Dan Garren recently took over as supervisor for the Southeast Region of Idaho Fish and Game.

Garren, who’s based at the regional office in Pocatello, has over 25 years of experience in Fish and Game agencies from three different states. However, he said he is excited to be a regional supervisor in Idaho, a state whose citizens, he said, are highly engaged with Fish and Game.

“Essentially we’re trying to provide opportunities for recreation,” Garren said. “And when you have an active and engaged sporting public, you just know that people appreciate the opportunities that you’re providing out there. I would 10 times rather have an active pubic than one that’s kind of disengaged from the resource.”

As regional supervisor, Garren oversees all management programs within his region.

“Basically everything that Fish and Game is doing falls under the responsibility of the regional supervisor.”

And though the Southeast Region is, as any other region, often buzzing with activity, Garren said he plans to spend his first few weeks on the job learning.

“I certainly didn’t come in with an agenda,” he said. “I look at my role right now as just trying to learn. I’m in a learning phase right now trying to get up to speed on what’s historically been done and where we want to go in the future.”

But Garren has already shown interest in some of the region’s activities. He was one of the voices that expressed concern over Pocatello’s Wildlife Feeding Ordinance, which was recently proposed to the Pocatello City Council by the Urban Wildlife Task Force.

The council agreed to further discuss the ordinance during a work study session, but the ordinance was pulled from the agenda after Garren, among others, took issue with the complicated prospect of enforcement of the ordinance.

Garren said that, though Fish and Game serves as a technical adviser to the task force, the future of the ordinance was primarily up to the members of the task force themselves.

“We can provide the science behind different management options to the technical committee, but they’re really the drivers behind this,” Garren said. “And they’re the ones that need to work with city council to get an appropriate rule in place that the city council buys off on and that meets the objectives of the technical group.”

For the most part, though, Garren said he is still learning the ropes of the region.

“I think the challenge for me is going to be getting up to speed on the issues as fast as they’re coming at us,” he said. “You come in to work thinking that you’re going to be working on a specific topic, and the reality is that you’re probably going to get something you weren’t even expecting. The diversity is pretty substantial, and I enjoy that.”

He added that he has also enjoyed working with the region’s staff, who he said have been instrumental in helping him adjust to his new position.

“The exciting part is walking into a region where the staff is engaged and knowledgeable about the issues and willing to work with the public,” Garren said. “I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the staff and their engagement.”

Overall, Garren said he looks forward to interacting with “these resources and these customers” in his new role and asked that the public be open.

“I’d love to hear from people,” he said. “I’d love to hear thoughts and concerns about our programs as a whole and get a better understanding of what our public wants.”

A local boy caught a massive carp over the weekend at his family’s vacation house in Rupert.

Parker Wood, 12, of Inkom, was fishing in the Snake River in the backyard of his family’s vacation house in Rupert on Friday afternoon when he said his friend started yelling. 

“My friend yelled at me and said, ‘there’s a sturgeon, there’s a sturgeon!’” Wood said. “I thought, no way. So I ran over there, and I looked down, and there was a massive carp just sitting there.”

Wood ran back inside the house to retrieve his bow, then shot the carp.

“Right as I shot him, I jumped in the water and grabbed him,” he said.

Wood said he wrapped the fish up in his shirt to keep it from slipping out of his hands, then jumped out of the water with it. The carp, which Wood said is about 3 and a half feet in length and 26 pounds, was released back into the river after Wood and his father, Richard, weighed it.

“He wasn’t going to let (that fish) get away,” Richard said. “That’s for sure.”

Though large, Parker’s carp was not anywhere close to record breaking. The current record for the largest common carp caught in Idaho is 67.65 pounds and 47 inches. It was pulled in at C.J. Strike Reservoir in 2011 by Scott Frazier II.

“But for a little kid, it’s a good one,” Richard said.

Parker and his father are both avid fishermen, and Parker has been fishing since he was about 4 or 5 years old. Though this was the heaviest and overall biggest fish he has caught, Richard said Parker has previously caught pike that were longer.

“(He) fishes constantly,” Richard said of Parker. “When we’re (at the vacation house) it’s a day and night thing. It keeps him out of trouble.”

Though Parker has caught many carp before, they are usually much, much smaller.

Richard said what was most unusual was the location in which Parker caught the fish.

“The neighbors actually live there year-round, and they have for a long time,” Richard said. “And they’ve never caught one that big this far below the dam. Usually you catch those up in Minnedoka or American Falls Dam if they get that big, but not that far down the river.”

Parker said that while he has bowfished in the past, he doesn’t typically use a bow anymore. But he didn’t see any other option due to the size of the carp.

“We usually never use bows,” he said. “I used to when I was young, but that was the first carp I’ve probably shot in at least two years with my bow.”

Parker is also no stranger to catching unusual fish. Last year, he caught a catfish that had been tagged by Fish and Game. Richard said they were able to look up the fish’s number and see exactly when it had been put into the lake, and other information that had been gathered about it.

Carp is a highly invasive species, and there’s no limit on the number of carp one can catch in Idaho.

At the ninth annual Pocatello Pedal Fest, which was held Saturday at City Creek, Bart and George Flynn saw yet another victory.

The twins from Jackson, Wyoming, have raced in five Pedal Fests and have almost always both placed within the top five. This year, Bart came in first overall with a time of 2:15:38 and earned a $500 cash prize. George came in third with a time of 2:19:10.

The two brothers don’t compete in many races, as they are kept busy managing the Fitzgerald’s Bicycles store in Jackson. However, they said they always try to make it to Pedal Fest.

“It’s been a priority for a few reasons,” Bart said, “one of them being the sick party afterward.”

After Pedal Fest, racers are treated to a free dinner, free beer and a raffle.

“There’s a lot of races where the race is over, and everyone just peaces out,” George said. “This has a good gathering afterward.”

The brothers said they also appreciate the people and the atmosphere surrounding the race.

“The people here are really nice,” Bart said. “It’s different than Jackson. Jackson people can be a little stuffy.”

“People aren’t taking themselves that seriously,” George added.

Additionally, the Flynns said they enjoyed the course, and while Pedal Fest is the only Idaho race they consistently participate in, they often make the trip to Pocatello to ride the trails, particularly in the spring.

“It’s a true mountain bike course,” Bart said.

All the proceeds from Pedal Fest go toward the Pocatello trail system. According the race’s website, their mission is to “provide resources (money and labor) to help promote, maintain, and improve all trails in the greater Pocatello area,” and their vision is for “all community members to have ample opportunity to participate in a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable outdoor recreational lifestyle through the use of a safe and well-maintained Pocatello trail system.”

In the past, proceeds from the race have gone toward purchasing new signs for the trails and a bike bridge for the Portneuf Health Complex bike park.

Amber Tingey, who was the first overall female finisher with a time of 3:00:52, also took home $500, said she too enjoys Pedal Fest because of the course.

“I love the trails here, and it’s fun every year,” she said. “It’s just fun.”

Tingey said she has been mountain biking since she moved to Pocatello 11 years ago but has only been racing for five years.

“I’m a competitive person, so I figured I had put in all this time biking, I might as well see how I do,” Tingey said. “And I love this race, and I love the trails here, so I’ll keep doing it as long as they have it.”

According to Corey Wight, a communications director for the race, there were about 120 participants this year, including around 40 competitors from out of state and around 60 competitors from Pocatello.

The race features an Open Pro class that is 27 miles, an Expert class that is 27 miles, a Sport class that is 17 miles, a Beginner class that is 12 miles and a Junior class that is 3 miles. The top three male and female finishers in the open class received cash prizes, and the male and female finishers within each age group received medals.