The Great Safari Challenge
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.
The series brings together accomplished outdoorsmen, seasoned tactical professionals, and exceptional hunting destinations inside a unique arena of challenge.
For host properties, The Great Safari Challenge offers a rare opportunity to introduce their most accomplished patrons to an extraordinary new experience—combining elite instruction, advanced fieldcraft, and world-class hunting within a documented competitive series.
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.
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 national 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.
Inside The Arena
A New Signature Experience for Your Best Patrons
The Great Safari Challenge gives premier hunting properties the opportunity to introduce their most accomplished patrons to a truly extraordinary experience—combining elite tactical instruction, advanced fieldcraft, and world-class hunting inside a documented worldwide broadcast.
For hunting properties, it becomes a rare offering: a signature adventure designed for the most passionate outdoorsmen in their clientele.
Selected patrons travel to the venue to participate in a unique experience combining:
- elite tactical instruction
- advanced fieldcraft training
- world-class hunting
- high-performance equipment
- a competitive challenge documented for worldwide broadcast
Participants train under the leadership of Don Mann and his team of seasoned tactical authorities in preparation for a demanding hunt designed specifically for the host property.
For many patrons, the experience represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with elite operators while testing their skills in an extraordinary environment.
Participation Structure
The Arena Experience
Each host destination welcomes a select field of six to eight accomplished patrons to compete in its chapter of The Great Safari Challenge.
Over the course of the experience, participants train, prepare, and ultimately enter the competitive hunt designed specifically for that venue’s terrain, wildlife, and hunting traditions.
At the conclusion of the chapter, one participant is recognized as the Safari Challenge Champion representing that destination.
The Road to the Safari Challenge Cup
Each destination chapter of The Great Safari Challenge crowns its own Safari Challenge Champion.
Those champions advance to the season finale hosted at a designated flagship venue—where the finalists compete for the Great Safari Challenge Cup.
The Cup is awarded both to the winning participant and the destination they represent, creating lasting prestige for the venue and its patrons.
For host properties, the Challenge becomes more than a single event.
It becomes a chapter in a globally recognized competitive tradition.
A Global Stage For The Modern Hunting Tradition
An Ideal Stage for Exceptional Destinations
The Great Safari Challenge will be seen by audiences across the United States through its national premiere on the Pursuit Channel and globally through its multi-platform distribution across the American Stories Network.
Each host property becomes part of the series story—its landscape, wildlife stewardship, and distinctive hunting experience showcased within the broadcast adventure.
For destinations, the series provides a rare form of visibility: not advertising, but authentic presence inside the narrative of the hunt itself.
Long after filming concludes, the episode continues to live across streaming, digital, and on-demand platforms—allowing new audiences to discover the property and the role it played in the Challenge.
Some Outlets Where American Stories Shows Are Seen
Host a Chapter of The Great Safari Challenge
The Great Safari Challenge is now forming partnerships with a select number of distinguished hunting destinations.
If your property offers exceptional hunting experiences and welcomes accomplished outdoorsmen seeking something extraordinary, we invite you to begin the conversation.
A limited number of destination chapters will be selected each season.Explore Hosting A Safari Challenge Chapter
A limited number of destination chapters will be selected each season.