mattdeere1
AH member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2024
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In 2004 at 26 years old I had the opportunity to go to Africa.
My grandfather had brought me up in hunting, taking me on several trips in North America. Alaska, Canada, Mexico etc. We used to watch hunting videos together and dream about the next hunt. In April 2004 I went online and purchased a hunting video I wanted to watch. I had been interested in videography for several years at this point, filming and editing my own hunts with my grandfather. I recieved an email from the website that said we cannot take your payment online and that someone would be contacting me regarding payment. The next day I received a phone call from PH Mark Sullivan. Having watched most of his videos I was excited to speak with him. He took my payment and I figured since I had him on the phone I would ask him some questions regarding videography and wildlife. After a 30 minute conversation he asked me if I would be interested in joining him in Africa that summer to be his cameraman. I agreed to meet with him at his office in Arizona. After meeting him a few times I agreed to join him on what turned out to be a 3 1/2 month Safari in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania East Africa.
I have many stories to tell about this adventure but I will share one of my most fond memories of my time in Africa.
After hunting and harvesting a buffalo, which had taken most of this particular day, we spotted a pride of lions but were unable to get a clear look at Simba dume. We did not see alot of lions in the blocks we were hunting so we decided to put up a bait and come back early the next morning to get a better look. We placed the bait (1/2 buffalo) in a carefully planned location taking alot into consideration, blind placement, wind direction, cover etc. After completion we left the area with plans to return the next morning to hopefully find the pride feeding on the bait. Upon our return the next morning we found the Simba dumes feeding on the bait. They quickly left for cover after spotting us. We determined that we would build a blind and sleep that night under the African stars hoping the next morning would provide us with an opportunity at a large Simba dume. After the blind was built we returned to camp and collected our belongings to survive the night in the blind. After refreshing the bait we settled into the blind for the night hoping we would wake up to a large cat feeding on the bait.
As darkness began to fall that evening, Mark told myself and our client to make sure to not make any unnatural sounds. He said, "You do not want the Lions to come to the blind". Mark wrote a story in his book titled "Fear No Death, chapter eleven, The Hunter becomes the Hunted". This was the story he told us prior to nightfall. The hyenas were the first to start whooping at each other and then the lions began to roar, first from a distance than it was 40 yards in front of us at the bait. Hearing a male lion roar so close to you is, in my opinion; one of the most intoxicating sounds in the Wild. The rest of the night was filled with the sounds of hyenas and lions fighting over the bait we put up a short distance away in unimaginable darkness.
As night turned into dawn we were fortunate to be able to see and film the lions at the bait for more than an hour. The 2 males were still young, too young to harvest.
Many other stories to tell including, several Elephant encounters, Charging Hippo, Leopard and many plains game harvests. This story in particular was one I will always remember. And although this story does not end with a Lion trophy, it's hard to explain the incredible experience of a night in the Wilds of the African Bush.
Feel free to comment or drop me a DM if you want to chat about Africa and the area we hunted.
Cheers, Matt
My grandfather had brought me up in hunting, taking me on several trips in North America. Alaska, Canada, Mexico etc. We used to watch hunting videos together and dream about the next hunt. In April 2004 I went online and purchased a hunting video I wanted to watch. I had been interested in videography for several years at this point, filming and editing my own hunts with my grandfather. I recieved an email from the website that said we cannot take your payment online and that someone would be contacting me regarding payment. The next day I received a phone call from PH Mark Sullivan. Having watched most of his videos I was excited to speak with him. He took my payment and I figured since I had him on the phone I would ask him some questions regarding videography and wildlife. After a 30 minute conversation he asked me if I would be interested in joining him in Africa that summer to be his cameraman. I agreed to meet with him at his office in Arizona. After meeting him a few times I agreed to join him on what turned out to be a 3 1/2 month Safari in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania East Africa.
I have many stories to tell about this adventure but I will share one of my most fond memories of my time in Africa.
After hunting and harvesting a buffalo, which had taken most of this particular day, we spotted a pride of lions but were unable to get a clear look at Simba dume. We did not see alot of lions in the blocks we were hunting so we decided to put up a bait and come back early the next morning to get a better look. We placed the bait (1/2 buffalo) in a carefully planned location taking alot into consideration, blind placement, wind direction, cover etc. After completion we left the area with plans to return the next morning to hopefully find the pride feeding on the bait. Upon our return the next morning we found the Simba dumes feeding on the bait. They quickly left for cover after spotting us. We determined that we would build a blind and sleep that night under the African stars hoping the next morning would provide us with an opportunity at a large Simba dume. After the blind was built we returned to camp and collected our belongings to survive the night in the blind. After refreshing the bait we settled into the blind for the night hoping we would wake up to a large cat feeding on the bait.
As darkness began to fall that evening, Mark told myself and our client to make sure to not make any unnatural sounds. He said, "You do not want the Lions to come to the blind". Mark wrote a story in his book titled "Fear No Death, chapter eleven, The Hunter becomes the Hunted". This was the story he told us prior to nightfall. The hyenas were the first to start whooping at each other and then the lions began to roar, first from a distance than it was 40 yards in front of us at the bait. Hearing a male lion roar so close to you is, in my opinion; one of the most intoxicating sounds in the Wild. The rest of the night was filled with the sounds of hyenas and lions fighting over the bait we put up a short distance away in unimaginable darkness.
As night turned into dawn we were fortunate to be able to see and film the lions at the bait for more than an hour. The 2 males were still young, too young to harvest.
Many other stories to tell including, several Elephant encounters, Charging Hippo, Leopard and many plains game harvests. This story in particular was one I will always remember. And although this story does not end with a Lion trophy, it's hard to explain the incredible experience of a night in the Wilds of the African Bush.
Feel free to comment or drop me a DM if you want to chat about Africa and the area we hunted.
Cheers, Matt
