# Help With "JAWS"



## Ramblin Wreck Red Neck (Sep 19, 2014)

I was on a tarpon trip this summer in Florida and caught a large black tip shark.  I normally always just release sharks I catch, but the guide said that black tips were good to eat.  When we were fileting him, the guide asked if I wanted to keep the shark's head.  I said Why, and he said to lay it by a fire ant hill and the fire ants would eat away the flesh and leave the "Jaws".  I had heard the same about deer heads and fire ants for a European mount, but had never tried it.  

Anyway, this was two months ago.  I have been busy and hadn't checked in a couple of weeks and when I went out tonight this was all that was left - a pile of shark teeth and few bones.  I remember someone saying that the fire ants would eat the cartilage as well as the flesh, and I guess this is what happened.    Any thoughts on using fire ants for Jaws Mounts or any other method?


----------



## Trapnfish (Sep 19, 2014)

I've used fire ants for deer heads and it worked good you just need to bleach it after if you don't want it to look like dirt on the outside


----------



## Limbhanger2881 (Sep 19, 2014)

It is a mistake to use ants. They can not eat the flesh fast enough. Mother Nature will begin to break the bone down and the skull will become brittle. It is much better to have it professionally done. Look up heads n skulls on facebook


----------



## KyDawg (Sep 20, 2014)

I have heard of people putting dead snakes on fire ant beds, to get the skin. Don't know if that work or not.


----------



## swamp hunter (Sep 20, 2014)

Yep , Cartilge to ants is just like Pizza crust to us.
It ain't the best part but We'll eat it too...


----------



## KINCHAFooneeryan (Sep 21, 2014)

We've had luck hanging them in trees and letting the blow flies take care of them. Just make sure you scrape as much meat as possible of them.


----------



## flatsbroke22 (Sep 21, 2014)

No there is only one way to make a Shark jaws mount. You have to cut out the jaws out as soon as possible. It is a very meticulous procedure. You have to cut all the flesh from the cartilage and not damage the rows of teeth because they are held in by only cartilage. Then you have to bleach it out carefully to turn it white and then spray it with a type of glue to hold it open and then clear coat. Its not easy. I tried it with a 7' bull shark and fell apart.

Btw there is no "bones" in a shark. If not done properly the jaws will eventually deteriorate to nothing.


----------



## Ramblin Wreck Red Neck (Sep 23, 2014)

Thanks for the input from everyone.


----------



## Wild Turkey (Sep 23, 2014)

be careful with deer heads.
Squirels with chew the antlers if a yote/dog dont just plain steal it.


----------

