Sheepshead ivory

[Cooter]

Where exactly are they located, I'm assuming there is a pair of them? And how big does a sheepshead need to be before the ivory is worth removing?

[Scott M]

Sheepshead ivory=otoliths

Drum Otoliths

Otoliths can be found in the skull. You can't miss them. They are the biggest otoliths in the state and you can get them no smaller than dime sized on juvenile and larger fish. The older the fish, the larger the otolith. Yes, they are found in pairs on the right and left lateral sides in the cranium.

[stam34]

Just behind the eye in the skull its been awhile since i have removed them . smaller fish ones make nice earrings and the bigger ones ive seen people put them on a necklace it is the size a 25cent coin it takes a carbide drill bit to drill thru the ivory. good luck Stam34

[Cooter]

Excellent! Will be doing brain surgery on one this summer. Thanks again.

[goblueM]

when working with the DNR we found a washed up dead drum on the shore of Lake Pepin... the pharayngeal (sp) teeth were enormous, as were the otoliths. biggest one i'd ever seen, had to have been at least 25 pounds, pushing 30 inches

[fishinbros]

How much is one fish worth?

[cribbageboy]

I have no idea how much they are worth, but it is illegal to sell animal parts in exchange for money.

[erickol]

I started keeping otoliths last season. I have found them smaller than a dime, like a small lima bean, but I have also found much bigger ones. Since I almost always release the drum I catch, I only have a small jar of them. I look by the bank on the rivers and find some almost every time I get out. Also when I gut hook one or they get used for cut bait I'll keep 'em. My kids love them. I have some sets of pharangyeal teeth in the jar too.

[fishinbros]

I wasn't planning on selling them.. just curious, I never would have thought you could find ivory in sheephead, quite intresting

[erickol]

I don't think they are actually ivory. More like rocks made of calcium (or something similar). Drum "ivory" is more of a colloquial name.

[DeanoB]

wow i want to get one of these now

[crazyice]

Definately makes me think now about all the fish I have released. May have to keep a big one just to check it out.