Hunter's future on target

They were alone, 20 miles off the road with a limited supply of food and no sleeping gear. The sheep hunt that started out so well had suddenly gone awry.

"We had survival gear, but we didn't have comfort gear," Colton Conner, a recent Houston High School graduate, said. "It was an experience I'll never forget."

That sheep hunt took place two years ago when Conner and his father drew a party hunt permit.

They planned a 10-day trip, but didn't expect to be packing sheep and gear the entire 10 days. After shooting two legal rams on the first days of the trip, however, that's exactly what happened. They had biked in more than seven miles, and then walked for another eight miles. From there, they started hunting.

Despite weather that socked them in at camp when they weren't prepared, Conner said it was an experience he wouldn't trade for the world.

"It was cool because it was just me and my dad, out there hunting for 10 days together," Conner said. "He got off work, and we put a lot of planning into it. I'll never forget those 10 days."

Thanks to the memory of that hunt, Conner is getting a big boost in his future as a student. This fall he enters the University of Montana-Western, where he plans to study wildlife biology. His essay about the sheep hunt, coupled with his overall success and his love of the outdoors, were big reasons why he won a $5,000 Safari Club International scholarship. Only one Alaskan wins the award each year.

"I grew up hunting and fishing," said Conner, a Willow resident who has lived on Hatcher Pass Road all his life. "I want to be a Fish and Game officer here in the Valley when I get out of college."

This summer, Conner is working on the North Slope, which he said is another valuable experience.

"My brother has a fishing business, and I could have guided all summer with him, and probably would have made the same amount of money, but it's a great experience going up there," Conner said. "And it's good money."

Conner also got some help with tuition from local organizations. In addition to the Alaska Chapter of the Safari Club International scholarship, Conner received a scholarship from the Willow Chamber of Commerce and a She-Mon-Sun scholarship.

While at Houston High School, Conner was a busy student. In addition to getting outdoors to hunt and fish, he spent plenty of time on the athletic fields. He played basketball, football and soccer and participated in track.

"I never played football before my senior year. I didn't even know how to put the pads on before I signed up," Conner said. "It ended up being one of the best things I ever did. I had a lot of fun."