PRESTON — Franklin County's Idaho Fish and Game Officer Nathan Stohosky was recently surprised with the Shikar Safari Club International Award for Idaho.
The award is presented to a wildlife officer in each state for efforts in conservation and conservation enforcement, community service and educating the public. The Shikar Safari is an exotic hunt company, which promotes conservation of wildlife species throughout the world.
"It's a very prestigious award," Stohosky said. "I definitely feel very honored."
His co-workers arranged for him to be at the event thinking that he was attending a rifle committee meeting on which he represents Fish and Game. But when he looked over his shoulder and saw that his family was at the meeting, he realized there was some other reason for the gathering.
Stohosky was nominated for the award by fellow Fish and Game Officer Korey Owen.
"Nathan is a top-rate officer that has a lot of irons in the fire," Owen said.
Stohosky is the lead firearms instructor in the region, the lead honor guard for Idaho Fish and Game and a field-training officer. He also helps cities and counties with training their officers because he is POST-certified in firearms training, ground control training and arrest training.
"He volunteers to do extra — he goes above and beyond what is expected" Owen said. "Whatever he does, he does an excellent job."
Stohosky began working in Grace in 2005, then in Malad in 2012. He began working in the Franklin County area in 2014.
"He's a high-performing officer that always is giving 100 percent in everything he does," Owen said.
