Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

PRATT, KS --(Ammoland.com)- As the old song goes, “Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine…”

Well, no one’s planning on eating Jeremiah, but he’d probably make some mighty fine fry. And for those who think viewing bullfrogs as drinking buddies is absurd, they’re right. But hunting them is a great way to beat the summer heat in the cool of the night with a fun outdoor adventure for young and old alike.

And the resulting table fare will make the most hardcore “oldies” fan get up and dance. So get ready to boogie; the season begins July 1.

Bullfrog hunting, or “frogging,” as many people call it, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors after days have sweltered close to 100 degrees through much of June. The freedom of summer nights beckons with the call of the bullfrog in July. At this time, shorts and a T-shirt are all that’s needed to cool off in the water and pursue this popular quarry.

Froggers enjoy a season that runs July 1 through Oct. 31 although most frogging activity is in the hotter months of July and August. The daily creel limit is eight, with a possession limit of 24. While bullfrogs may be taken by hook and line, dip net, gig, bow and arrow, or crossbow (firearms not allowed), many froggers prefer to take them by hand. All that’s needed is a flashlight or headlamp, a mesh sack, an old pair of tennis shoes, and some stealth. The only other necessary ingredient is access to a local pond, lake, or stream. A valid fishing license is needed, if required by law.

The best method is to walk quietly through the water at night and shine a bright light along the bank until a pair of glowing eyes appear. Temporarily blinded by the light, frogs can be grabbed or netted.

The fruits of this effort are not only fun times but good food. Frog legs are regarded as a delicacy and have a taste and texture resembling a cross of shrimp and fish. A popular way to cook them is to dip the legs in egg and then into a mixture of flour and corn meal, seasoning salt, and pepper. Then the legs are fried to a golden brown in oil.

This gourmet meal is a bonus to a great summer evening that both kids and adults will always remember.

Add a great old Three Dog Night song written by Hoyt Axton, and you’ll be singing “joy to the world.”

Michigan’s Frog and Toad Survey Begins 16th Year

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- This year marks the sixteenth year for the annual Michigan frog and toad survey compiled by the Department of Natural Resources with help from volunteers around the state.

Declining populations of frog, toads and other amphibians have been documented worldwide since the 1980s. Studies suggest amphibians are disappearing due to habitat loss, pollution, disease, and collection.

Michigan’s annual survey efforts help biologists keep tabs on frog and toad abundance and distribution in the state.

“We have collected a large, valuable data set to help us evaluate the condition of Michigan’s frog and toad populations,” said Lori Sargent, the DNR’s survey coordinator.

The surveys are conducted by volunteer observers along a statewide system of permanent survey routes, each consisting of 10 wetland sites. These sites are visited three times during the spring when frogs and toads are actively breeding. Observers listen for calling frogs and toads at each site, identify the species present, and make an estimate of abundance.

“We need new volunteers in all parts of the state. Please consider joining us every spring for a fun, educational opportunity and run a route. The continued success of the program is dependent on strong volunteer support,” said Sargent.

Interested persons should contact Sargent by e-mail at SargentL@michigan.gov or phone at 517-373-9418.

More information on the Frog and Toad Survey and other projects supported by the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Fund is available on the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/nongamewildlife.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

North American Amphibian Monitoring Program

Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife

DOVER, Delaware --(Ammoland.com)- The sound of frogs calling in the night is more than just a sign of spring’s arrival.

Frog calls can also be an important way to determine where different species live and how populations are doing over time – and many scientists now believe keeping track of these small amphibians can provide valuable information about our natural world.

“Frogs, toads and other amphibians have received more attention over the last few years as scientists and the public have become increasingly alarmed over amphibian declines and deformities. Because amphibians are aquatic for at least part of their life cycle, they can serve as important indicators of water quality and other aspects of environmental health,” said Holly Niederriter, a wildlife biologist with the Delaware Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.

Concern over declines in amphibian populations has prompted the initiation of amphibian monitoring programs in North America and around the world, Niederriter added. The Delaware Amphibian Monitoring Project (DAMP) is our local chapter of a national effort called the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program.

This spring, DAMP is seeking volunteers to conduct surveys of calling frogs around the state. Volunteers with DAMP are assigned a route in one portion of the state, and they conduct surveys by listening for calling frogs at stops along the route, where they record the species they hear and general number of frogs calling. A number of routes have yet to be assigned in Delaware, particularly in Sussex and Kent counties.

An orientation meeting will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10 at the St. Jones Reserve in Dover, with a training CD and other information to be provided. Potential volunteers need to have a car, access to the internet and be willing to conduct surveys along a roadside at night. After volunteers learn the calls of Delaware’s 16 frog species, they conduct three nighttime surveys between February and July each year. Each survey takes between two to three hours, not including drive time to the start point. This is a long-term project and is best suited for volunteers who are able to commit to conducting surveys for at least a few years.

To find out more about volunteering for DAMP, please contact Vickie Henderson or Lauren Johnson, Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, at 302-735-8651 or via e-mail Vickie.Henderson@state.de.us or Lauren.Johnson@state.de.us. Preregistration for the orientation is encouraged but not required. Information is also available by visiting the national project website, www.pwrc.usgs.gov/naamp/.

DAMP was started in 1997 and is part of the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP), which helps to coordinate similar efforts in other states and provinces. The program is funded by donations to the Nongame and Endangered Species Fund on the Delaware state income tax form. You can donate all or a portion of your state tax refund to keep frogs singing in Delaware.

Frog Listener Volunteers Answer Call To Help Survey Frogs Across Georgia

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

FORSYTH, Ga. --(Ammoland.com)- Sarah Barlow had a small problem. She had a deep knowledge and interest in frogs and toads, including two wildlife degrees focused on herps and a thesis exploring frogs’ use of restored wetlands.

But the former city of Savannah environmental planner had no place to apply that experience.

“I had all these strong (frog) identification skills that I wasn’t able to use,” Barlow said.

The answer: NAAMP. Developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program is an international study investigating the distribution and relative abundance of amphibians across the continent. NAAMP depends on frog-savvy volunteers who monitor local listening routes three times a year.

Barlow signed up last year. She contacted Georgia NAAMP coordinator John Jensen of the state Department of Natural Resources, practiced her frog-ID skills and passed the required online quiz. She even drove her rural, 10-mile route near Glennville beforehand, checking out the habitat at the set listening sites.

Barlow then squeezed the two hours-plus it took per survey into her already hectic schedule. The result is what she described as “a very relaxing way to spend the evening.”

Considering the fieldwork she did in Louisiana for her thesis, “This was a lot tamer than being in the middle of a bayou on a four-wheeler,” Barlow said laughing. “This was country club frogging!”

Enjoyable and vital. Frogs can serve as sentinels of environmental change. Many frogs and other amphibians are high-priority species in Georgia’s Wildlife Action Plan, a comprehensive strategy that guides DNR efforts to conserve biological diversity. NAAMP monitoring data is analyzed for patterns of amphibian decline, stability or increase on local and wider levels.

Jensen, a senior wildlife biologist with the DNR’s Nongame Conservation Section, said more surveys are needed to pinpoint trends in Georgia. 2011 marks only the fourth year of the state’s involvement. But the immediate payback has included volunteers identifying lesser-known frogs in areas the species had not been documented before, Jensen said.

He’s hoping for more volunteers for 2011. Forty-five of the state’s 73 routes were covered this year. Most of the unassigned routes are in south Georgia.

Jensen suggested would-be volunteers assess their frog identification abilities, then contact him by e-mail, john.jensen@dnr.state.ga.us, or phone at the Nongame Conservation Section office in Forsyth, (478) 994-1438. The first listening window next year opens Jan. 15.

Barlow is now a naturalist at Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens. She plans to look for a 2011 route closer to home. But she will be putting her frog skills back into play, calling the citizen-powered NAAMP surveys “important work to be done.”

Georgians can help conserve amphibians and other nongame wildlife, native plants and natural habitats through buying a wildlife license plate featuring a bald eagle or a ruby-throated hummingbird. They can also donate to the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund through the state income tax checkoff, online at www.georgiawildlife.com (click “Donate the Nongame Wildlife Conservation Fund”) and in other ways.

Contributions are vital to the Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame Conservation Section. The section receives no state general funds for its mission to help conserve wildlife not legally hunted, fished for or trapped, as well as rare plants and natural habitats in Georgia.

For more information, go to www.georgiawildlife.com/node/338, or call Nongame Conservation Section offices in Social Circle (770-761-3035), Forsyth (478-994-1438) or Brunswick (912-264-7218). State income tax forms are available online at https://etax.dor.ga.gov/.

LEND AN EAR
Hone your skills at one of the following websites, or buy a copy of the CD “Calls of the Wild – Vocalizations of Georgia’s Frogs” from DNR, (478) 994-1438. (The $15.36 cost per CD goes to the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund.) ** jcmaerz.myweb.uga.edu/lab/GANAAMP/index.htm ** wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/GAFrog.Toad.html ** www.ugapress.org/index.php (search for “Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia”)

NAAMP NEWCOMERS
Gauge your frog identification skills before volunteering. (Deciphering species when multiple frogs are calling is where it gets a little tricky, Jensen said.) If unsure, first try the public quiz at NAAMP. ** Don’t be daunted. While Georgia has more than 30 frog and toad species, all are not heard on one route. Barlow said she heard, on average, about eight kinds. She advises practicing, plus previewing your route. ** Expect a reward. One, the work helps monitor impacts of habitat change, such as the loss of temporary wetlands. Two, as Barlow said, learning to identify wildlife by sound builds “a greater appreciation of being in the woods.”

Bullfrog Hunting Season Opens July 1

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

PRATT, KS --(Ammoland.com)- It’s already been a hot summer in the Sunflower State, and those who love outdoor activities are ready to beat the heat by pursuing bullfrogs in the cool of the night.

They’ll get their chance on July 1, when the bullfrog season begins.

Bullfrog hunting, or “frogging,” as many people call it, is a great way to beat the oppressive summer heat. With days sweltering close to 100 degrees through much of June, the freedom of summer nights beckons with the call of the bullfrog. At this time, shorts and a T-shirt are all that’s needed to cool off in the water and pursue this popular quarry.

Froggers can enjoy a season that runs July 1 through Oct. 31 although most frogging activity is in the hotter months of July and August. The daily creel limit is eight, with a possession limit of 24. While bullfrogs may be taken by hook and line, dip net, gig, bow and arrow, or crossbow (firearms not allowed), many froggers prefer to take them by hand. All that’s needed is a flashlight, a sack, an old pair of tennis shoes, and some stealth. The only other necessary ingredient is access to a local pond, lake, or stream. A valid fishing license is needed, if required by law.

The best method is to walk quietly through the water at night and shine a bright light along the bank until a pair of glowing eyes appear. Temporarily blinded by the light, frogs can be grabbed or netted.

The fruits of this effort are not only fun times but good food. Frog legs are regarded as a delicacy and have a taste and texture resembling a cross of shrimp and fish. A popular way to cook them is to dip the legs in egg and then into a mixture of flour and corn meal, seasoning salt, and pepper. Then the legs are fried to a golden brown in oil. This gourmet meal is a bonus to a great summer evening that both kids and adults will always remember.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA – -(AmmoLand.com)- In an ongoing effort to recover native Puget Sound wetland species, some 500 endangered Oregon spotted frogs were released into the wild after spending the first nine months of their lives in a captive-rearing program.

Biologists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Woodland Park Zoo, Oregon Zoo, and the U.S. Army released the frogs this fall into Dailman Lake on the Fort Lewis Military Reservation in Pierce County in a collaborative effort to return the endangered frog to a portion of its historic habitat.

The frogs, most weighing less than two ounces, were collected as fertilized eggs last spring, and “head-started” in captivity at the zoos and the Cedar Creek Corrections Center near Olympia to improve their chance of survival once they return to the wild.

The frog release is the second in a five-year collaborative effort led by WDFW to establish a self-sustaining population on the Fort Lewis site. Approximately 600 frogs reared at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and Oregon Zoo were released at the same location last year, 28 of which received radio transmitters for tracking.

This year, two Cedar Creek inmates raised a number of the young frogs through the Sustainable Prisons Project, a partnership between The Evergreen State College and the Washington State Department of Corrections that allows incarcerated men and women to participate in science-based conservation projects.

The Dailman Lake area was chosen for the reintroduction because it contains diverse wetlands that can sustain a frog population, said Jim Lynch, Fort Lewis wildlife biologist.

All of the frogs tracked last year during a radio-telemetry study appear to have survived predators.

“We were encouraged with these findings, but direct observation was limited because the frogs are very effective at concealing themselves,” Lynch said.

This year, to improve data collection, about a quarter of the released frogs will be equipped with a tiny microchip that can be scanned by a wand reader.

In 2010, biologists will begin looking for egg masses to determine if the frogs have established breeding populations.

The Oregon spotted frog historically ranged from southwestern British Columbia to northeastern California, but is now known only in Klicikitat and Thurston counties in Washington. Loss of habitat, predation by non-native species such as the American bullfrog, and disease have decimated its numbers, which prompted its listing as a Washington state endangered species in 1997.

“Frogs worldwide are known as sentinel species that play an important role in ecosystems,” said Marc Hayes, senior research scientist and project lead for WDFW. “When they disappear from their habitat, these ecosystems can be disrupted.”

The U.S. Department of the Interior recently awarded WDFW a grant to coordinate range-wide recovery projects for the Oregon spotted frog and associated species. A portion of the grant supports the Fort Lewis project.

“Restoring native wetland species such as the Oregon spotted frog and protecting habitat over broad areas are examples of an ecosystem approach that WDFW and its partners are taking to help restore the state’s biodiversity,” said Phil Anderson, WDFW director.

Partners involved in the reintroduction program at Fort Lewis include WDFW, Fort Lewis Military Reservation, Woodland Park Zoo, Oregon Zoo, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Washington State Department of Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Evergreen State College, Washington State Department of Corrections, Port Blakely Tree Farms, Washington Department of Natural Resources, NW Zoo & Aquarium Alliance, U.S Geological Survey, Mountain View Conservation & Breeding Centre and The Nature Conservancy.

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

PRATT, KS – -(AmmoLand.com)- Bullfrogs have been bellowing from farm ponds, streams, and lakes since the Kansas weather warmed up, and many campers and anglers are anxious to target a few of these amphibious “tubas” and put some fine eating on the table. They’ll get their chance on July 1, when the bullfrog season begins.

Bullfrog hunting, or “frogging,” as many people call it, is a great way to beat the heat on a sweltering Kansas summer night. With days running 100 degrees or more in late June this year, many outdoor enthusiasts have been staying close to the air conditioning, but the freedom of summer nights beckons with the call of the bullfrog. At this time, shorts and a T-shirt are all that’s needed to cool off in the water and pursue this popular quarry.

Froggers can enjoy a season that runs July 1 through Oct. 31 although most frogging activity is in the hotter months of July and August. The daily creel limit is eight, with a possession limit of 24. A valid fishing license is required, and while bullfrogs may be taken by hook and line, dip net, gig, bow and arrow, or crossbow (firearms not allowed), many froggers prefer to take them by hand. All that’s needed is a flashlight, a sack, an old pair of tennis shoes, and some stealth. The only other necessary ingredient is access to a local pond, lake, or stream.

The best method is to walk quietly through the water at night and shine a bright light along the bank until a pair of glowing eyes appear. Temporarily blinded by the light, frogs can be grabbed or netted.

The fruits of this effort are not only fun times but good food. Frog legs are regarded as a delicacy and have a taste and texture resembling a cross of shrimp and fish. A popular way to cook them is to dip the legs in egg and then into a mixture of flour and corn meal, seasoning salt, and pepper. Then the legs are fried to a golden brown in about 1/2 inch of oil. This gourmet meal is a bonus to a great summer evening that both kids and adults will always remember.

About:
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is a cabinet-level agency with a Secretary appointed by the Governor. A seven-member, bipartisan commission, also appointed by the Governor, advises the Secretary and approves regulations governing outdoor recreation and fish and wildlife resources in Kansas. The commission conducts business during regular public sessions.