Wild Instinct Design Co.

10/22/2026

Hello friends. 🐾

Meet Atlas, AKA Biggie Smalls.

This handsome 130-pound gentleman belongs to family friends in Salmon Arm and is looking for his forever family. He’s very loved and well cared for, but changing family circumstances mean his family is hoping to find him the perfect place to thrive.

A little about Biggie Smalls:

* Central Asian Shepherd × Great Pyrenees (DNA confirmed).
* Approximately five years old and 130 pounds.
* Neutered, with vaccinations and veterinary care up to date.
* Wonderful with children and has grown up around kids.
* Fantastic with livestock, including goats, chickens, and horses.
* Can be selective with other dogs, as guardian breeds sometimes are, but he does have dog friends.
* Unsure about cats.
* Has experienced a few different living situations, including foster care, and has adjusted beautifully.
* Currently an indoor family dog who loves lounging around just as much as exploring. He enjoys wandering but always finds his way home.

Ideally, Atlas is looking for someone with acreage, room to roam, and an understanding of large guardian breeds. He’s a big, adaptable boy with lots of love to give.

His family wants nothing more than to see him happy, loved, and settled with people who will adore him.

If you know someone who might be a good fit, please reach out to me and I’ll happily put you in touch.

Thanks so much,
Jess

10/21/2026

10/21/2026

Ever wonder why some skulls take so long to degrease? 🤔

Sheep and bears can be particularly challenging due to their dense, thick bone structure. Here, we’re looking specifically at sheep and just how deeply lipids, particularly triglycerides and other fatty compounds, can become embedded within the bone’s internal structure.

I hope this visual offers a little perspective on what we’re working with beneath the surface.

Proper degreasing takes time, and I know waiting isn’t always easy. But for me, doing it properly will always matter more than doing it quickly. Colby

Thanks for looking,
Jess

10/21/2026

Good morning, everyone 🌻

October has been unprecedented for intake, especially after spending half of it away elk hunting. A quick shop update:

• No longer accepting furbearers or skulls smaller than a cougar. I simply can’t guarantee reasonable lead times.

• Still accepting fall bears and ungulates of all sizes, although that may change based on workflow.

• Spring 2026 bears are actively being finished, with completion expected no later than the second week of November.

I’m a one-woman operation, not a taxidermy factory, and keeping lead times fair matters to me.

Thanks for your patience and support.

Jess

10/20/2026

Want to know how I know a lot of you aren’t reading your intake messages?…

Because my beetles apparently operate on Amazon Prime timelines! 🪲

All jokes aside, your intake messages contain important information about processing, turnaround times, and what to expect with your mount.

You’re always welcome to check in, but please take a moment to read them.

Thanks,
Jess

10/19/2026

Hi friends — and welcome to anyone new here! 👋
I’m Jess, the hands (and heart) behind Wild Instinct Design.

I specialize in European mounts, and while dermestid beetles do incredible, detailed work, they aren’t the reason your mounts take time — it’s the degreasing process that makes up most of the wait.

Because I don’t boil or simmer anything, I use a slow, passive degreasing method that protects bone density and detail while ensuring your mounts are completely free of residual grease — something faster methods often miss. 💀✨

Turnaround times can vary, especially during peak season, but here’s a general guide for what to expect:

🦌 Deer: 6 – 10 weeks

🫎 Moose: 3 – 4 months

🫏 Elk & Caribou: around 2 months

🐐 Mountain Goats: around 2 months

🐏 Bighorn Sheep: 2 – 3 months

🐻 Fall Bears: 4 – 6 months

Specimens that are badly decomposed or mummified require a different approach, as dermestids can’t process those properly — either extreme can compromise the colony.

I always do my best to communicate timelines at drop-off, but I wanted to share them again here for transparency.

Thank you all for your patience, trust, and continued support — it truly means the world.

Jess

10/18/2026

What I brought home from the rainforest was extraordinary. What I left behind was the need to prove anything to anyone, but myself.

I recently had the privilege of harvesting a remarkable Roosevelt elk on the ancestral territories of the K’ómoks, We Wai Kai, and Wei Wai K*m peoples. I’m deeply grateful to have been a guest on these lands, surrounded by people I love. It’s a memory I’ll hold in my heart forever.

What surprised me was others obsession with inches, demands for photographs from complete strangers, and the competitive behaviour surrounding this hunt. At times, I wondered when we stopped celebrating the experience and started competing for attention.

For me, hunting is stewardship, spirituality, and respect for the life taken. That life will nourish my family and community.

I celebrate extraordinary animals and the people who pursue them. But when ego becomes louder than gratitude, and likes matter more than integrity, perhaps it’s time to remember why we hunt.

Some harvests deserve more reverence than recognition. This is one of them. VORN

Thanks,
Jess