Where's Kermit?
ZELIENOPLE — Each year, just before Horse Trading Days, he can be seen slowly descending into in the murky ponds of Jackson Township late at night, well after his unsuspecting prey have closed their eyes against the comforting light of a half moon.
But R.J. Volz always returns the frogs to their natural habitat unharmed.
Volz, a
businessman from Evans City, has been catching the “rental frogs” for Horse Trading Days' annual frog jumping contest for the past five years.Along with childhood friend Todd Nelson, Volz buckles up his chest waders and grabs a flashlight, plastic bin, butterfly net and frog-themed ballcap before slipping into one of several local ponds to
harvest startled amphibians.The slimy mission is always carried out the night before the contest. The next day, children without a frog of their own can choose one of Volz's from a cooler.Following their unintentional workout, the frogs are set free.“It's just a little something I do for the community,” Volz said.Volz's childhood pastime has become a sort of competition between he and Nelson, whose sons now accompany them on their late-night excursions.Volz has the hunt down to a science, and begins by slipping silently into the mucky pond of his choice with his flashlight and net in hand. A successful hunt first entails getting into the heads of the hunted.“You have to be quiet because the frogs might think you're a snake or snapping turtle coming to eat them,” Volz said.The waterproof chest waders protect him from the chilly, scummy pond water.“You don't want to feel that muck and everything else between your toes,” Volz said.Once immersed, he listens for the loud croaking specific to large bullfrogs, and then shines the flashlight in the direction of the noise. A quick flip of the wrist places the frogs inside the net, then they go on to the plastic holding bin.Volz said a startled frog may leap into the water and swim to the opposite side, where the experienced hunter tracks them down and catches them.Volz and his young son, who caught a few on his first frog foray last year, will visit as many ponds as necessary to catch 15 to 20 specimens.“If it's muggy and there are a lot of bugs, you can catch 15 to 20,” Volz said. “Last year, we only went to one site because it was a good honey hole for frogs.”He said there are several mishaps that can spoil a hunt, including losing his balance and submerging the holding bin, which can liberate the frogs and necessitate a whole new hunt.He said securing the bin's lid tightly is also paramount, as a large bullfrog can lift the lid and escape, followed by all the other frogs. The big frogs eating the little frogs and the holding bin floating into deep water are also concerns.“You don't' want your waders full of water,” Volz advised.Volz takes the frogs to the frog-jumping contest the next day, and frogless children can choose the specimen of their choice. He said one never knows which frogs will prove the most energetic once placed at the starting line.“Sometimes you hit it in the butt and it still won't move.”Karen Huebner of Economy, Beaver County, assists with the contest each year. She said the frog-jumping contest has remained the most popular kids' game for the entire seven to 10 years of its existence.Huebner said the contest attracts about 75 kids annually, many of whom have a frog of their own that they've been grooming for the contest all year. As explained by Volz, those without a frog can choose a “rental frog” from the cooler.She said frogs are placed at the starting line, and are encouraged to jump three times. Officials then measure the distance from the line to the third hop. The frogs are tested one at a time.She said medals are awarded for longest jump, shortest jump, smallest frog and largest frog.“They are weighed on the official scale,” Huebner said. “And the smallest ones have to be frogs, they can't be tadpoles.”Huebner recalled that a huge African frog easily crushed his puny North American competition last year in the largest-frog and longest-jump categories.She said the excitement of the kids and their pride in their frogs are the reasons she keeps coming back to officiate at the contest.And Huebner stresses no amphibians are harmed in the contest, which takes about an hour and a half.“We've never lost a frog, he said.”The frog jumping contest will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday in the Walgreens parking lot on Zelienople's Main Street.For information or registration, visit www.horsetradingdays.info.Horse Trading Days runs July 14 to 16 in downtown Zelienople and in Northgate Plaza.
