I learned a few tricks for catching
frogs when I was a kid, at
the cottage. I learned some of them from my cousin, and some I learned on my own. I thought I’d share.
The most obvious way to catch a frog is to spot one in a pond and
snatch it really quickly, before it can jump away. This method is 50/50. Usually the frog will see you coming and dive before you get your hand closed around it.
Frogs track
prey and predators by watching their movements. Still objects like grass and water do not pose a threat. Therefore, something moving should be given some attention. With this in mind, the best way to catch a frog with your bare hands is to distract it and snatch it.
Slowly approach the frog and crouch down in range to grab it. Now, extend your off hand (the left for most people) and keep it at least 18 inches away from the frog. Wiggle your fingers in front of the frog, giving it a moving target/prey to pay attention to. Don’t move them too much, just enough that the frog will recognise something is moving.
Experience counts.
Now, with your good hand, slowly reach in behind the frog and grab him at your leisure. Actually you should grab him up as quickly as you can, because the frog will pay attention to the
closest moving object first. The frog will be so attracted to your moving hand that (usually) you can grab it from behind easily.
Frogs will instinctively exhale and try to make themselves as small as possible, often crouching into the mud or vegetation they’re sitting it. Keep this in mind when you make your grab. Take a handful of mud and grass if you need to.
Frogs are pretty hardy and you won’t likely hurt it.
Now, the above description is applicable to Beaver Cleaver and 5-year-olds who want to use the frog to the scare their sister. However, if you’re a fisher-person (PC, that’s me) then here’s another (less humane) method to snatch up some bait.
Frogs are carnivores. They’re even cannibals when it suits them. Therefore, you can bait and catch a frog just like a fish. Bait a hook with a worm or bug and dangle it in front of the frog. Hit it in the snout with the bait if you have to. The frog will strike and you’ve got bait. Remove it and hook it through the backbone and you’re ready for some dawn/dusk fishing.
It’s usually the larger (older) frogs that will strike at a baited hook, so this technique is also very useful if you’re looking to nab some frogs for a meal.
And keep in mind that frogs are cannibals. If you decide to keep your smaller catch in the same bucket as the larger, they may "disappear" over time.
Node what you know