Got someone who emailed this to me, asking if I knew anything about it. Called it a "snake stopper". I've never seen anything like it, but me being a northern boy, we don't have much call for snake stoppers. The only real snakes around my parents house are garter snakes, and the worst they do is poo on you if you handle them too rough.
Looks wicked though, doesn't it? I've got to assume that whatever it was meant to catch, it wasn't supposed to live.
That, friend, is an illegal "frog gig". It is normally stuck on the end of a ten-foot pole. In the dark, wearing a headlight, one spots a bullfrog by his glowing eyes, eases up to within ten feet, extends the stick with the cocked open gig up to the frog, gives a quick thrust, and SNAP!, the frog is in the bag.
ReplyDeleteBy state law, the prongs of the gig cannot be sharpened (as this one is) so as to pierce the frog's tender skin.
Well, alrighty then! Thanks for the info. I'll pass the information on.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mostly Cajun:
ReplyDeleteMy son, "Hogdogs" to you, said that it was an illegal frog gig when we found it all rusted up in an old barn. I loosened it up, got it to work, and think it may do well as a Snake Stopper, since I have no big ol' Bullfrogs around here to chase. As rusty as it is, I bet a 4 foot Diamondback would twist the shit out of it.
Ragin' Dave: Thanks for putting it out for others to see, that helped.
Nuf Sed
The first time I saw one of those was on Lac La Ronge, in northern Saskatchewan on a fishing trip in the mid 50's. It was somewhat larger and was called a gaff. Not like the gaff hook but very effective at getting a big Northern in the boat. So much for catch and release. It was deadly. I think they would be great to have on border patrol.
ReplyDeleteCHILIDOG:
ReplyDelete"I think they would be great to have on border patrol."
I like that application. After kicking it around, asking Dave what it may be, and such, I have to agree with the Frog Gig application. The one pictured lived in the rafters of our barn and was really rusted up. I cleaned it up, freed it up, and got it working. I bet a 4 foot Diamondback would really raise hell with this rusty one, but I would still stick one with it. Gotta get to work making the pattern so my welder/machinist buddy can make one suitable for down on the Arizona border.
It would also work for jerking dumbass politicians out of DC, wouldn't it?
Thanks Y'all for your comments and ideas on its application.
Nuf Sed