have to worry about some guy who is scared and behind me where I can’t see him. I don’t want, nor do I need, the distraction. Those Phs should be ashamed of themselves. Sadly, they probably aren’t. That is the problem. They see nothing wrong in what they did. That, my friends, is the difference between what they do and what I do.”
Buffalo are wounded intentionally to induce a charge at my request. Clients are asked or paid to wound and then not to shoot to kill in order to obtain film footage.
“It is not necessary to do this. Clients are more than capable of wounding them without me telling them to do so. If I offered one million dollars to a client to put his bullet into the shoulder of a buffalo I could go for many seasons and over a hundred buffalo before I would have to pay out. Yet, all you hear about is how well clients shoot. Nonsense. Many of my clients can’t shoot. This is due to the excitement of Africa, lack of practice, or inexperience with a heavy rifle. I guess you can’t have everything. Clients are, for the most part, bad shots for reasons just mentioned. It is not necessary to suggest or ask that they intentionally make a bad shot since there is a ninety percent chance they will do it on their own. They are, however, brave to stand side by side with the PH.”
Buffalo are shot in the testicles with a .22 to induce a charge.
“BS. Whomever did this one should get an award. Absolutely false. I don’t have a .22. And, who can see the nuts of a buffalo in the grass and thick bush?”
Mark has lost his Tanzania PH license for overshooting quota to obtain film footage. Mark shoots animals when transfixed by a spotlight at night.
“I have never been accused of any game violations in Tanzania. I am very proud of that fact. I hunt ethically. I never use a torch or flashlight to kill lion and leopard at night. When it is too dark to shoot I call the truck to the blind. I don't care how many PHs use lights. I refuse to do it. I have never had one complaint brought against me. I have not committed one game violation. The record is very clear about that. I do not use a spotlight. Anyone can kill a lion or leopard at night. It does not require any hunting skill whatsoever.”
It is torture when Sullivan walks up to an animal to see if it will charge. It is torture for Mark Sullivan to walk up and let a buffalo decide ”how he is to die.”
“I disagree. I do not take half an hour or forty five minutes to let a buffalo stiffen before taking up the blood trail. I take the spoor immediately. Therefore, I kill my buffalo a lot quicker and more humanely than (many) other PHs. Yes, I let the buffalo decided how he is going to die, but he does not feel pain. Why? Because his mind is thinking about me. I have his undivided attention. He’s not thinking about dying. He’s not thinking about his kids or not seeing his wife anymore. That’s BS. The problem with (some) PHs and like-minded clients is they give human thought to animals because it makes them feel good. Oh yes, the buffalo is suffering. Why? Because you think so! A wounded buffalo is thinking how the hell do I get away from the guy that shot me? That’s all.”
You can see the fear in Mark’s eyes when he approaches a wounded buffalo.
“You must be fearless. That is why I wrote the book Fear No Death - The Truth About Fear and Being Fearless. Many PHs are fearful and there is nothing they can do about it. That is why I am the only PH in the world that hunts buffalo and hippo the way I do. I would hunt elephant in the same manner if I hunted in Botswana where there are plenty of elephant and opportunities were many. Folks that say this is so because this is what they see (or would see) in their eyes if they were me. They are fearful and there is nothing they can do to change that fact. And because they are fearful they think everyone else must be fearful as well. Not true.
Mark’s way is that he shoots his animals for the client.
“When I tell a client, 'don't shoot - don't shoot!’ it has nothing to do with me wanting to kill his animal. I tell him not to shoot so he does not shoot too early. That is the only reason. I believe the correct shooting distance on a charging buffalo or hippo is at ten feet. Not ten yards or twenty for that matter. At ten feet that is when we both shoot. At that point my client and I are teammates. The goal is to kill the charging beast dead at our feet before he kills us. I do not believe in shooting early. Shooting early only means you do not have the discipline or the confidence to wait. Patience is the single greatest asset a PH can have.”
As you can see, Mark’s hunting style has drawn it’s share of criticism. However, to be fair, not one of the critical posts on
Accurate Reloading has come from any of Mark’s clients. All, one hundred percent, have come from those who have never hunted with Mark. And, most have not spoken to, or directly met Mark, face to face.
While the charging buffalo and hippo have brought most of the acclaim to Mark, and Mark will state he does relish the thought of the danger of a direct confrontation with a charging buffalo, all clients must agree to this hunting method in advance should the situation present itself. Mark will never put a client in harm’s way if he does not want to experience the thrill of a possible charge.
Mark states, “Do I like a one-shot, dead-in-your-tracks shot? Absolutely no. I hate it. The hunt is over before it ever begins.
I have always said the hunt for Cape buffalo begins with the first drop of blood. Shooting an unwounded, feeding bull is not dangerous game. It is killing. Hunting is when you pick up the spoor immediately, without waiting for an hour for the buffalo to stiffen, and upon finding the bull, walk up and let him decide how he is to die. A wounded bull will do one of two things: run away in which case you shoot him dead, or he charges. Then it is kill or be killed, a winner and a loser. Death is certain to come to one of us. That is dangerous game hunting.”
Mark has stated to me that, with the above philosophy always in his mind, ninety five percent of wounded buffalo will decide to run away rather than charge. On his videos, there are plenty of one shot kills but hunters with any experience in buffalo hunting will state it is the rare buffalo that drops to an immediate shot. Many are found dead after the client shoots and Mark has also had follow-up shots in the buff as it is running away.
Agree with his methods or not, all must agree Mark Sullivan’s films do make a lasting impression. No one, to my knowledge, has spoken negatively of Mark who has shared a hunting camp with him. But, wanting to get to the facts, in the spring of 2013, whilst recovering from a knee replacement, I decided to watch each of Mark’s films, in order from the first to the last, and record, as Jack Webb said, “just the facts.”
Prior to this undertaking I asked a question of many friends in my circle of double rifle men and those who have hunted Africa. All have seen some or most of Mark’s videos. My question was a simple one, “How many charges has Mark Sullivan had?” The replies were similar: “Dozens”, “At least fifty”, “Over a hundred”, to “More than I can count.”
When watching the films I kept note of each animal killed, the number of shots fired by Mark, the number of shots fired by the client, if the animal charged, if the charging animal was wounded, and if Mark killed the animal for the client. The results will surprise many and, after being published on Accurate Reloading forums, most of the negative banter died away. A few of those imbued with negative illogic continued to do so. But, the films do not lie and the facts are from Mark’s first ten films are as follows:
Animals taken - forty six buffalo, thirteen hippo, fourteen lion, two elephant, and seven leopard.
Charges - buffalo eight, hippo six (1990 to 2006 -16 years) none of the hippo were wounded prior to the charge. Total animals shot, eighty two. Shots by clients - one hundred and ninety three. Shots by Mark - seventy three. (After the client shot - follow-up shots by Mark). Animals shot by Mark - two.
And, of course there are the clients who pulled the trigger on an empty chamber, forgot to load their rifle, pulled the trigger of the barrel of a double rifle that was just fired, or ran out of ammunition.
There you have it. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. No speculation, no myths, no “I heard it said that
Mark Sullivan...”
In closing, I hope now the air has cleared and the view more accurately portrayed of one of today’s best known professional hunters, Mark Sullivan.
Among many facets of his career, he was known for nearly twenty years to use fine English double rifles. Mark has now designed and uses a .577 Heym double for much of his hunting. I hope this new rifle brings him another twenty plus years of success. Unfortunately the income of a retired teacher is not within reach of hunting in Tanzania any longer, so I will be content with Mark’s films.
Mark Sullivan has carved his own special area in the African hunting world. The details of which are examined in this article and in Mark’s letter about his problems with SCI. With the facts now publicized, the real Mark Sullivan can stand up against a clear picture of the man. Agree or not with his methods, the air is now clear.
MARK SULLIVAN’S LETTER
To add some information about Mark’s tribulations with Safari Club International, it is
best told in his own words in an open letter published in the Accurate Reloading forum
on August 7, 2007. The letter is below in is entirety.
To members of AR, friends, and clients:
It gives me great pleasure to have this opportunity to write you. To the surprise of many, I have not purposely avoided this day. I am not as well-versed in the computer arena as many of you, nor do I wish to be. I live a simple life. I have ever tried or wanted to be a disruptive influence. I go about my business one day at a time. I infringe upon no one. I expect the same from others. I suppose this is why I am misunderstood. People believe I am aloof; and perhaps even arrogant. I am none of the above. My intentions are honourable, I assure you. For my critics on this forum I now answer your allegations against me.
I began my professional hunting career in Tanzania in 1990 at the age of forty. Then as now, I go about my business one day at a time. I offend no one. I am professional to everyone. I have no axe to grind and; no dog in the fight. As I did twenty years ago, I still, in my view, hunt for all of the right reasons and none of the bad as I have so often been accused. I do not hunt for the camera or to show off. I do not brag or boast. I instruct. I answer questions. I also write books. I make documentary hunting films that are responsible for thousands of hunters going on safari each year.
My movies evoke great emotion. Either you like them or you do not.
Regardless of your emotions so invoked, they are true. The charges are real. If you watch them with an unbiased eye, you will notice no edits ever occur moments before or during a charge. In all cases, my clients shoot first. My shot always follows theirs. The footage is unaltered. It is authentic as-it-happens footage. Whether you like what you see or not is a different matter. The life and death events depicted on the screen cannot be denied. In the wild, everyday is kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. My films simply show this raw side of nature.
I suppose the reason why a great many people hate me and my movies, for lack of a better description, is I do what I do because it is who I am. Just as it may be your nature not to take chances, which makes you who and what you are. I love the confrontation. I seek it. I enjoy a fight to the death. I relish the idea that if I perform poorly I die a horrible death. I’m attracted to the cycle of life and death. I often try and get as close to death as I can, crossing the line if I choose, just to get a good whiff. Last season I enjoyed four outstanding life and death charges with as many clients. No cameraman was present. Each client came away with a life-defining experience. Each one would do it again if given the opportunity. I know my manner and method of hunting is controversial. Yet, in my opinion, it represents the finest hunting there is. I honour the life I am about to take by offering my life in return. I can offer no more and therefore give hunting my all. If I fail to kill, I die. It is as simple as that.
If we are to believe in the sport we call “dangerous game hunting,” then why do so many do everything in their power to remove as much danger as possible? Why call it dangerous game? Why not call it “least dangerous” if the object is to remove all danger? Why criticize me for accepting the danger in our sport? I do not like killing. I do like hunting - there is a difference. Anyone can kill a wounded Cape buffalo standing his ground forty yards away. In my opinion, to do so is killing. On the other hand, to walk up and let that magnificent animal decide how he is to die in battle is great hunting. If you lack courage that is something I cannot help you with. But to condemn me because I have the courage you lack is unfair and unjust.
For example, a client shoots and wounds a buffalo. Then the buffalo is allowed to run. The client and professional hunter sit down for half an hour to forty five minutes to let the buffalo “stiffen.” Is the buffalo not suffering during this time? The buffalo is allowed to “stiffen” which is the code-word to die. Is that “dangerous game” hunting to you? I pursue my buffalo immediately, every time. I do not want to find him dead. I want him alive. I want him to charge to his death or mine should I fail to stop him. Killing is boring. Great hunting never is. This is who I am. While I am on this point of clients wounding dangerous game and how quickly I go after it, let me address the often mentioned criticism that I not only risk my own life, but that of my client.
Over the past twenty years I have been a professional hunter I have never had a client (or tracker) harmed by an animal being hunted. In every instance, I first obtain express permission from the client. More often than not, a client chooses me to hunt with because of the unique hunting experience I offer. A client knows I have the proven experience to close with dangerous game and correctly books his safari. If the truth be known, I make a pretty good insurance policy.
Mr. Kim Petersen posted a letter addressed to me. I wish to answer his allegations.
The first is I intentionally wound buffalo so as to prompt them into charging. This is not true. I instruct my clients to always make the best possible shot. The indisputable fact is clients shoot poorly and nothing will ever change that reality. Coupled with the fact buffalo are notoriously difficult to kill, these two conditions make hunting them a challenge. I know many of you have killed buffalo with one shot. That is not the norm. Buffalo take a great deal of killing. I know. I have the experience to prove it. The notion that I use a .22 to shoot buffalo in the balls is not worth the effort I am about to make to dispute it, but here goes anyway. I do not know where you hunt your buffalo. Where I hunt my buffalo the grass, bush, trees, and every other obstacle God created obscures most parts of a buffalo anyhow. In twenty years I do not recall ever seeing the testicles of a buffalo before he was shot nor have I ever had any inclination to try and shoot them. What is the point? For those who have no penchant for ever doing what I do, I can only imagine their minds race wild with things that don’t matter. If you want a buffalo to charge, put yourself in front of him, let him see you, then walk directly at him. The notion that I would waste my time using a .22 should embarrass those spreading the rumour.
The second question is more of a statement than a question. After a client takes his shot on dangerous game, I determine whether or not a backup shot is necessary or even possible. The last thing I want is for a wounded animal to get away. Contrary to what I have been accused of, I do fire backup shots quickly.
More often than not, I have been blamed for firing too quickly, too often. I shoot as a backup for a number of reasons. Clients demand that I do. I determine they need help by observing their skills or lack thereof. If I am filming I believe more gun shots are better than fewer gun shots. I remember purchasing a hunting movie where I waited forty five minutes to hear the first gun shot. That may be the kind of movie you like to watch, but not me.
The second part of this is I “taunt my prey… for the purpose of filming a charge.” While this statement seems logical to the inexperienced, it is precisely for that reason why it is not true. Let me explain. An inexperienced client, or equally inexperienced professional hunter, wrongly believes that in order to get a
wounded buffalo to charge, you must first “taunt” him. The very fact that someone says this tells me he has limited dangerous game experience and does not know what he says. His knowledge of wounded buffalo behaviour is incomplete or simply nonexistent. Let me set the record straight. There are two kinds of buffalo; those that run and those that charge. Ninety-five percent of all wounded buffalo fall into the first category. Those that run will never charge. They are cowards and no amount of campfire story
telling will change that fact. The five percent that charge do not have to be taunted at all. The moment they see you they charge. The idea that it must be taunted into charging is simply untrue. The mere fact that you have violated their personal space by being there is enough to set them off. What is not known beforehand is which kind of buffalo you are confronting. I have never had a buffalo that first runs away, later turn and charge. In my new book Fear No Death I go into great detail about this and much more. Anyone interested in knowing what I know should obtain a copy.
The third item, “my clients must sign a non-disclosure agreement” is a new one. I marvel at the creativity of the Mark Sullivan haters of the world. It reminds me when people say my cajones are the size of grapefruit. While I am sure they are trying to flatter me, I later set the record straight and confessed they are the size of watermelons. Directing a client not to talk about his safari with Mark Sullivan would be like trying to tell your wife she can’t go shopping. My clients are highly educated professional people and would never sign such a document. I could no more tell them what to do than they could tell me.
The fourth question conflicts with the second. On the one hand I am accused of not “firing backup shots to kill a buffalo” at the first opportunity and now I am accused of firing shots “on top of my clients.” Let me tell you this story. In 1997 I did not have a cameraman. Sensitive to the criticism that I shoot clients game “on their dime” I decided to experiment. I would not help a single client shoot his buffalo, except if one charged, and none did. The next three clients wounded five buffalo and all were lost. Each bull had an outside horn measurement greater than forty inches with one I was sure would exceed forty five inches. All shots were standing broadside shots under 100 yards. The animals seemingly there for the taking and yet they were lost to die a horrible death in the bush. I ask you, “Is that what you want?”
Do you wish me not to shoot so the animal runs off never to be found? I cannot believe any hunter wants that. I certainly do not. I believe we have an obligation to kill the animal as quickly and as humanely as possible.
In my movie Death by the TON, the young man’s statement deserves an explanation. I was perturbed you may say, but not for the reasons you state. This is where the way I hunt differs from how you hunt. The reason why I was disappointed is because the charging hippo was too far away to be shot.
He was twenty one feet away. In my opinion that is too far for a certain killing shot. My instructions to my client (before we entered the arena) were to wait until the hippo breaks the ten foot barrier before shooting. He did not do that. I do not believe in shooting early. Twenty one feet is much too far. Why is it too far? It goes to the core of how I hunt dangerous game. I believe ten feet is the correct distance to begin shooting; not twenty one feet. It is all about the hunt, not the kill. At ten feet it is hunting. At twenty one feet it is killing. This is how I hunt.
By the way, for those of you who have never stood just ten feet in front of a charging animal, there is not a lot of time to shoot. This is why it appears I am shooting “on top of my client” to the inexperienced. If you disagree that is fine. However, your disagreeing with me does not make you right. Conversely, these are solely my views. They do not make me correct either. I prefer to let my clients determine if my hunting method is right for them.
Tomorrow, Saturday, I leave for Tanzania to begin my twenty first season. I will not be present to respond to your comments. If I have insulted any of you, please accept my full and complete apology. My intention is not to irritate. My writing manner is direct much like my manner and method of hunting. This is how
I am made. It is what makes me me. I have no trouble with those who disagree. But until you hunt with me you will never know me. I have more clients this year than I have ever had. I do not hold a gun to their heads to get them to sign up. They come to me willingly and leave as lifelong friends. I welcome each and everyone one of you to do the same. Remember, shoot straight and let them come close!
In closing, I wish to personally thank those in support of my SCI situation. I know many of you have written SCI on my behalf. I cannot begin to thank you enough. I am humbled by your generosity. I am honoured with your friendship. Recently I renewed my membership for an additional three years. Regardless of their treatment of me, I will continue to support SCI at every opportunity.
Great Hunting and Best Wishes,
Mark Sullivan
Professional Hunter
CLICK HERE to read "Will the Real Mark Sullivan Please Stand Up? Part I
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