Jackalope -- Douglas WY
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Benchmark Blasterz
N 42° 45.554 W 105° 23.063
13T E 468547 N 4734150
This 9 foot jackalope at the US 26 and 4th Street is one of many in the town of Douglas WY -- can you spot them all?
Waymark Code: WMK24P
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 02/01/2014
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member saopaulo1
Views: 3

Douglas WY is home of the Jackalopes. Several of these mythical creatures are on display around town. If you have sharp eyes, and kids in the car -- could be a fun afternoon! :)

From Wikipedia: (visit link)

"MYTH

The jackalope has led to many outlandish (and largely tongue-in-cheek) claims as to the creature's habits. It is given the pseudo-taxonomic descriptor Lepus temperamentalus. It is said to be a hybrid of the pygmy-deer and a species of "killer rabbit". Reportedly, jackalopes are extremely shy unless approached. Legend also has it that female jackalopes can be milked as they sleep belly up and that the milk can be used for a variety of medicinal purposes. It has also been said that the jackalope can convincingly imitate any sound, including the human voice. It uses this ability to elude pursuers, chiefly by using phrases such as "There he goes! That way!"

During days of the Old West, when cowboys gathered by the campfires singing at night, jackalopes could often be heard mimicking their voices. In some parts of the United States it is said that jackalope meat has a taste similar to lobster. However, legend has it that they are dangerous if approached. It has also been said that jackalopes will only breed during winter electrical storms, explaining its rarity.

The New York Times attributes the story's origin to a 1932 hunting outing involving Douglas Herrick (1920–2003) of Douglas, Wyoming. Herrick and his brother had studied taxidermy by mail order as teenagers, and when the brothers returned from a hunting trip for jackrabbits, Herrick tossed a carcass into the taxidermy store, where it came to rest beside a pair of deer antlers. The accidental combination of animal forms sparked Herrick's idea for a jackalope.

The first jackalope the brothers put together was sold for $10 to Roy Ball, who displayed it in Douglas' La Bonte Hotel. The mounted head was stolen in 1977. The jackalope became a popular local story, and Douglas Chamber of Commerce has issued thousands of Jackalope Hunting Licenses to tourists. The tags are good for hunting only during official Jackalope season, which occurs for only one day: June 31 (a nonexistent date as June has 30 days), from midnight to 2 AM. The hunter may not have an IQ greater than 72.

In Herrick's home town of Douglas there is a statue of a jackalope, and the town celebrates Jackalope Day every year. In 2005, the House of the Wyoming state legislature passed a bill to declare the jackalope the "official mythological creature" of Wyoming, by a vote of 45-12 and referred it to the state Senate, where the bill was indefinitely postponed on March 2, 2005."
Time Period: Modern

Approximate Date of Epic Period: 1930-present

Epic Type: Mythical

Exhibit Type: Figure, Statue, 3D Art

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Benchmark Blasterz visited Jackalope -- Douglas WY 08/07/2013 Benchmark Blasterz visited it