"I came from a large family and there was no one who had any interest in hunting or taxidermy. What made me interested is very simple. My father brought home a glass dome of mounted song birds in it -- which is illegal today, but back then it wasn't. I was fascinated by this glass dome and all these different birds in there. It was something I wanted to get involved with...that's really how I got started," explains Fayta.

Fayta studied the anatomy and physiology of wild animals through films, books, and during his many trips to the Southwick Zoo, near Fayta's childhood home in Boston.

"They had animals from all over the world there...almost every species of water fowl from the world, cats of the world," says Fayta. "Of course, when you're a taxidermist, you're fascinated by going in there and just watching an African lion laying down, just studying the muscle tone, the wrinkles, their eyes, the way they focus on you."

Fayta became a successful taxidermist working on common game birds, moose, deer, and bear, but as an ambitious student of the trade, he wanted to work with exotic animals. He partnered with big game outfitters to recruit hunters for expeditions around the world and traveled extensively with the groups. As the relationship grew with the outfitters, hunters began to rely on Fayta's taxidermy services and recommended him to fellow hunters. Over the years, he has established himself as one of the preeminent big game taxidermists.

In the past 20 years, big game hunting has opened up around the world, allowing hunters to travel into remote areas in search of wild sheep, big cats, and a diverse host of exotic animals. It has become an expensive and well-regulated form of hunting. Travel expenses, guide services, and shipping can easily add-up to tens of thousands of dollars, and the hunting permit and import process can be difficult from country to country.

"Everything has to be right. When you collect the animal, you just don't bring it home with you. It's got to go through designated ports of entry in the US, with special import permits. You have to hire a custom broker, they have to clear it for you. It's a lot of work. Just because you can go to another country and hunt an animal--that's legal in that country--it doesn't mean that you can legally bring it back to the US."

As big game hunting gained popularity over the last two decades, the field of taxidermy has grown along with it. The supply end has become big business, offering more tools and forms than ever before. Detailed mannequins (forms) are available for virtually every exotic animal in the world that can be legally hunted. Some taxidermy shops have become warehouses employing dozens of people across multiple departments; fitting, repair, forms, and habitat.

For Fayta, creating habitat is the most challenging and rewarding aspect of his trade. When taxidermy originally gained popularity, animals were often posed in unnatural and frightening poses. Modern taxidermy seeks to represent the animal in its natural habitat, mounted and posed as if capturing a single moment in the animal's life.

"Habitat plays such an important role...look at the big sporting goods stores, like Cabela's (an outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear). You go into Cabela's now and you're seeing mountains, you're seeing jungle, you're seeing plains with a herd of zebra...you swear you're right there. That's all part of the trade," says Fayta.

Naturally, Fayta is also an accomplished hunter whose trophy room resembles The Museum of Natural History. The wood-paneled room is grand and spacious, like the foyer of a great lodge, home to mounted tigers, a lion, brown bear, a polar bear, and Fayta's prized North American wild sheep.

"They're the most challenging and also there's a high risk involved," explains Fayta. "It's the greatest of all hunting. It takes you into some of the most spectacular places in North America; the scenery, the mountains, the glaciers, everything is so beautiful. You're at the top of the world. The animals are very intelligent, they have keen eyesight. The challenge is there."

story and photos by Scott Baker
January 12, 2004
aroundmaine.com