Catching frogs can be a fun activity to do in the summer. Frogs are also excellent to eat. It is a prey that requires attention and strategy to be captured and is not dangerous. Remember to respect your prey by treating it gently.
Steps
Step 1. Find the natural habitat of the frogs
These amphibians tend to stay near lakes, ponds, streams, rivers. They live sheltered under the trees or in the middle of the vegetation, for example among the vine leaves, where the current is less strong. Frogs croak in a very recognizable way.
Step 2. Choose your tools
Frogs can also be caught with your bare hands, but you can use the following items:
- A net (like those for fish). Better to use a longer shaft.
- A harpoon: a trident with very sharp teeth for stabbing prey.
- A flashlight - the more powerful, the better. If you hunt at night, you can use a flashlight to push the frogs wherever you want.
- Hook and Line: Usually a fly lure is used to imitate the insect. The frog bites and is easily caught.
- A container: If you need to transport your prey, choose the container. A large plastic bucket may be fine, but it must have a lid, especially for stronger frogs like bullfrogs, otherwise the prey will run away. A bait bucket is suitable.
- If you decide to keep the frogs for some time, you will need suitable accommodation. An aquarium with a lid is ideal. Remember that a frog can pry the lid open and come out if it is not closed tightly.
Step 3. Go hunting for frogs
When moving around their habitat, move slowly and quietly. Stop every now and then and see if there is any movement on the shore or in the water.
Step 4. Follow the prey
When you find a frog, keep moving silently and at a slow pace. Frogs react to your movements. You could also come close to a prey. Try to catch it using the blind spot behind them. Remember: the frog will jump away at the first sign of danger!
Step 5. Get ready to catch her
After slowly approaching, prepare to attack to get her. Bend your legs and get ready to jump forward (like cats do). You will probably only have one chance.
If you are scaring a frog with the flashlight, try to blind it. If you point the light directly into her eyes, they will reflect the light. Once blinded it will be easier to catch
Step 6. Use the hook and line technique
If you are trying to lure a frog with a bait, place it right in front of the frog and make it move like an insect. Be patient, frogs don't usually take the bite right away.
Step 7. Grab the frog firmly but gently
After you grab it, squeeze it as hard as you hold a bar of soap in your hand.
Step 8. Hold it correctly in your hand
Take her by the thighs, holding them together. This position reduces the chances of injury for the animal, also making it difficult to escape.
Step 9. Be nice to your new friend
Now that you've captured her, treat her in a humane way.
- Bullfrogs rarely live in captivity, even if you give them the proper food, a good environment, and everything in between. They usually refuse to eat. The only option is to provide them with an outdoor pond of a certain size.
- If you choose to keep it for a while (a week at most), prepare an appropriate habitat. It must be moist, cool and not directly exposed to the sun. You have to protect its habitat from dogs, cats, wild predators and small children. If you want to free the frog, return it to the place where you caught it. Put it back close to where you got it, so that the habitat looks familiar.
Advice
- Frogs dive underwater when they are scared, so try to catch them with a net.
- Use insect repellent when hunting for frogs, as they prefer environments filled with mosquitoes, fleas and midges.
- Larger frogs, such as bullfrogs, live longer than small ones and are therefore usually smarter.
- It is always easier to catch frogs on land than in water, with or without a net.
- Don't catch a frog by grabbing it by the legs, you risk breaking them.
- They are most active animals at dusk and dawn. They usually stay in the shade during the day.
- They don't have a good memory. If you fail, try again after a few hours.
- Remember that frogs have small, almost invisible teeth that can hurt those with delicate skin. Their bite feels like a light pinch.
- Some scream when they are in danger. The scream sounds like a baby's cry. If your prey exhibits this behavior, release it immediately. She will be very scared.
- Don't take your dog on a frog hunt. Dogs just scare away the aquatic fauna.
Warnings
- Make sure the frog species you are hunting is not protected by your country's laws.
- Don't put sunscreen or insect repellent on your hands. It will make them slippery and can harm the frogs, who absorb the chemicals contained in these products through their skin.
- When hunting, respect private property and off-limits areas.
- Learn about protected and dangerous species in your area.
- Watch out for sharp rocks, branches, shards of glass, or scrap metal.
- There may be snakes near the frogs, so be careful. There may be poisonous species.
