Jackalope

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.

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