Jackalope - Popular Culture

Popular Culture

Jackalope legends are sometimes used by locals to play tricks on tourists. This joke was employed by Ronald Reagan to reporters in 1980 during a tour of his Californian ranch, Rancho del Cielo, where he had a rabbit head with antlers mounted on his wall. Reagan liked to claim that he had caught the "jackalope" himself. Reagan was given a rabbit head with antlers by South Dakotan senator James Abdnor in 1986.

Since Herrick and his brother began selling manipulated taxidermy heads in the 1930s, such trophies can be found in many bars and homes across the United States. Herrick's postcards of the jackalope also increased the myth's popularity.

"Tiny the Jackalope" was a recurring character in a series of sketches on the American TV show America's Funniest People (1990-1994), where he would play pranks on people.

Jackalope have also appeared in video games. In Red Dead Redemption, you can hunt and skin jackalope for both profit and as an ingame challenge. In Redneck Rampage, jackalope are an aggressive enemy encountered early on in the game.

The band Miike Snow uses the Jackalope as their logo.