Sometimes when starting out finding Pigs or Beefalos can be a problem. Players may not get enough Manure for Farming and food collection. 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 green Ponds (green border and light blue water) that spawn in the Grassland. Don't mix them up with the purple one, as that is a Mosquito Pond which are found in the Marsh Biome. There is usually 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 a 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 food source for the winter. That means building a Science Machine is a priority followed by at least three drying racks. Finally, crafting a Crock Pot is a good idea so you cook better food like Froggle Bunwich by placing Frog Legs into the pot.

Catching Frogs

Catching Frogs is quite easy but a Log Suit will help with taking 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 the player and usually just continue hopping into the Trap, if they do become aggressive they can still be kited into it. If there are enough frogs in close proximity the player can hunt with several traps at once, grabbing caught frogs and resetting traps constantly. One trap will catch 8 frogs before breaking, exhausting two or three should be no problem during the day. At dusk frogs will return to their ponds giving the player some time to fish risk free if a fishing rod is available.

As of the The End of the Beginning update (April 19, 2013) frogs have become quicker and more aggressive when chasing the player. They also jump farther, allowing them to sometimes jump over traps without triggering them. This makes frog hunting slightly riskier and kiting them more difficult.

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 resources. Try to plant some Saplings around your camp so you have a reliable source of twigs. Adding a lightning rod helps keep your saplings and near by trees from burning. 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. In addition, if you have a Bee Box any combination of Honey and Frog Legs makes Honey Nuggets.