Bullfrogs and More
Phil Taunton
Friday, June 29, 2007
Baa-rumph! Baa-rumph! Frogging.
What a way to beat the heat during hot summer nights.
Bullfrogs can be legally taken day or night by traditional fishing techniques, dip nets, gigs or bow and arrow. The mighty bullfrog hunter, clad only in cutoffs and old tennis shoes, who stalks his quarry at night and snatches ’em up barehanded, is in for some fun and exciting moments.
A good waterproof flashlight and a gunny sack is really all the fancy equipment he needs. Insect repellent and a gallon or two of courage are helpful accessories that will come in handy at times!
It’s always nice to have a partner along to share your outdoor pleasures and experiences with, as long as you know he (or she) can be trusted not to divulge favorite coverts and never exaggerate to others about your outdoor prowess.
All experienced bullfroggers learn to expect the unexpected.
Once, while bracing myself to capture a behemoth frog whose mere presence at a Missouri State Frog Hopping Contest would frighten all the other contestants away, I put my hand on a big black water snake. The anaconda-sized serpent apparently wanted bullfrog for dinner and was transfixed in a stalk of his own.
Since the snake had spotted the prize first, I took it upon myself to promote good sportsmanship and quickly vacated the area. No apologies necessary!
I’ll never know who ate who. You talk about “walking on water.” I was out of there!
On another occasion many years ago, while frogs of every sort chirped backup and crickets and cicadas sang melody to the bullfrogs’ foghorn bass, my daughter Tiffany — then 6 years old — and I decided to leave the comforts of our cabin at Council Grove City Lake to explore the weedy lake shore and hunt bullfrogs. A certain mystique all its own befalls the lake once the sun sets.
After sticking the flashlight under my chin a couple of times while growling and chasing the little urchin, we were ready for some serious frog hunting. Grandma said she would allow us to catch the star of the band, only if we agreed to let the frogs go.
Their antics and thunderous “baa-rumphs, baa-rumphs” are really entertaining, but there seemed to be fewer of them around.
I would shine the flashlight into the frog’s eyes and Tiffany did a good job of scooping them up with a big dip net. The net was quite cumbersome in her little hands, but she managed quite well.
Having caught and released several bullfrogs, and after watching the small fish and the crawdads of the shallows dart and scurry to escape the light and find cover under the logs and mossy rocks, we headed back to the cabin.
Suddenly, there came a horrifying, frightening hiss originating from under the weeping willow tree. When I flashed the light in that direction, it fell upon a horrendous eye levitating above the ground. Thoughts of the snake to end all snakes raced through my mind.
I had barely regained my composure and was prepared to take the situation in hand when I heard a dull “whomp!”
Tiffany had viciously tee-balled the critter with the dip net! Her ability to knock the monster out of sight would have made The Babe and Hammering Hank Aaron proud!
The flattened heap emitted a groan and, when I recognized a pair of size 12 tennis shoes sticking out from under the dark green tarp, I knew it would be a long time before I heard the end of this little adventure. My father had snuck out of the cabin while we were exploring the lake and covered himself up with the tarp used to protect the riding lawnmower from the elements. He was peeking through a hole in the tarp and that was the “floating” eye my light fell upon, not some alien, man-eating monster.
All he could say when we were patching the cut on his head and trying to stop the bleeding was that I had deserted Tiffany, leaving my little daughter to fend for herself — even jumped in the lake trying to make a getaway!
I alibied and tried to explain that I had merely taken a step or two back in order to plan our defense. You know, just in case there were two hissing, one-eyed, slimy green mossy-type monsters to contend with.
I must admit though, my pants did get a little wet!
To Be Continued...