Backcountry Taxidermy

Backcountry Custom Taxidermy has served Alaska hunters and fishermen since 1998 under the direction of award-winning taxidermist Dan Lewis. With over 45 years of professional experience, Lewis specializes in turning your hunting trophy into a lasting piece of wildlife art.

This is a one-man operation. Lewis handles the entire process himself—no assembly line, no shortcuts. He works with top-tier materials and tanneries to ensure realistic, detailed work that hunters come back for year after year.

Specializations: - Alaska big game taxidermy (bears, moose, caribou, mountain goats, sheep) - African and exotic wildlife mounts - Birds and waterfowl - Full-body mounts, rugs, pedestal mounts, and custom designs

Taxidermy takes time. You're typically looking at 9-18 months from drop-off to finished mount. Here's why:

1. Seasonal surge - Guides and outfitters deliver trophies in waves, not evenly throughout the year. Dan once received 16 bears (brown and black) in just two weeks in May.

2. Professional tanning required - Lewis uses Wildlife Gallery and New Method Tanning, industry-standard commercial tanneries. These have 3-month turnarounds on their own. Lewis then needs at least another month to complete the mount.

3. One person, no shortcuts - This shop doesn't scale. Precision Forms bodies and top-tier materials mean quality work, not rushed work.

"His work is Superb if you don't mind waiting awhile. We have a beautiful grizzly bear rug. Alan and I could not be happier and will enjoy this rug for years to come." - Customer review

Whether you're hunting in Alaska, Africa, Canada, or anywhere worldwide, Lewis handles the logistics.

From the field - Two shipping methods:

Ship Frozen: - Wrap trophy in plastic - Insulate with 2-3 inches of paper - Mark box "Perishable" and use next-day or overnight air - Contact shop before shipping

Ship Salted: - Ensure hide is completely dried - Eyes, lips, ears fully turned - All excess meat removed - NO plastic—use paper or burlap wrapping - Split large skullcaps for easier shipping - Protect antlers with packing and hose pieces over tines

International imports from abroad: Address shipments: ``` Your Name c/o Backcountry Custom Taxidermy 7933 Jewel Lake Rd Anchorage, AK 99502 ```

For international hunters exporting trophies, Lewis can arrange: - Export permits and inspections required to leave Alaska - CITES compliance for protected species - Federal identification tags for migratory waterfowl - Processing typically takes up to 2 weeks

• •Award-winning taxidermist with numerous first-place and best-in-category awards
• •Proud member of the National Taxidermist Association
• •Long-time member of the Arizona State Taxidermist Association
• •Gallery work featured in state and national competitions

• •Forms: Precision Forms (industry standard)
• •Tanning: Wildlife Gallery and New Method Tanning
• •All materials: Top-of-the-line on every project

• •Address: 7933 Jewel Lake Rd, Anchorage, AK 99502

• •Phone: (907) 980-6423

• •Monday-Saturday: 8am-6pm
• •Best to reach Dan: After 5pm weekdays, all day Saturday and Sunday
• •Walk-ins welcome

"We couldn't be happier with the work of Backcountry. They truly know their craft and execute it with genuine pride. We had to wait a while but the wait was worth it." - Customer review

Serving Alaska since 1998. Good hunting.