Origin of the Jackalope LEGEND?

[crs]

This photo postcard was mailed from Kermit, Texas in 1936 to a teenage aunt of mine. Can anyone provided earlier documentation of the old west legend of giant jackrabbits?

[FWiedner]

I can't say that I've seen any earlier documentation, but minus the antlers, I have to caution viewers that might be an actual photgraph.

[Booger Bill]

My uncle used to have a "Jackalope" head mounted on display. I have seen a small number of them elsewhere, and even ads where you could but yjem. Postcards of them were popular in the west when I was a kid. It`s just a joke thing for dudes. Dont know how long ago it all started but I know it was big in the 40s.

[shooter]

I don't know about giant jackrabbits, but my understanding of where the jackalope legend comes from is a fungus that grows on rabbits' heads, causing it to look like they have antlers. They have a couple on display at the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum in San Antonio. If you've never been there, I'd recommend it to anyone. They have quite a few rare and unusual mounts and displays, and also an impressive collection of firearms. Lots of old levers on display last time I was through there.

[Marlin32]

Don't know about Jackalopes, but yesterday I saw a "Beer" full mount. It is a bear with deer antlers.

Of course this was on a float at the Czech Festival yesterday...had a few Zlatay Bazants myself, (just two though and one Czechvar, several kolaches, and czech dogs and sauer kraut)

[vancelw]

LEGEND? Next thing I know, you'll be trying to say there's no Santa Clause.

I may have the information you seek, but it's at home and I'm not. I'll check what I have against what you find here when I get back.

[Shasta]

Read all about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackalope

SHASTA

[crs]

Marlin32,
I missed that Czech Festival.
Where was it held?

[Rusty]

I have a friend that is retired from about everything being 80+ years old SHE did a lot of taxidermy work when she was younger. She did about a 1/2 dozen jackalopes over the year.

[20cows]

I've hunted the Kermit sand hills.


There are still some big jacks out there...

[mikld]

"Everything grows bigger in Texas". It's part of the "Texas Mystique". The photo is just a pic of a normal Texas Jackrabbit, not a Jackalope. I've seen photos like the one in the OP with the caption; "Everything is bigger in Texas". Photos, drawings, cartoons of Volkswagon sized armadillo, six foot long watermelons, 300 lb. catfish, long horned steers the size of a bus, etc., were common, and Texans liked to tell tall tales. This was popular prior to Alaska becoming a state, replacing Texas as "the Biggest state in the Union".

[piller]

Jackrabbits can grow pretty large. In Southwest Kansas I have shot them and had a few that went 14 to 15 pounds. Some places they get larger. I always thought the Jackalope was pretty funny.

[bdhold]

Don't know about Jackalopes, but yesterday I saw a "Beer" full mount. It is a bear with deer antlers.

Of course this was on a float at the Czech Festival yesterday...had a few Zlatay Bazants myself, (just two though and one Czechvar, several kolaches, and czech dogs and sauer kraut)

I hope you had a poppy seed kolache.

[piller]

Kolache with Kielbasa in it is awesome. The Kolache depot in Ennis has them, and many fruit ones, too. In the North Central Texas town of West, Gerik's Old Czech Smokehouse has great Kolaches, too.
Back to Jackalopes, it is really funny to see people from the cities look at the mounts and wonder if they are real. There are gullible people from almost anywhere. Most of the Jackalope mounts I have seen were on Cottontail heads. rarely did they use those long eared heads. Jackrabbits are more properly of the Hare family, and run rather than hop, They have black hair at the tips of their ears, and the variety where I grew up have black hair on their tails.

[2571]

Marlin32,
I missed that Czech Festival.
Where was it held?

Slovakia

[bdhold]

you guys haven't been to south Texas.
Especially if you haven't had a poppy seed kolache.


http://www.texasczechs.com/events

P-A-W-E-L-E-K - if you can pronounce this name, you're from here.

[FWiedner]

"Everything grows bigger in Texas". It's part of the "Texas Mystique". The photo is just a pic of a normal Texas Jackrabbit, not a Jackalope. I've seen photos like the one in the OP with the caption; "Everything is bigger in Texas". Photos, drawings, cartoons of Volkswagon sized armadillo, six foot long watermelons, 300 lb. catfish, long horned steers the size of a bus, etc., were common, and Texans liked to tell tall tales. This was popular prior to Alaska becoming a state, replacing Texas as "the Biggest state in the Union".

IMO, the pic is a deer with ears strapped to it's head.