It’s the middle of the night, and Christine Hibler and Scott Boyd are getting ready to trudge through a marsh outside St. Charles. The water is eerily calm, a sign that the nighttime frog hunt could be disappointing.
“We’ve got a fish basket, a couple of gigs and headlamps right now and we’re ready to go,” Boyd said. “Hopefully we can find some. They’re very quiet at the moment, which isn’t good.”
Every summer, thousands of Missourians spend their nights hunting frogs. They use long poles with three-pronged spears – called gigs – to catch them. Boyd works for the Missouri Department of Conservation and teaches people how to properly hunt frogs. While some use guns or fishing rods, environmental educator Boyd says gigging is the most popular method.
Sophie Proe
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St. Louis Public Radio
“The great thing about frog fishing is that you don’t need a lot of equipment or a lot of skill,” Boyd said. “You can learn it really quickly.”
The concert season began at sunset on June 30. Hibler, a conservation officer, had to work on opening day, but she’s making up for it now. Boyd follows her as Hibler stalks the marsh in waders. She scans the water and pauses when the dark eyes of a bullfrog light up in the light of her flashlight.
“I have one,” Hibler whispered.
Since Boyd is closer, he pushes the gig into the frog’s head.
“Oh, he’s a big one!” said Hibler.
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Boyd dropped the “edible” frog into a metal basket and continued into the water. None of the hunters caught another frog that evening. Instead, they will thaw last season’s frog legs for dinner.
Boyd spreads mustard and breadcrumbs the skinned legs. The pairs of legs are cooked in a portable fryer near the hunting area.
“The beauty of hunting and fishing is that you can share your kill,” Hibler said during last month’s hunt. “We went on a little weekend with some friends and brought frog legs… half the people had never had them before and they loved them.”
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Despite this tradition that spans generations, Hibler has noticed a decline in frog hunting recently. Still, 17-year-old Tucker Lawson of Potosi looks forward to frog season every year.
“That’s all I’ve ever done,” he said. “You never really know what’s going to happen. It’s just different every time.”
He learned how to fish and cook frogs from his mother, Melissa Lawson. For her, it’s more about the family recipe than the hunt.
“When I was little, I would go out and catch these frogs,” Melissa said. “My mother … had a lot of iron pans. She would heat them up with lard and make the batter. My goodness, when she was done, we had a whole slab, a labor of love.”
Sophie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Fried frog is a staple on the menu at Hodak’s Restaurant in St. Louis. Although the frogs aren’t native to the area’s wetlands, they’re a staple for regular customers.
“When they eat it for the first time, they ask a lot of questions about frog legs,” says Hodak’s manager Tina Duka. “But once they eat it, they know. A lot of people say frog legs look like chicken… and taste like chicken.”
But for Boyd, frog fishing offers more than just a meal.
Susie Proe
/
St. Louis Public Radio
“It’s definitely baked into the culture,” Boyd said. “It feels very holistic. The choices you make are ethical choices to put food on the table. You can feel good about what you’ve done.”
In winter, the swamps of Missouri become quiet because the hunting season ends at sunset on October 31. When the weather warms up in May, the croaking calls start again, telling the season’s hunters the most promising spots.
