170 THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



that the hunting and fishing, aside from the commercial industry, is 

 worth annually over $5,000,000 to the business interests of Oregon. 

 The transportation companies derive more than an average proportion 

 of this amount. On them the sportsmen must depend for transporta- 

 tion to and from their field of sport. 



From what I have said it is seen that every phase of the distribu- 

 tion of both the commercial and game fish of our state is accomplished 

 without any charge from those who do the final work of planting. In 

 concluding, I want to express my belief that with a better understand- 

 ing of conditions the transportation companies of the state will in the 

 future be equally as good sportsmen as they have in the past. I have 

 a firm faith that this belief will not be misplaced. 



THE EDIBLE BULL FROG. 



By Warden I. B. Hazeltine. 



Some twenty-three years ago a Frenchman, residing on a ranch 

 near Boise, Ida., imported a number of the large edible specie of frog from 

 France and planted them in a pond which he had prepared on his place. 

 They multiplied very rapidly and he thereby added a very economical 

 dish to his table, which it is needless to say was not envied by the 

 native population at that time. During the flood season one year his 

 dam gave way and the frogs were liberated in a tributary of the Boise 

 River and are now plentiful in the sloughs and ponds tributary to this 

 and the Payette River, and also in those of the Shake River as far 

 north as Weiser, I believe. 



The people, however, have gradually gotten over their aversion to 

 the frogs and now esteem them as a great delicacy for the table. Only 

 the hind legs are eaten, but as the bodies of the larger ones sometimes 

 attain a total length of over 11 inches, this member would compare 

 favorably in size to that of a chicken. 



Frog hunting is considered as great sport in the above named 

 section as trout angling is in other parts of the state. The method used 

 in taking them is to either use a 22 calibre rifle, or angle for them 

 with a long pole fitted with hook and line and baited with a small 

 piece of red flannel, which is lowered over their heads. I have been 

 informed that it is common for one of the larger ones to jump at least 

 a foot into the air to grab it. As great caution must be used in getting 

 close to the big ones as is used in trying for the old and wary trout, 

 and the person catching the largest specimen of the day feels just as 

 proud as you or I when we have put it over on the other fellow just 

 a little in the length of the Rainbow taken during the day's angling. 



In going over my territory I had noticed many slousrhs and ponds 

 which were worthless from a sportsman's point of view, and so far 

 as stocking with edible fish was concerned, and having heard of this 

 specie of amphibia I determined to take the matter up with the Fish 

 and Game Commission and see if I would not be permitted to intro- 

 duce them in my district, which comprises Grant and Baker counties 

 in Eastern Oregon. The Commission did not have the necessary funds 

 for this purpose at this time, but gave me permission to go to Idaho 

 after them if I could arrange elsewhere for the expense. This I did, 

 through the rod and gun clubs of my territory, and was successful 

 finally in liberating some 30 dozen tadpoles and about six dozen of 

 the fully developed frogs. Of course I cannot give any definite report 



