Stuff it

WASILLA — Some people keep scrapbooks to remember special occasions, others keep journals. Hunters and fishermen keep their trophies. In the Mat-Su Valley, taxidermist Jim Kedrowski has been helping preserve those memories for more than 25 years.

Kedrowski owns Arctic Fox Taxidermy Studio and took time to answer a few questions about his profession while tacking small nails into the head of an African cape buffalo.

Frontiersman: How long have you been doing taxidermy and how did you get into it?

Kedrowski: I’ve been doing it since 1982. I went through a taxidermy school in the Lower 48. At first, It started out that it was going to be a hobby, doing my own stuff. It’s turned into a job. I enjoy it, I’m my own boss and can be flexible.

F: What’s the appeal of taxidermy for you:

K: The real benefit of being in this business is the people you meet. They’re hunters and fishermen, and when I’m not doing this, I’m hunting and fishing.

F: What’s the biggest animal or project you’ve done?

K: The biggest project, I’d have to say, was I build a 24-foot pink salmon replica. It’s hanging out the boat harbor n Valdez. I built that for a tackle shop. It’s obviously worked, because he’s still in business. As far as the biggest animal, probably a moose or brown bear. We just completed a huge brown bear. It’s pushing 11 feet (tall).

F: What’s the most unusual request you’ve had or animal you’ve preserved?

K: We get requests all the time from people who want us to do their dog or their cats. We stay away from that, because you can never recreate that (personality people remember), so we don’t even try.

F: Your studio is filled with animals and fish found here in Alaska. Do you do any other exotic animals?

K: Actually, about a quarter of our business is stuff from Africa. African is a lot harder to do than Alaska stuff. They just don’t have any hair, so it’s harder to hide imperfections. It’s kind of fun, because it’s different. You can only mount so many caribou and bears. One of the best investments I made was going to Africa. That’s paid off many times over.

F: What’s the process of preserving an animal?

K: If someone just got the animal, we skin it and take the hide off of it, then we have to do all the prep work. You have to flesh the hide, then have to get the skin off the (foot) pad and take the last toe bone off the pad (to release the hide). Then, you have to concentrate on the head, which means you have to concentrate on the ears, lips and nose. Then you leave it in salt for a couple of days. Then the hide (is sent out) to be dried and tanned. Then, it’s ready to work onto the form.

F: How long does this process typically take?

K: Usually six to nine months.

F: What kind of tools do you use?

K: The tools in this business are so simple. I use a modeling tool (to shape details around eyes). We use clay and will fill the nose with epoxy. Also, we’ll use a tack hammer and, obviously, knives for skinning. Then there are the usual power tools, like the Sawzall.

F: Besides a family pet, is there any animal too big or too small for you to tackle?

K: Well, I’ve never done an elephant and don’t ever want to do an elephant.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2268.