Mike,

I believe Hemingway pulled Phillip Percival out of retirement to do this hunt. Hemingway and Karl certainly hunted alot by themselves on this hunt. I don't think "Pop" (Poor old Phil????.......if that was Percival's character in the book) played a traditional PH role in the hunt. Perhaps he was the Providor of the gear and staff mostly, with occasional backup with his "big gun".

Did you draw the same parrallels as I between Ruark's Horn of the Hunter and Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa........remote untouched place, old man and old shamba, hunting his Kudu nemesis.......Well if not it just may be the way I "tilted the mirror".

Don't think the antis (anti hunting/guns) need much material to get them all frothed up. The truth does not get in their way unless by coincidence. I know that they are a factor in this world but if we live our lives by what they think they will be living our lives for us. Think I'll stick with how I'm doing it.

In Fear No Death MS explains how he likes to hunt hippo. Everyone seems to overuse the expression "rogue" but basically he finds an old bull, presumably turfed out of the herd/territory by a younger bull, in a backwater where he doesn't have to fight for cows/territory. As the bull is about the biggest thing in his territory other than elephant he's gotten his way by violently and suddenly attacking his opposition. When he's "imposed upon" in the way that MS does it........ he attacks.

Sullivan explains the body language of a bluffing (head up) and an attacking Hippo (head down) in his book. He likes to shoot them attacking. That's why he's telling his client not to shoot......the Hippo is exhibiting "bluffing" behaviour and is not inside what Mark considers is the attack zone.

"In range" is a term best determined by each of us depending on our abilities. Remember "Beauty is in the Eye of the Beerholder".

If I recall correctly he explains in the book that not all Hippo can be made to charge as it is not in their makeup. Kicking dust up is only going to work with a Hippo that is inclined to charge.

AS to shooting first. Those of us who can stand to watch the dvds will determine who shoots first. As I've stated before. It'd take a superman to stand there, finger on the trigger, and wait for the client to shoot first everytime given the distances of which we speak. This is all happening very quickly and the possibility of being injured/killed is very great.

I would rather feel peeved about Mark shooting first..........than not feeling anything ever again because he didn't.

Mark, if you're out there reading this, chip in as I don't presume to be your representative and would not like to misquote you.

Though not having hunted Hippo my experience of them is the same as yours. I'd say the difference is MS is dealing with old displaced bulls who haven't got much inclination to hide and that may have a sufficient dose of the sh*ts with the world to want to fight.

Black Death is the highest selling movie of it's kind (I think that is what I read in FND). Looks to me that some people are getting entertainment/instruction out of watching them. I trust they'd do the same if they stuck with the books.

What I initially disliked about his dvds is that I thought Mark to be a little "theatrical/animated" and I thought it was for the benefit of the audience/selling movies. However I now believe that he is speaking of a subject he is very passionate/knowledgable about and is sincere in his wish to impart this to the audience.

It's a case of not having to fake it as he's got the "runs on the board" and many of his detractors haven't.

But that's just my take on it.