He was born in Augusta County, Virginia, near the town of Stuarts Draft around 1774. Colter enlisted in the Lewis and Clark Expedition private with a salary of $5.00 per month. He was considered one of the best hunters in the group. He was sent out to hunt and scout for trails routinely. The expedition was returning to St. Louis, Missouri in 1806. The next year, as Colter was making his way to back to St. Louis, he met Manuel Lisa, and his party of trappers of the newly formed Missouri fur Company. Lisa sent out Colter to meet with Winter Indian Camps on October, 1807. Colter traveled about 500 miles with his rifle and pack. In 1808, John Colter teamed up with a another member of Lewis and Clark expedition that person's name is John Potts.
