TaxidermyXKodiak Bones & Bugs Taxidermy
Taxidermist in Kodiak, Alaska
Big Game
Birds
Small GameAbout Kodiak Bones & Bugs Taxidermy
Kodiak Bones & Bugs Taxidermy is a taxidermy studio located in Kodiak, Alaska, operated as a professional, licensed, family-run business specializing in skull work.
They focus exclusively on high-quality skull cleaning and European mounts using dermestid beetles, along with supplying healthy beetle colonies to clients in the U.S., Canada, and other countries.
Their primary focus is skull and bone preparation for hunters, taxidermists, institutions, and hobbyists who want clean, museum-quality European-style displays.
Animal Mount Types
big game
- • Elk
- • Deer
- • Moose
- • Caribou
- • Bison
- • Kodiak brown bear
birds
small game
Animal Mount Details
They work on a wide range of big game, small game, birds, fish, and other vertebrates, concentrating solely on skulls and bones rather than full-body or shoulder mounts.
They specialize in European mounts and restored skulls that are fully cleaned, degreased, and whitened for display.
Founder Ken began using dermestid beetles in 2005, established the business in 2007, and has over a decade of specialized experience serving guides, agencies, museums, and private clients.
They emphasize museum-quality results with fine bone detail, ethical practices, and purpose-built facilities to keep colonies healthy and pest-free.
Pricing & Turnaround
Skull cleaning is priced by species, with example rates such as $150 for deer or bear skulls, $200 for elk or brown bear, and $225 for bison or cow plus a skinning charge, while dermestid colonies are sold in fixed-size packages starting at $60 including Priority Mail shipping.
Beetles typically clean smaller skulls in a few days and larger skulls in about a week or more, followed by several weeks of degreasing and whitening, while beetle colony orders usually ship within 2–3 days on scheduled shipping days, with any weather or size-related delays explained by email.
They also sell dermestid beetle starter and production colonies, provide detailed written care and skull-prep instructions, and offer ongoing technical support to help you set up and maintain colonies or even start a small skull-cleaning business.
What Customers Say
Reviewers generally describe the beetle colonies as healthy, high quality, and sometimes exceeding the promised quantity, with one report of a shipment arriving dead after being lost in transit.
Most customers praise the owner as friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful with questions, though one review reports unreturned emails and no resolution after a failed delivery.
Buyers often note orders arriving on time and well packed, but there is at least one serious shipping issue that led to a lost package and dead beetles, so reliability is usually strong with a few exceptions.
Find Out More
The studio is based in Kodiak, Alaska, and serves hunters, taxidermists, institutions, and hobbyists across the U.S., Canada, and additional countries through shipped skull work and beetle colonies.
You can review their pricing, then contact the studio directly to discuss your skull project or order a dermestid beetle colony and confirm current shipping timing.
View Website