Special Feature
FROG HUNTING and FRIED FROG LEGS
BY: Pat Todd, Jr.
One of my favorite past times as a kid growing up on Cane River was frog
hunting at night. For those of you who don’t know, it is done usually in a boat
using a strong spotlight. The sport takes at least two people, one to motor the
boat and the other to shine the spot light along the bank or mossy area to see
the frogs. Bullfrog eyes illuminate when you shine a strong light on them..
Frog hunters use different measures to catch them once they get close to them.
While being careful to keep the light directly in their eyes, the boat is driven up
to them and usually a frog gig is used to grab them. A gig is simply a long pole
with a sharp barb attached or a device that clamps around the frog. My
preferred method to catch them was very different. I always used my hands to
catch them as it seemed to be a real challenge. After catching a frog, I always
stuffed them in a cloth bag and tied it tight.
My best frog hunting partner over many years was Joe Cunningham, Sr. Joe
had the best eyes in the business, and it seemed he could see a frog a mile
away. We hunted them on Saline Lake in Winn Parish, a beautiful cypress lake
with lots of great frog habitat. Hunting frogs was at times not only a challenge,
but a lot of work. On Saline, it usually meant fighting very thick grass and even
having to paddle the boat to get to a frog in a hard to get to spot. Sometimes,
a frog would be behind a log jam or under a bunch of trees, and I would have
to drive the boat into the middle of the obstructions at a fast pace. Joe would
be leaning down trying not to get knocked out of the boat or get scratched up
as I would force the boat wherever needed to get to the frog. Another factor
while frog hunting was that there were a lot of snakes and alligators on Saline,
and it was common to have one of those critters interested in the same frog
you were after!
Joe had a special skill unlike no other person I’ve ever known. While going
down the boat paths in the dark with the light ahead of the boat, we would
spot red eyes. Red eyes mean one thing, an alligator. Joe would size up the
gator and if he was not too big, he would have me speed up to get close. All of
a sudden while shining the light in the water, Joe would plunge his hand down
to about elbow level and come up with the alligator holding it behind the head!
He would pull it in the boat with a big grin on his face and laugh. After years of
seeing him do this, I finally got the nerve to catch one and it was the last.
One of my best froggin trips was with Ryder Churchman of Derry. Ryder took
me to a “secret” bayou late one night to frog heaven! We put in a small boat
and had only a trolling motor to get us around. The experience involved
paddling more than trolling as the bayou had thick logs and made it hard to
maneuver. There were a lot of small alligators in the bayou and Ryder was
proficient in catching them with his hands. We hunted for a couple of hours. It
seemed like every spot we shined the light, a frogs eyes were visible. I have no
idea how many frogs we caught that night, but the pictures included with my
article prove they were more than abundant.
The hardest part of frog hunting was having to clean all of the frogs. So as not
to be cruel while cleaning the frogs, you simply hit them hard over the head and
they die immediately. You then have to skin them, and most keep just the
legs to eat. Many people tell me they would never eat a frog. They simply don’t
know what they are missing. You can also buy frog legs in some grocery
stores, so if you can’t go frog hunting, buy some and try them.
Fried Frog Legs
Ingredients:
3 Cups Flour
2 Eggs
2 Cups Milk
3 Tablespoons black pepper
3 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon red pepper
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Quart of Oil (I prefer Canola)
Simply put your frog legs in a bowl and lightly sprinkle some black pepper and a
little salt on them. In a large bowl, mix the flour, black pepper, salt, red pepper,
garlic powder and mix well. Beat the eggs into the milk and pour over the frog
legs. Dip the ,frog legs in the flour until covered well and drop into grease
heated to 350* or use a Fry Daddy for best results in regulating your
temperature. Fry the legs until golden brown, (not longer) and drain on paper
towels.
As you cook the legs, simply put your oven on 150* and store them in the oven
until all are cooked as you want them to stay warm. I always cook some Ore
Ida crinkle cut French fries or make the real ones and serve with the frog legs.
Get ready for a feast!
BY: Pat Todd, Jr.
One of my favorite past times as a kid growing up on Cane River was frog
hunting at night. For those of you who don’t know, it is done usually in a boat
using a strong spotlight. The sport takes at least two people, one to motor the
boat and the other to shine the spot light along the bank or mossy area to see
the frogs. Bullfrog eyes illuminate when you shine a strong light on them..
Frog hunters use different measures to catch them once they get close to them.
While being careful to keep the light directly in their eyes, the boat is driven up
to them and usually a frog gig is used to grab them. A gig is simply a long pole
with a sharp barb attached or a device that clamps around the frog. My
preferred method to catch them was very different. I always used my hands to
catch them as it seemed to be a real challenge. After catching a frog, I always
stuffed them in a cloth bag and tied it tight.
My best frog hunting partner over many years was Joe Cunningham, Sr. Joe
had the best eyes in the business, and it seemed he could see a frog a mile
away. We hunted them on Saline Lake in Winn Parish, a beautiful cypress lake
with lots of great frog habitat. Hunting frogs was at times not only a challenge,
but a lot of work. On Saline, it usually meant fighting very thick grass and even
having to paddle the boat to get to a frog in a hard to get to spot. Sometimes,
a frog would be behind a log jam or under a bunch of trees, and I would have
to drive the boat into the middle of the obstructions at a fast pace. Joe would
be leaning down trying not to get knocked out of the boat or get scratched up
as I would force the boat wherever needed to get to the frog. Another factor
while frog hunting was that there were a lot of snakes and alligators on Saline,
and it was common to have one of those critters interested in the same frog
you were after!
Joe had a special skill unlike no other person I’ve ever known. While going
down the boat paths in the dark with the light ahead of the boat, we would
spot red eyes. Red eyes mean one thing, an alligator. Joe would size up the
gator and if he was not too big, he would have me speed up to get close. All of
a sudden while shining the light in the water, Joe would plunge his hand down
to about elbow level and come up with the alligator holding it behind the head!
He would pull it in the boat with a big grin on his face and laugh. After years of
seeing him do this, I finally got the nerve to catch one and it was the last.
One of my best froggin trips was with Ryder Churchman of Derry. Ryder took
me to a “secret” bayou late one night to frog heaven! We put in a small boat
and had only a trolling motor to get us around. The experience involved
paddling more than trolling as the bayou had thick logs and made it hard to
maneuver. There were a lot of small alligators in the bayou and Ryder was
proficient in catching them with his hands. We hunted for a couple of hours. It
seemed like every spot we shined the light, a frogs eyes were visible. I have no
idea how many frogs we caught that night, but the pictures included with my
article prove they were more than abundant.
The hardest part of frog hunting was having to clean all of the frogs. So as not
to be cruel while cleaning the frogs, you simply hit them hard over the head and
they die immediately. You then have to skin them, and most keep just the
legs to eat. Many people tell me they would never eat a frog. They simply don’t
know what they are missing. You can also buy frog legs in some grocery
stores, so if you can’t go frog hunting, buy some and try them.
Fried Frog Legs
Ingredients:
3 Cups Flour
2 Eggs
2 Cups Milk
3 Tablespoons black pepper
3 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon red pepper
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Quart of Oil (I prefer Canola)
Simply put your frog legs in a bowl and lightly sprinkle some black pepper and a
little salt on them. In a large bowl, mix the flour, black pepper, salt, red pepper,
garlic powder and mix well. Beat the eggs into the milk and pour over the frog
legs. Dip the ,frog legs in the flour until covered well and drop into grease
heated to 350* or use a Fry Daddy for best results in regulating your
temperature. Fry the legs until golden brown, (not longer) and drain on paper
towels.
As you cook the legs, simply put your oven on 150* and store them in the oven
until all are cooked as you want them to stay warm. I always cook some Ore
Ida crinkle cut French fries or make the real ones and serve with the frog legs.
Get ready for a feast!
Editor's Note: In a world of conflict, stress and strife, it's wonderful to know about life's simple pleasures. Learn from
someone who knows how to find joy in those simple pleasures. It's likely you may never see a story again, or rarely,
about frog hunting, but this custom is part of rural life. It is those simple pleasures that perhaps need to be addressed in
the din of controversy so that we all realize how sublime our creation can be--CF
someone who knows how to find joy in those simple pleasures. It's likely you may never see a story again, or rarely,
about frog hunting, but this custom is part of rural life. It is those simple pleasures that perhaps need to be addressed in
the din of controversy so that we all realize how sublime our creation can be--CF