CAREER TV STORYTELLER
And for safari purists who`ve watched Fire & Ice over and over, that`s the beauty of the DVD. It was the first DVD that ever dealt with the issue of how to resolve conflict when the relationship between PH and client doesn`t start out so well. It`s not just a DVD of great trophies I killed in Zimbabwe. If you want to buy such a DVD, call Bob Harper at Outdoor Visions and ask him which one of his titles that best fits that description. As a career television man, my production and story-telling abilities run a little deeper than just splicing kill shots together. To me as a hunter, what makes me tick is more than just making a kill shot.
My good pal, Dan Bolek was interviewed by Kappie in September of 2007. He said it best when he said, "Behind everyone of Marc`s videos there`s a story. And if you don`t get the story, you need to continuously watch the video because there`s a great story behind it." And Dan, who introduced me to safari-style hunting, is correct. Just like I did when I was on CNN, I push my listeners and viewers to think. To think outside the box. Listen to the narrative closely and think beyond the pictures. Figure out the story between the lines. When the bloggers launch their tirades, they expose their shallowness and small-minded thinking. Or perhaps my cop friend named Frank from New York really does have a point.
If it`s too easy on safari, it just doesn`t seem worth it. Of all of the hunts I`ve embarked on, the "one for compatibility" with Andrew Dawson, before the 17-day safari ended, has been one of the most rewarding. The big buffalo, sable, waterbuck and crocodile were certainly satisfying, but the road I traveled on to get them was even better. A great journey. That`s why whenever I see Andrew today at SCI or DSC, we`re all smiles. Hugs and smiles. He and I are both better men and hunters for the "safari" we "shared."
Sometimes even when the kill shot is a chippie, I`ll pass it up. Jerry Stafford, who runs run a deer hunting operation in Southern Illinois, knows all too well. "If a deer is close to Marc, he don`t want to shoot it. He wants it to get out there," Jerry says waving his hands away from him, "so he can make a tough shot on the deer."
Is there something wrong with that? I don`t think so. That`s just me and I need a challenge to make it all worth it. I`m not playing roulette with the deer`s life. In fact, it could be argued that the farther away it gets, the more fair of a chase it is. With modern day ballistics and riflery, a one hundred yard shot with a scoped rifle on a solid rest, is a chip shot.
|