Jackalope

HIPPO EATS DWARF:
A Field Guide to Hoaxes
and Other B.S.

Jackalope

Kingdom: Animalia
Location found: western North America

The jackalope is an antlered species of rabbit found throughout the western United States. The jackalope has two unusual qualities. First, it is highly aggressive and is willing to use its antlers to fight. (Thus, it is sometimes called the "warrior rabbit.") Second, it has an uncanny ability to mimic human voices. In the old West, when cowboys would gather by their campfires to sing at night, jackalopes would frequently be heard singing back, mimicking the voices of the cowboys. When chased, jackalopes use their vocal abilities to elude capture by calling out phrases such as, "There he goes, over there," to throw pursuers off their track.

The traditional method of catching jackalopes is to lure them with whiskey, since they are extremely fond of this drink. Once intoxicated, the animal becomes slower and easier to hunt. Some people attempt to catch jackalopes in order to milk them, believing that their milk is a powerful aphrodisiac. However, it is not advised to milk a jackalope! It is curious to note, however, that jackalope milk comes out already homogenized on account of the animal's powerful leaps.

Douglas, Wyoming has declared itself to be the Jackalope capital of America because, according to legend, the first jackalope was spotted there around 1829. A large statue of a jackalope stands in the town center, and every year the town plays host to Jackalope Day, usually held in June. Jackalope hunting licenses can be obtained from the Douglas Chamber of Commerce, though hunting of jackalopes is restricted to the hours of midnight to 2 a.m. on June 31.

It is common to find mounted jackalope heads in bars and homes throughout the American west. Douglas and Ralph Herrick, residents of Douglas, Wyoming, were the first to start selling such heads during the 1930s. Jackalope postcards are also a popular Western souvenir.

Total Comments: 58

Comments
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.

Page 1 of 3 pages 1 2 3 >

Your text accompanying the picture of the Jackalope seems to lead one to believe that it really did (or does) exist... I trust this was not your intention... or was it?
Posted by Scott Nafz on Fri Apr 27, 2001 at 03:23 AM

It has come to my attention through Backpacker magazine that the Jackalope may not be the hoax we once thought it was. Jackrabbits in the West have been found bearing a virus that causes bony growths to come out of their heads, proving the source of the original jackalope. The legend, of course, is attributable to the rarity of this disease.

http://www.backpacker.com/article/0,2646,1202,00.html
Posted by on Wed Mar 13, 2002 at 02:21 AM

So, is the article on "jackalopes" tongue-in-cheek, or do you *really* mean they're real? I find it more than hard to believe...

Thanks for a great site!
Posted by Kim on Tue Dec 03, 2002 at 03:44 PM

Here are a couple of mounted "Jackalopes" from here in the small
town of Tuxpan, Jalisco,Mexico. Hope you like them.....

Posted by Kim J Egelston on Mon Jan 27, 2003 at 03:23 AM

Re: the jackalope. The man who was given credit for "inventing"it is Douglas Herrick.His obituary was in the 1 Feb. Boston Globe; originating w/ the L.A.Times.The obituary was quite interesting - you may have seen it, also. I have enjoyed the book very much.
Posted by Evelyn on Mon Feb 03, 2003 at 02:29 PM

Jackalopes, you can never trust them.
Posted by A.T. on Thu Nov 20, 2003 at 08:11 PM

I am shocked to learn that there are people who, even today do not believe that the Jackalope exists. As a young man it was my pleasure to hunt and bag a trophy Jackalope. The head was mounted and I still possess it! What more proof could you wish?
And I am a retired Polygraphist... and if you can't believe a Polygraphist, (expert in the instrumental detection of deception) I ask, who can you believe?
Posted by Kenneth E. Murray on Mon Dec 01, 2003 at 09:39 PM

A couple years ago, I saw a cottontail with "horns," looking fairly much like the jackalopes of legend, but obviously a virus-infected animal. It hung around long enough for other people to get a look at it (in a park in Minneapolis). There's a nice photo at http://www.tsukiyo.org/Myths/jackalope.html showing what the real ones look like, and the Science Museum of Minnesota did a nice exhibit perhaps 20 years ago, with mounted examples of both real rabbits with virus-induced horn-like growths on their heads and at least one taxidermist's jackalope.
Posted by Mary Arneson on Wed Dec 03, 2003 at 12:59 PM

is it actually real? You act like it is! My Dynamath magazine said it's
not.Make up your mind! This is seriously going to decide if I am going to take a trip
to Wisconsin!

That was my friend, Diana. This is me now, Mallory.
I don't beleive in the jackalope. But I think it's HILARIOUS how you make it
seem so REAL! Diana was saying, "They are making it seem like it's rel!" over
and over again! It was funny! while she was doing this, I was struglling to
read out loud because I was laughing so hard! I love your web site! Respond to
this please!

Posted by Diana and Mallory on Thu Jan 15, 2004 at 06:47 PM

jackalopes arnt real this is just like people who belive that ghosts are real
Posted by nate on Tue Mar 09, 2004 at 06:01 PM

We are also known as Antelrabbits. The horny comments are exaggerated. Most of our energies are expended hoaxing gullible humans.

Posted by Jack A. Lope on Tue Mar 30, 2004 at 03:00 PM

I had the opportunity to photograph a specimen in Montreal last winter. Hope you like it:

http://www.banlieusardises.com/loisirs/archives/000691.html
Posted by Martine Gingras in Rosem�re, PQ on Mon Apr 05, 2004 at 06:45 AM

I saw a realy tall rabbit just south of Ada, Oklahoma about 10 years ago, I was in the company of about 10 school teachers.
Posted by Shirley in Oklahoma on Tue Jun 22, 2004 at 08:27 AM

Earlier this year (2004), my wife and I noticed some rather odd looking tracks in the snow near our barn. At first we thought little of them until we saw they went towards our birdfeeders. There, on the ground, the snow was cleared away as though someone had scraped away the snow and exposed the earth. Just a few nights before while passing the Enstrom place I caught glimpse of 3 to 4 odd looking animals crossing a small open field leading towards his cabin. Although small, they appeared to have antlers on their heads. My wife, Elizabeth, said she had read an article in the local paper, "The Bradford Gazette", that a dog was found dead from what appeared to be a stabbing, however the vet, Dr. Littleton, found a broken tip of an antler. At first he thought it was from a deer, but on closer inspection, realized it was not the case. He took it to the county ag. extension agent, who then took it to Penn State Univ's Department of Natural Resources. They claim it's unlike anything they've got on record. Professor James T. Ghilley heard of this and contacted an associate from NMU (New Mexico Univ. at Riverton). He examined it and determined it to be from the dreaded and sometimes dangerous jackelope. This reported sighting is the first known sighting in Pennsylvania. Local officials scoured the areas adjacent to the Enstrom place and are hopeful to located the dwelling place of these creatures. Enstrom, not a local resident, will be contacted once officials get the tax roll information. It's the strangest damn thing in here parts for many years!
Posted by Aston Walterson in Bradford Pennsylvania on Fri Sep 17, 2004 at 12:24 AM

I found something on the Goatman. I don't exactly no what a goatman is. http://www.thegoatmanchronicles.com
Posted by James Ray in Usa on Fri Oct 29, 2004 at 11:49 AM

He he, i thought Jackalopes where real, because my father has one hanging up in his Cabniet in the Garage, i asked him about it one day, and he told me it was attacking his dog (Smurf) so he shot it. I thought this was true for 2 years now!
Posted by Maria Jo in GB on Tue Nov 09, 2004 at 06:59 PM

Dudes i hate to tell u all this but their r no such things as jackalopes.

If they havnt caught 1 alive then i bet u they realy dont exist.

Please give me a break

But i still have little hope they mite exist. How do u no they do. Wut proof do u have and who was the 1 who even made up the animal

Posted by lexi in somwhere on Sat Nov 13, 2004 at 09:21 PM

In all the jackkalope pistures i saw they looked so fake. I also studied tha their r some rabbits that r infected that have those horns. So sry ever1 who beleives in this mysterious animal.
Posted by lexi in somwhere on Sat Nov 13, 2004 at 09:30 PM

One day i was in my backyard and i saw this odd looking animal. It was a rabbit with antlers! I tried going up to it but it ran away. But their was no way i was going to let this weird animal go. So i ran after it. It went to this wierd place. I looked around me to c were i was still keeping my eye on the weird animal. But then it just dispeared. When i looked over bi it i saw nest with an egg in it. I brought it home with me and kept i it warm. But then this wierd thing hsppened 1 day. I started to hear this wierd noise an di saw a baby jackalope. Till this day i will never 4get that pet, and do u no wut esle....i cant beleive u guys beleived me. pPlease do u really think they exist. Ill beleive wen i c it with my own eyes.

Posted by lexi in somwhere on Sat Nov 13, 2004 at 09:39 PM

I honestly think that the iq of the average american is slipping badly. Fact, newspapers have downgraded their grammar to the 6th grade level. Fact, we're behind too many other countries in our education department to even have any pride in our school system. Fact, most americans would prefer to watch tv than read a book, and I think we're seeing the fruits of the tv raised generation now.
No wonder everywhere you turn there's someone saying something stupid. They don't stop long enough to think logically for themselves if something's true. Think about it people, if it were a true animal where has it been hiding all these centuries? Hmmm? Even a fish that was thought to be extinct was found back in the 20's. People have covered nearly every inch of this country, it's more logical to believe we'd find a missing species and or not yet discovered species in the rain forests than in the usa. If you really believe this creature exists, then the fairy and unicorn hunters really need people like you.
BTW, someone mentioned ghosts. Has anyone ever stopped and wondered why people who claim to see ghosts only see them from after the 1700's? Has anyone ever seen one from the renaissance, or before? What about during the time natives only lived here, where are their ghosts? Or the ghosts of dinosaurs? If you stop and think you'd realize many of the things people believe in is pure nonsense. No wonder mags like the star, and the enquirer sell so well.
Posted by mina in OK on Tue Nov 23, 2004 at 04:14 PM

Page 1 of 3 pages 1 2 3 >

HOAX HAIKU

Son, heed this advice—
Beware the antlered rabbit.
He wants your whiskey.
(by AB)

Cold walk in Texas
Jackrabbit horns in the snow
Dead hound at my feet
(by dwd)

irresistable
horned furry creature of lore
you are real to me
(by MJM)

Ol' Douglas Herrick
Didn't tell us all he knows.
Critters smoke pot, too.
(by K8E )

Crap! Another flat!
Jackalopes are truly
The world's worst roadkill.
(by Haiku warrior)

Write a haiku about the Jackalope, and submit it in the comments. If I like it, I'll post it above.

The definition of a haiku: a short, three line poem. The first line has five syllables, the second seven, and the third five. Examples here, here, and here.