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Murray prepares for night of frog gigging
Published Sunday, June 8, 2008
NATCHEZ — When the sun goes down and the frogs start croaking, on a boat with his friends is where Joe Murray finds his greatest pleasure.
For 25 years, two or three times a month, Joe Murray loads up his boat with all gear necessary for a serious frog hunt.
When The Dart landed on St. Charles Avenue, Murray was outside hosing off his johnboat in preparation for his frog hunt.
Photo by Steve VanGunda
Joe Murray with the help of his sons Conner, 7, and Cooper, 9, demonstrates the proper way of gigging a frog Thursday afternoon in front of their house.
Murray and two of his friends were going to trek out into the dark bayous of Louisiana for that night’s kill.
Working together as a three-part-well oiled machine, one person mans the boat, the other snags the amphibians and the other one skins and cleans those captured on the spot.
“We skin them right there,” Murray said. “It’s just like cleaning fish.”
Murray said two things are uncertain when going out frogging.
First is the size of the haul.
“You may catch 100,” he said.
It is typical however to catch between 50 and 60.
The second uncertainty is the things that can be seen in the still murky waters or on the dark banks.
“You see a lot of neat things,” Murray said.
One time he and his friend scooped a baby alligator out of the water and took its picture before releasing it.
Another time they saw an alligator they didn’t want their hands anywhere near.
“Some you see out there are as big as this boat,” Murray said while pointing at his 14-foot boat.
He said when the big ones submerge right before the boat glides over he gets nervous, hoping they don’t pop out of the water as they go across.
Murray said they also see a lot of deer.
“Once we pulled up on an eight-point right on the bank,” he said.
Murray said he’s always ready with his camera and has a whole collection of photos from his hunts.
Murray usually just goes with his friends, his oldest son Cooper, 9, is not a big fan of frog hunting.
It’s more up his 7-year-old son Conner’s alley.
“This is my outdoorsmen,” he said referring Conner. “He’s the go-getter.”
When the hunt, which begins around 9 p.m. and lasts until around 2 a.m., is over, the frogs eventually find their way into many stomachs — not just Murray’s.
“To be honest, I’ll keep and cook some for myself but I give most of them away,” he said.
It’s the sport he enjoys the most.
“I just like getting out there and catching them,” he said.
Comments
Posted by quest (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 7:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This brings back memories of when I would go frog-gigging with my daddy way back when. Yummy! Frog legs - it's been a long time since I had some.
Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 9:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know this man. He can smell a bullfrog 1 mile off, and gig em in the dark with his eyes closed.
Posted by generoberts (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good story!
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 1:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I was eatin' frog legs when it wasn't cool to do so. It was food for my family and daddy kept us well fed, fishing, hunting and growing our own veggies. I really miss crawfishing the bar-pits on the levee. Guess those days are gone forever.
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 2:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Froggie went a'courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh, uh-huh.
Froggie went a'courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh.
Froggie went a'courtin' and he did ride,
Till Joe Murray ate him fried, uh-huh, uh-huh.
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on June 9, 2008 at 3:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Jeremiah was a bullfrog, he was good friend of mine.
I never understood a single word he said but I helped him drink
his wine. He always had some mighty fine wine. Sing it, Joy to the
world...all the boys and girls now , joy to the fishies in the deep blue sea and joy to you and me."
I used to fish at night on a bridge at White Oak Lake in AR and listen to this song.
As for the frog gigging, I did that back in my day. My brother-in-law and I would walk the old oil field roads and gig frogs in the bar pits.
Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 4:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Joe, you should post some of your pictures on the Natchez Scene website. I'm interested in seeing some of your photos. I love looking at wildlife, but looking for it...that's a different story.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My brother used to go gigging. If he brought them home alive I would "rescue" them. I never could eat one then, but I sure can now.
Posted by notfromnatchez (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 9:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What the hell is giggin' frogs?
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 9:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
gigging frogs = stabbing frogs
I've never done it, but it must be tons of fun.
Posted by momof3 (anonymous) on June 9, 2008 at 11:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A "gig" is a set of "claws" on the end of a pole that close around the frogs body and hold him until you open the "claws" and remove the frog. I spent many nights with my father, brother and cousins looking for and catching frogs. It also was pretty cool to go listen to the beagles chase the raccoons out of the corn field and up a tree on a hot summer evening. Lots of treasured memories and many years ago...
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