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Here's my fondest memory.

Ouma's Zebra

This is my 76 year old Mother in law. Two years ago she along with my wife, son, daughter in law and I went to RSA. My son and I went hunting and the women went touring.

My Mother in law asked me to shot a Zebra for her for a rug. She had never been hunting in her life and had only ever fired a .22 a few times as girl so she couldn't do it. She was paying so I agreed

The outfitter told her that he taught children to shot and hunt and he could do the same with her. She was reluctant at first but then decided to try. The Outfitter took her out with his .22-250 culling rifle and had her shooting and hitting the target in a few minutes.

The next morning we all loaded up and headed out. The temperature had dropped into the 40's-that's 40 F not 40 C.

The outfitter had taken me aside and told me to back her up. When he had her aim in, he want me to aim in. When she fired I was to fire. The outfitter told my Mother in law he was only going to give her shots that she could shoot from a rest and he wanted her to shoot the zebra right at the base of the ear. It only took about a half an hour to find zebra. After 4 hours of chasing zebra up and down a mountain we called it quits for lunch. Yes we were riding around in a baake. But that was a concession to my mother in laws age.

I was glad we took the break as I was chiiled to the bone. I was worried about my mother in law in the cold , but she was still ready to go. I saw a toughness in the women that I never knew she had.

After lunch we drove to another area of high brush to look for Zebra. We hadn't gone 100 yards when we saw two zebra stick their heads up over the bush about 80 yards away and look at us. The Outfitter had Mom in Law aim in. I aimed in to back her up. I waited and wait and she didn't shoot. Finally the Zebra moved off. We drove a few yards forward and the zebra popped their heads up again. I aimed in. I heard the Outfitter start to say "aim in" when Mom in laws rifle fired and the Zebra disappeared from my scope.

We walked over to the Zebra and checked it. It was dead! My mother in law was just excited as a kid with their first deer. She had smile on her face. Then she looked at me and said, " Douglas, you really shot that didn't you."

"No Ma'am, I didn't you did!" I opened the bolt on my rifle and extracted the live unfired round and showed it to her. I don't know how a smile could get any bigger but it did.

Oh, by the way the bullet struck right at the base of the ear, where she was told to aim.

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DD, Ret.

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