Connor Thigpen

It All Started with a Dove Hunt

By Meredith Kay Photography by Josh Poole

For many Texans, the love of hunting and shooting is passed down from one generation to the next. The first time a young hunter is taken out and taught to shoot is an experience that they will never forget, and for one young South Texas hunter, that first experience has turned into a true passion.

Connor Thigpen remembers the day that he and his dad, Matt, went dove hunting with their neighbor, Bobby Schraeder when he was just eight years old. Connor and his family live in Cuero, and they often hunt dove in the area. Connor recalls using a .410 on that first day, and he lights up when he remembers how he felt. He says, He says, “My dad flushed the dove from a tree, and I shot it, and I was hooked from then on.”

Connor was so enamored with shooting that he became very good at shooting skeet and trap when he practiced with his dad and Bobby. He entered his first 4-H shooting competition when he was just nine years old, and he came in first place. He says, “Winning that first competition was my first big accomplishment, and it was exhilarating.”

Connor continues to compete through the National Skeet Shooting Association, and he has won three open championships over the past four years. He competes in skeet, trap, and sporting clays, but his strongest sport is skeet shooting. Recently, he competed in the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Junior Shoot-Out at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, where he took fifth place in Sporting Clays and Modified Trap. Over 275 young shooters were competing in his division, so finishing among the top five is quite an accomplishment.

Connor shoots with a Zoli Z-Sport shotgun for competition shooting and switches the barrels to achieve the appropriate gauge needed. He also uses Briley chokes and wears Gustin shooting glasses.

The travel required can be difficult, but Connor’s family is committed to helping him pursue his passion. They have plans to do a lot of traveling this year, with Connor competing in Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, and Los Angeles for the Junior National Championship. Last year, Connor won the High Overall Champion in the Junior National Championships in New York, so he’ll have to defend his title this year.

Although he loves to shoot, he also loves school and works hard to make straight-A’s in school. Connor enjoys hanging out with his dog, Buster, reading, and watching movies with his family during his free time. He says that his favorite book is The Hunger Games, and his favorite movie is “The Waterboy.”

In addition to dove hunting and competing, Connor loves to go deer hunting and fishing with his grandpa on Carancahua Bay near Palacios. You’ll never meet a more polite young man than Connor Thigpen, and he’s definitely one to watch in the shooting sports arena. We may just see him in 2028 or 2032 at the Summer Olympics, representing the USA and the great state of Texas.