“It tastes like chicken,” says Lance Zender, a local outdoorsman from the Choctaw Bayou area. Lance is that very southern species: he is a frog.
More than 30 types of frogs and toads live in the Magnolia State according to the ASA. These range from the tiny inch-long oak toad, which is the smallest toad in North America, to the enormous American bullfrog, which is the largest at over 8 inches. In between are legions of chorus frogs, narrow-mouthed toads, hog frogs, barking tree frogs, leopard frogs, and Fowler’s gray and white toads. The most popular among frog hunters are the olive to brown hog frog that can reach 6 inches in length, the southern leopard that has green and brown spots, and of course the American bullfrog. To say the least, there is a very diverse and abundant frog population in the state.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fish and Parks (MDWFP) classifies frog hunting as small game along with rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, opossums and bobcats. Frog season in Mississippi typically lasts from April Fools’ Day through the end of September, and as such is the longest season of any game in the state at six full months. Currently, the bag limit is set at 25 frogs and toads per night, that’s fifty legs and a hearty meal for the whole family. Make sure you have your license, hunter education card (if required), and are up to date on your limits and seasons by visiting the MDWFP website.
Best areas for Frog
Oxbow lakes, gum ponds, and just about anywhere you see lots of flying insects and lily pads will be an ideal place for the frog to practice his art.
The swamp-rich Gulf Coast area, with its many wetlands, swamps, rivers, and streams, is slightly warmer in winter than areas north of I-20, and as such, the frog population continues to breed during winter in many coastal estuaries. . This means that in the spring there is an explosion between the water lilies and the swampy grass of the overpopulation of frogs. These fertile breeding grounds of the Pascagoula River system, for example, are home to up to 109 species of fish, a unique species of turtle found only there, and all 30 known frogs in the state in its 9,600 square miles of wetlands. It is literally a frogger’s paradise.
That’s where Lance works his magic.
Frog hunting techniques.
Working out of a flat-bottomed aluminum boat older than he is, Lance prowls the swamp most weekend nights with a Q-beam searchlight and his half-brother Monroe, looking for the big bullfrogs. The team shares the hunt and the wealth, with one driving the boat and the other perched on the side, spotlight in hand.
“You look for eyes,” Lance explains. “As soon as you pass that spotlight through the water, the eyes pop out like stars. Then head to the nearest set.”
Once you’re close enough to a guard toad, it’s up to each frog how they take them. Some people go ‘old school’ and snatch the hypnotized fly eater from its perch on a log or lily pad and then dump it into the dumpster. Others use a .22 rifle to blow up the creature, then scoop it up with a dip net. Still others act for the frogs, channeling the ancient hunter-gatherer with a spear experience still locked within his DNA from before time.
“I’m a rower,” Monroe boasts. The Leather Skin Frog explains that the term is what the locals use to describe the method of stunning the frog with a good swipe of a boat oar, then retrieving it as it floats by wondering which truck hit it.
To hold your frogs, some type of solid container with a lid, such as a cooler, trash can, or rubber container, is preferred. Lance is a fan of pickle buckets with the lid tied to the bucket with string so it doesn’t fall out of the boat in the dark and float through the swamp. “Yes, that happened once.” spear says
It is only natural that there is a higher tech group advocating more sophisticated means of toad control. Some froggers wear hanger slippers. There are even local cottage industry manufacturers that sell specially made Frogging Baskets. Made with PVC-coated wire and a rubber top, the baskets are designed to fit inside a 48-quart cooler and safely hold up to 150 frogs at a time.
That’s a lot of frog legs.