Injured Iraq Veteran Lands Trophy Bull

Injured Iraq veteran lands trophy bull
By Landon Johnston - Cortez JournalPosted : Saturday Jan 26, 2008 14:14:02 EST

MANCOS, Colo. — It was a day filled with numbers, tears and triumph for retired Army Sgt. Mark Ecker on a recent Saturday at Mesa Verde Elk Ranch.
Twenty-three years old. Two prosthetic legs. Minus 10 degrees.
Telling numbers in themselves, those are not the ones Ecker, an Iraq War veteran who lost both his legs during combat in February, will remember from his first elk hunt. In his words, those would be: A Weatherby .270 rifle; four shots; and a 6-by-6-point, 800-pound bull elk.
“That was cool,” Ecker said after bringing down the trophy bull donated by the 225-acre elk ranch, located off U.S. 160 east of Mancos. “Now, I’m ready to go hunting!”
The hunt was Ecker’s first.
“First elk; first time elk hunting; first time hunting period,” he said before the expedition. “It feels pretty exciting.”
Ecker, who lives in Pueblo, was joined by his former platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Farnsworth. The men served together in Iraq until Ecker was wounded in a firefight in Ramadi. While attempting to spread out his four-person fire team, Ecker was hit by a wall-mounted, improvised explosive device on Feb. 24, 2007. He lost both legs in the blast.
One could hardly tell the fire-team leader sustained such serious injuries as he glided around on two prosthetic legs. With temperatures dipping below zero, Ecker rejected all attempts to help him navigate through the knee-deep snow.
“You’re just as stubborn as you always were,” Farnsworth joked as Ecker strapped on a pair of snowshoes. “God, it’s good to see you up here.”
About a dozen people — spotters, friends, community members, and media members — braved the frigid temperatures to support Ecker. Like a watchful father, Farnsworth instructed Ecker how to use his brand-new rifle as the group gathered near the lodge. The National Rifle Association donated the gun for Ecker’s hunt.
Jay Kibel, of Outdoor Connection, loaded Ecker into a custom ATV built for deep snow. After being transported to the shooting area, Ecker sighted-in his rifle from the tailgate of Kibel’s ride. Then, it became a waiting game as several volunteers attempted to push a herd of about 45 elk in his direction.
The hunt was tricky because several animals, like the 15-year-old bull called Braveheart, were off-limits. Some of the bulls also had fractured racks after battling with each other over the past few months. Ranch manager Stacy Hess joined the spotters to ensure Ecker targeted the right one.
The group spotted several large bulls near Ecker’s position around 10 a.m. Finally, he received word to shoot. Once the bull was singled out, he took aim as the group held its breath.
Farnsworth, a seasoned hunter who lives in Canon City, had a hard time containing his excitement.
“Fifteen months in Iraq is all a blur right now,” he whispered with a smile. “This is what it’s all about.”
Ecker’s first shot missed, but the second found its mark, nailing the bull in the midsection. Ecker again hopped in Kibel’s ATV to go inspect his work. The elk, a 6-year-old male, was worth an estimated $5,500, according to Hess. Ecker and his group of spotters had originally been looking for a black-tag bull, one not quite as big as the one he eventually shot.
“He’s a big boy, probably about 800 pounds or so,” Hess said as Ecker posed with his kill. “It’s not quite what we were looking for, but I gave the OK when we spotted him. The look on his face was well worth it.”
Ecker asked Farnsworth to join him as the two sat atop the elk and smiled for photographers.
“That’s my boy, right here,” Farnsworth praised, the emotion apparent on his face. Following several minutes of congratulations, the elder soldier stepped in to show Ecker “the true essence of hunting.”
With Ecker looking on, Farnsworth wielded a hunting knife and began attacking the elk’s carcass. Soon, both were intently working on cleaning and dressing the animal. Ecker later raised the heart and graciously declined the invitation to take a bite.
“That’s something they do to greenhorns,” Farnsworth warned. “Don’t let them talk you into it!”
The day’s events were highlighted by a special open-house dinner at Bob and Terri Lunas’ Dolores hunting lodge. The Lunas, of Colorado Hunting Expeditions, housed Ecker, Farnsworth and four other Iraq veterans for the weekend. The soldiers’ families also attended on the Lunas’ dime.
Food for the event, which attracted more than 100 people, was paid for in part by the Four Corners Chapter of Safari Club International, the American Legion Ute Mountain Post No. 75 and Coca-Cola. Several other local groups also contributed.
After watching a video of Ecker’s hunt — the elk’s head was appropriately placed on the Lunas’ front porch — everyone gathered in the main seating room. It was there that Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Bergmann, of Fort Carson, addressed the crowd.
He thanked the Lunas and the numerous people involved for allowing them to come down. Bergmann, who said he’s lost 32 soldiers under his command, then touched on what an infantry battalion is and what they are tasked to do.
“We clear the bad guys every day. You talk about combat and you’re talking about an infantry battalion,” he said). “It’s crazy over there. We don’t play any games. We just go out and take care of business.”
After several gifts were presented to the soldiers, Bergmann invited those present to visit with them. In addition to Bergmann, Ecker and Farnsworth, Sgt. 1st Class Robert Digby, 1st Sgt. Scott Davis and Sgt. Darren Irwin hunted over the weekend of Jan. 19-20.
Cow-elk hunting was made available for all the soldiers on Game Management Unit 72 — between Cortez and Dove Creek on the west side of U.S. 491 — through the Colorado Division of Wildlife and landowner Richard McClellan. Colorado Hunting Expedition guides donated time and vehicles to guide the hunts.
Friday, Jan. 18, marked presentation night at the Luna lodge, with the NRA offering Ecker his rifle and the soldiers presenting the Lunas with a commemorative flag that flew in Iraq.
Steve Blackwell of Safari Club International told Ecker, “Losing your legs doesn’t make you a hero. Getting back up does.”