Gigantosaurus
Giant Bullfrogs Trigger Memories of St. Regis Pond
I was out in my Monroe Wildlife Area for my mid morning walk when a creature lurking in one of my ponds made me stop in my tracks. It was a gigantic bullfrog, at least five inches long. As it sat there contentedly in the water at pond’s edge, it appeared in overall size to be about as big around as a saucer.
I spotted another such bullfrog eariler this year in about the same spot. I’d tried to get a photo of that one, but it was wary and I missed my shot.
I raced back to the house for my camera, hoping for better results this time. Whe I returned I approached with great caution. Before my quarry sensed my presence and escaped to pond bottom safety I managed to successfully capture one image.
Immediately transported, I felt like a kid again. I hadn’t seen bullfrogs that big since family summer canoe camping expeditions into St. Regis Pond back when I was a boy growing up.
My overall recollection of those family canoe camping trips is a bit hazy at this point. That was over half a century ago. I was eleven or twelve at the time.
We had a pair of aluminum Grumman canoes, one a fourteen foot four man canoe, the other a twelve foot two man version. I still have both of them. Dad pintle mounted oar locks on the smaller one at some point. I camouflage painted it. It now serves as my Zen boat.
I remember crossing Little Clear Pond, fishing gear reluctantly but dutifully stowed, fantasizing about the size of the trout that must have been swimming around in there right under us. Dad manned the big Grumman with my younger brother. I shared paddling duties in the smaller canoe with my mother.
We had fishing gear, backpacks, Dad’s camp axe and bow saw, a small cooler of food, a Coleman lantern, cookstove, red & white Coleman water jug, two “stakeless” mountain tents, one two-man, one four-man, the two canoes, paddles, lifejackets…
I remember the canoe carry from Little Clear to Green Pond taking FOREVER, with swamp spawned swarms of ravenous mosquitos, deerflies & blackflies. I vividly recall that part of the trip being pure misery. Doubley so because with all of that gear we had to make two trips.
But the other thing I remember, aside from Little Clear Pond being off limits to fishing and the twelve year old misery of lugging a full backpack, two canoe paddles, water jug, fishing pole, tackle box, life jacket up and downhill forever twice through that long swamp, without being able to swat or wipe the bugs away from my sweaty face because both hands were full, were the giant bullfrog polywogs we encountered once we hit Green Pond.
Bullfrog polywogs by the dozen, with heads as big as my fist. Some of them with developing legs. I’ve never seen polywogs that gargantuan anywhere else. I remember them vividly. I called my brother Ray recently and asked if he remembered them. He confirmed my memory.
Green & St. Regis ponds are the only place I recall ever seeing them. Gigantosaurus bullfrogs and polywogs. Until this moment.
I carefully circled the pondbank hoping to successfully sneak up on another. I quietly crossed a small footbridge onto the smaller of my main pond’s two islands.
While scanning the channel between the two islands my efforts were soon rewarded.
Just as I finished snapping the photo above, the giant bullfrog attacked and ate something.
It was another frog!
I’ve always known that Bullfrogs are carnivores. Until today, I never realized they were cannibals!
I guess from here forward when out wading my ponds I will exercise more caution, lest I become the next meal for a hungry Gigantosaurus bullfrog.
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Until Our Trails Cross Again:
ADKO
About The Author
rdmonroe5
Lifelong NYS resident. Raised in Saranac Lake. Cornell graduate(ROTC). Army veteran, Airborne/Ranger qualified, 10th Mtn Div, stints in Honduras and with JTF VI. 3rd degree Black Belt; 3x cancer survivor; published writer with several featured stories in Adirondack Life Magazine. Residing in Watertown NY with wife Robin & our 3 adult children. Loving Life. Living in the Day I am in.
I remember the same but without the bugs on Forked Lake. One of the boys with us that summer caught and ate frogs legs. The three burner Colman white gas stove and red & white drink cooler flashed in my memory when you mentioned them. The smell and sssssss sound of that stove. Same with the silk globe Colman lantern. My God that was a while ago! Can’t help but love you brother!! Thanks
Good morning Alan,
I’ve eaten frogs legs twice in my life. I remember ordering them in a restaurant once as a young teen for some reason. I think I ordered “escargot” too. WE were on a family trip to washington D.C. I think I was in a phase there in Washington D.C. surrounded by all that history & those politicians where I was trying to be sophisticated. (P.S.- It didn’t work.) They were very fancily prepared (the frogs legs, I mean- but I suppose that apply to the politicians as well), seasoned heavily with garlic, and quite underwhelming (actually, now that I think about it, politicans & fancy restaurant frogs legs have a great deal in common.) The second time I experienced fogs legs was more true to my Adirondack heritage. A high school friend of mine, who apparently ate them regularly, & I one day took our .22 rifles out in a canoe and went bullfrog hunting. Once we had a big bucketfull of them, we went to my house & skinned ourselves out a nice big pile of frogs legs. We cooked them in a cast iron frying pan on my mom’s stove after rolling them in flour. We cooked them in melted butter, seasoned only with pepper and salt. I remember those fresh frogs legs hopping a bit in the pan, much like a bullhead will if cooked right after its caught. Those frogs legs were really good. Slightly muddy perhaps, tasted somewhat like bullhead too. Anyways, thanks for the read, check-in and comments. Always greatly appreciated. Until next time, be well.
I remember summers visiting my grandfather’s lake-side camp in Maine back in the early 70s. One time, when i was 11 or 12, i was exploring around the water and I found 2 frogs facing each other, about a foot apart maybe. And then they both leapt, and the big one caught the smaller one in its mouth! Same as your pic – just the legs sticking out. Seems funny now, but I admit, it scared me a little back then. I’ve sometimes even wondered – “did i really see that?” Well, that pic brought it all back – i sure did.
Good morning John,
I had an Uncle who lived in Maine. My father’s brother “Uncle Jim.” He was a Navy veteran, and a sailor. He had his own sailboat moored on the ocean. He lived up near Gray. We visited there several times, my parents even one time took my brother and I camping somewhere up near there. I don’t have any Maine bullfrog stories, but one afternoon when my brother and I were down by the shore exploring, we went in the water, turned over some rocks, and managed to catch ourselves a few little lobsters. We were, of course, being north country boys, both expert crayfish hunters. When we took them back to camp to show my parents, my dad got all excited “Oh! Fresh chicken lobsters!” He said. “Go catch me some more of them!” My mom got a big pot full of boiling water going on our Coleman stove. I think my brother and I ended up getting about half a dozen of them little lobsters. Likely highly illegal. Which is doubly funny because my Dad was the Region 5 NYSDEC Regional Director at the time. It was a lesson I learned that day- apparently one’s role in making and enforcing environmental regulations ends at the state line. Probably contributed in no small way to my life as an Adirondack Outlaw. Anyways, thanks for the read, check-in & comments. Always great to hear from you.
Hi Allen, I remember when NYS DEC opened Little Tupper Lake all those years ago. There were 6 of us paddling. We stopped at one of the rock edges of a campsite to have lunch. Along came the biggest white bullfrog we had all ever seen. Bugger then a large, tall man’s hand. It was HUGE! One companion paddler freaked abit when this white bullfrog hopped right over to her. She quickly moved as this was his/her home. We’ve been back to Little Tupper Lake I’d say over 30 trips and have NEVER seen any white bullfrogs again! I said it then…a restaurant is going to come in here and poach the white bullfrogs up unless Allen , your gigantasaurus bullfrogs ate them all.
That’s a cool story. I’ve never seen a white bullfrog. Thank you for sharing.