The Great Safari Challenge

Skill. Stewardship. Survival.

Under Special Operations Standards.

Surviving Mann: The Great Safari Challenge is a globally broadcast prestige hunting competition series created and hosted by SEAL Team 6 veteran, New York Times bestselling author, and renowned adventure architect Don Mann.

A select group of accomplished outdoorsmen—leaders in their respective fields—enter a curated arena of applied challenge designed by Don Mann, blending strategic pursuit, precision marksmanship, endurance, and wildlife stewardship.

For aligned brands, The Great Safari Challenge offers a rare opportunity to include their equipment and technologies in a globally broadcast arena—where premier tools are trusted, tested, and showcased under the uncompromising standards of elite operators, and become part of a competitive tradition culminating in the Great Safari Challenge Cup.

Inside the Arena

Unlike a themed retreat, The Great Safari Challenge is a scenario-based arena designed by Special Operations veterans to test reconnaissance, awareness, fieldcraft, and stewardship under real-world standards.

Participants engage in applied training and operational briefings led by Special Operations veterans and seasoned tactical authorities.

The arena integrates:

• Tactical movement and fieldcraft
• Precision shooting evaluation
• Drone-supported reconnaissance exercises
• Equipment mastery under realistic conditions
• Select low-light or night operations

Apex Tools. Elite Standards. Category Exclusivity.

The Great Safari Challenge features premier equipment and technologies — precision firearms, advanced optics, drone-enabled reconnaissance systems, and high-performance fieldcraft tools — operated under Special Operations standards in real-world competitive environments.

Each category is represented by a single aligned brand.

Integration is not passive placement.

Equipment is fielded in applied training, evaluated under performance conditions, and woven directly into the competitive structure of the arena.

Aligned partners are not merely featured — they define the operational standard of their category within the challenge itself.

Why Elite Brands Participate

The Great Safari Challenge brings together a select number of equipment partners whose technologies meet the operational standards of the arena.

For these brands, participation is more than exposure. It is an opportunity to see their equipment trusted and fielded by experienced tactical professionals under demanding conditions — within a worldwide broadcast competitive format.

For manufacturers committed to precision, reliability, and performance, the arena offers something rare: A global stage where equipment is not simply shown — it is relied upon.

Arena Leadership

Show Host & Arena Architect

Don Mann

Master of Elite Performance. Endurance Pioneer. Leadership Under Pressure.

Before television, before national broadcast, before Surviving Mann – Don Mann was designing and leading extreme endurance and wilderness challenges for some of the most accomplished individuals in the world.

Today, he brings that same precision, discipline, and challenge design to a national audience through the Surviving Mann television franchise.

The Great Safari Challenge extends Don’s real-world arena – and documents it for a global audience.

Tim Harmsen

Firearms Authority. Field Marksman. Digital Leader.

Tim Harmsen is the creator of the Military Arms Channel, one of the most respected firearms and tactical channels in the world, with millions of engaged followers across digital platforms.

An experienced hunter and precision marksman, Tim brings technical expertise, historical knowledge, and real-world shooting insight to The Great Safari Challenge.

His presence bridges the legacy of traditional hunting with the modern firearms community, expanding the Challenge’s reach while reinforcing its authenticity.

Jeff Tiegs

Counter Terrorism Expert. Author. Human Rights Advocate.

Jeff Tiegs is a retired counterterrorism and counterinsurgency leader with over 25 years in U.S. Army Special Operations. Rising from Ranger private to Delta Force Lieutenant Colonel, he led high-risk missions worldwide, including Panama, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

In The Great Safari Challenge, Jeff brings the perspective of a career operational leader—where discipline, preparation, and decision-making under pressure determine outcomes.

Today, as founder and president of Skull Games, he leads global efforts to expose and disrupt human trafficking networks, applying decades of operational expertise to defend the vulnerable and pursue justice.

Dave - 22 Plinkster

Precision Marksman. Field Authority. Trusted Guide.

Dave, widely known as “22Plinkster,” is one of the most recognized precision marksmen in the modern shooting community.

With millions of engaged followers across digital platforms, he has built a reputation for exceptional accuracy, technical discipline, and creative shooting mastery – demonstrating precision feats that demand control, focus, and repeatable performance.

His expertise spans firearm evaluation, shooting mechanics, and practical field execution.

In The Great Safari Challenge, Dave brings elite marksmanship authority and real-world hunting credibility to the arena – reinforcing the standards of precision required to succeed.

A National Stage for the Modern Hunting Tradition

The Great Safari Challenge premieres on the Pursuit Channel — the most widely available outdoor lifestyle network in the U.S., reaching over 20 million linear TV homes and more than 120 million streaming users worldwide through PursuitUp and partner platforms.

From its national broadcast launch, the series expands across streaming, FAST, on-demand, and the American Stories Network’s global multi-outlet ecosystem — creating sustained, repeat exposure across platforms where today’s outdoor audience lives.

Each episode continues airing well beyond premiere — transforming brand integration from a momentary appearance into a long-term, globally distributed narrative asset.