The Weaker Sex

This is the story of my wife Shirley, a member of the weaker sex. She was for thirty seven years my wife companion, my best friend, and the best hunting partner anyone could ask for. In 1994, Shirley was diagnosed with stage four cancer, but said "It's not gonna beat me." In 1995, thanks to the courtesy of a good friend, Thompson Temple, owner of Thompson Temple's Texas Wildlife, Shirley was offered a hunt for a Merino Sheep in the hill country near Kerrville.

Although, do to chemotherapy she could barely tell if her finger was on the trigger, and with numb feet making it hard for her to walk even on a level floor, she jumped at the chance. Allowing me to guide Shirley on this hunt was very special to me as well.

Unable to walk much, we decided that under the circumstances to hunt safari style, and allow her to shoot from our vehicle should the opportunity arise. After a good nights rest, we got to the ranch shortly after daylight. After some hard looking, she spotted her animal. It was in her words "Perfect." After lots of maneuvering I was able to get her close enough for a shot from her Remington, Model 700, 243, loaded with Remington 100 grain soft nosed bullets and a Tasco 3 - 9 scope on it. Her aim was true, and her ram was down without taking a step. Weak as she was, she couldn't lift the animals head for a picture, so I placed a rock under it's head to prop it up for her.

After pictures, and expressions of tearful joy, we transported her kill to a taxidermist, who scored it for Records of Exotics, for which it scored 118 points. This made it the #2 ram for that year.

Knowing the situation our taxidermist hurried the mount through so she could look at it for awhile. She always bragged about it saying, "IT'S BIGGER THAN YOURS". She had 2 1/2 months to enjoy that ram. It was my privilege to accept her award posthumously at the awards dinner. "THE WEAKER SEX, I DON'T THINK SO."

With love from a lonely husband.

Written 8/25/97 by Steve Mahurin