"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," the Museum Of Hoaxes says.

"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 jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns. The word jackalope is a portmanteau of jackrabbit and antelope. Many jackalope taxidermy mounts, including the original, are made with deer antlers.

"In the 1930s, Douglas Herrick and his brother, hunters with taxidermy skills, popularized the American jackalope by grafting deer antlers onto a jackrabbit carcass and selling the combination to a local hotel in Douglas, Wyoming. Thereafter, they made and sold many similar jackalopes to a retail outlet in South Dakota, and another taxidermist continues to manufacture the horned rabbits in the 21st century. Stuffed and mounted, jackalopes are found in many bars and other places in the United States; stores catering to tourists sell jackalope postcards and other paraphernalia, and commercial entities in America and elsewhere have used the word jackalope or a jackalope logo as part of their marketing strategies. The jackalope has appeared in published stories, poems, television shows, video games, and a low-budget mockumentary film. The Wyoming Legislature has considered bills to make the jackalope the state's official mythological creature.

"The underlying legend of the jackalope, upon which the Wyoming taxidermists were building, may be related to similar stories in other cultures and other historical times. Researchers suggest that at least some of the tales of horned hares were inspired by sightings of rabbits infected with the Shope papilloma virus. It causes horn- and antler-like tumors to grow in various places on a rabbit's head and body." (Wikipedia)

"Ladies and gentlemen step right up and see the strange and fascinating oddity that is unique to the state of Wyoming. Behold the world's largest taxidermy display of a jackalope. Driving down US Highway 26, the sign reads "See It. Touch It. Believe It."

"This specimen is on permanent display at the Country Store in Dubois, Wyoming. See the mythical creature, touch its fur, ride the beast, and take a picture with it. The store even provides props for that added flair," the My Country 95.5 says.

"The town of Douglas also claims to have the biggest Jackalope in the world. However, the specimens they have on display are statues rather than the taxidermy display like they have in Dubois. According to the Museum of Hoaxes, the brothers Douglas and Ralph Herrick are credited with creating the jackalope when he attached some antelope antlers to a jackrabbit."

"Still, glimpses of common animals are not the only draw to the state’s wonderful wilderness. For something a little different, visitors spend time in Douglas, Wyoming, learning about the noteworthy jackalope. First created in 1934, Ralph and Doug Herrick combined a taxidermied jackrabbit and a deer’s antlers to piece together a version of this one-of-a-kind creature," the Travel Wyoming says.

"Oral tradition has played its part in curating various historical accounts of the jackalope, and those who firmly believe that the animal is real may not agree on anything else about it. Some say that the animal is elusive and shy, hiding in packs scattered about the wilderness in Wyoming and South Dakota, while others believe it is long extinct.

"Somewhere in the middle lies the myth that they don’t breed outside of lightning storms, limiting their population and making them hard to find. Their specific size and color are also up for debate, but those who claim to have seen a jackalope in the wild say they are about 5 pounds with a traditional wild rabbit’s brown fur and antlers the size of a small deer’s."

"There’s a lot of love for the mythical jackalope in Douglas, Wyoming. As the unofficial birthplace of the big-eared, horned creature from North American folklore, Douglas is the self-proclaimed “Jackalope Capital of the World.” It is home to several monuments that honor the fearsome critter, including the world’s largest, and former largest jackalope statue" the Atlas Obscura says.

"In 2007, two years after the jackalope was made Wyoming’s official mythical creature, the city bought a larger jackalope from a man in the northwest. This one, almost double the size of its nearby cousin, sits in front of the Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center.

"The Douglas Chamber of Commerce offers Jackalope hunting licenses, but the hunting season is two hours a year. And although the newer and taller jackalope has overshadowed its predecessor, the world’s former largest jackalope still sits perched on its concrete pedestal, overlooking the town where it was first dreamed into existence."

"Legends about the Jackalope attest to its unusual characteristics. Its shape and coloring are like those of a rabbit, except that it has horns, however, it is too small to pass as a deer. It is said that the Jackalope is vicious when attacked, and that most other animals have great respect for its sharp set of prong horns," the John "Ace" Bonar's book "Pride, Power, Progress says.

"Herders singing the lonesome nights away claim to have heard their words repeated like an echo rebounding from the high hills... which htey attribute to the Jackalope. This, they say, usually occurs on calm dark nights, and always before a clashing thunderstorm. It is also told that hunting hounds havespun in their tracks trying to trace the lightning-swift horned rabbit streakingthrough the darkness at 90 miles an hour.

"In fact, Jackalopes are said to blend so much with the color of the countryside that they are seldom seen during the daylight hours. The 30 mile an hour speed of a jackrabbit added to the fleet 60 mile and hour take-off derived from its antelope ancestry, stirs air friction, aiding a good hunter in setting his gun sights ahead of the flying target. While sharpshooters seldom have proof of a direct hit, many of them brag of near-misses."

"Allegedly one of the world’s largest jackalope.In honor of Wyoming's most elusive animal, Douglas Wyoming has erected a statue of the hybrid creature," the Road Trippers says.



"Why Douglas, you ask? The creator of the Jackalope, Douglas Herrick, lived in Casper Wyoming, but his hometown was Douglas. Herrick died at the age of 82 in January of 2003 after making hundreds of Jackalopes.

"He was such an influential figure in the forming of the legend of the west, the New York Times wrote an extended obituary."

"While thousands of hunters roam the West this year in search of big game, few, if any, are lucky enough to catch the legendary jackalope, an animal with a jackrabbit's body and the antlers of a deer. Although Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster, and other creatures of disputed existence have gained more scientific attention, residents of this small eastern Wyoming community thought enough of the jackalope to erect an eight-foot statue of it in the middle of town," the City of Douglas, Wyoming says.

"The jackalope was the main attraction here until discoveries of vast deposits of uranium, coal, oil and natural gas more than doubled the town's population to 7500 in the last three years. Herrick said his business has grown independently of the town' new-found prosperity, as persons from around the county began to hear about the jackalope.

"The Douglas Chamber of Commerce issues thousands of jackalope hunting licenses every year to tourists, and signs on the highway near here tell motorists to "watch out for the jackalope". Although the creature's fame has spread throughout the West, Herrick and a South Dakota company are the only two concerns now producing eucalypts. Herrick's brother stopped making them more than 25 years ago. Gift shops in town do a brisk business selling jackalope postcards and other novelty items."

"Did you know that Wyoming is home to a world-famous mythical creature? No, not the Abominable Snowman, Bigfoot, or Yetis… but the hopping horned Jackalope! That’s right, this oddly charming critter first sprung to life in a tiny Wyoming town," the Only In Your State says.

"The town is best known for hosting the Wyoming State Fair, and for the historic Douglas Railroad Interpretive Museum, which you'll find at Locomotive Park. Beyond being a train town and fair venue, though, Douglas has become well known for one more thing - it's the home of the Jackalope!

"In 1932, another Douglas - Douglas Herrick - came up with the mythical creature and started spreading rumors of its existence. After Herrick returned from a hunting trip with his brothers, he was working on a taxidermy when the idea of a jackrabbit-antelope hybrid came to him."

"Douglas, Wyoming calls itself the Jackalope Capital of the World, and its residents seem very proud of it," the Lee News Central says.

"The city built its official largest jackalope in Jackalope Square after a car accident took out the previous version. However, according to Roadside America, residents didn't like it, so the even larger 15-foot jackalope pictured above was acquired."