Guides/Frog Pond Camp Guide

Applicable for The End is Nigh! Update

Sometimes when starting out finding pigs or beefalos can be a problem. There is an alternative way to set up camp if you happen to find frog ponds. Frogs can be killed with the basic trap just like rabbits but they have several advantages:
 * They don't run away when you get close and if they aggro they can be led into a trap.
 * Several frogs can spawn from one pond and the ponds are often very close to each other.
 * Frogs count as monsters so killing them is not naughty. You can hunt as many as you want without fear of Krampus.

Finding frog ponds
What you need to look for when starting out are the blue ponds with green border that spawn in the grassland biome. In my experience there is always a cobblestone road crossing the grasslands with many ponds close together so following a cobblestone road when exploring might be a good idea. A single pond can be used but won't spawn enough frogs to be your only food source.

Setting up camp
If you find a good spot, set up camp far enough away that you won't be bothered by the frogs during the day. You also want good access to grass and twigs so you can keep making new traps and also drying racks. The latter are important because you will get much more frog legs than you can eat so turning them into jerky will give you a stable foodsource for the winter. That means building a science machine is a priority followed by at least three drying racks. Finally a crock pot is a good idea so you need less frog legs to satisfy your hunger.

Catching Frogs
Catching frogs is easy but I would still recommend wearing a log suit so you aren't hurt too much by the occasional hit. The best way to catch them is to observe the direction they hop and place a trap right in front of them. They aren't very quick to react to you so if you back off immediately they usually continue hopping and end in the trap. If they do notice you just kite them into the trap. If there are enough frogs, you can do this with two or three traps constantly on different frogs. Keep grabbing the caught ones, try to not aggro too many at once and you should easily get at least 10 frog legs per day starting out and much more the better you get. Also leave the traps around the ponds for the night, you might have some frogs caught in the morning.

Further development
Since you want to be ready for winter, try to increase the number of drying racks to about 8 but you can build as many as you can keep stocked. The goal is to catch enough frogs in one day so that you have enough to eat and dry for the next two. This way you can alternate between catching frogs and exploring for more ressources. Try to plant some saplings around your camp so you have a reliable source of twigs. Also if you find spiders you should hunt for silk since fishing is a great addition to frog hunting. Just sit in between several traps while fishing and grab any frogs that get caught. Finally if you do find a source of manure, you can still add some farms to your camp or wait until the winter is over to relocate.

Cooking with frog legs
This is another advantage of frogs, they are very versatile when used in the crock pot. Four frog legs will get you meatballs which is your best way to reduce hunger. Adding some berries will give the same result but adding some veggies will give you the froggle bunwich which gives you a good way to regain some health. Finally, if you can get a fishing rod, fishsticks are an even better source of health.