The Jack Rabbit

 

The speedy Jack Rabbit was a work of art and it was built for one thing only which was to run fast. Here’s what I remember about this odd looking creature.

 

 

 

The Jack Rabbit

 

The Panhandle of Texas was the home of the Texas Jack Rabbit. This creature was much bigger and faster than his cousin the Cottontail Rabbit. The Jack rabbit had long skinny legs and was built for speed. They could run circles around the cottontail rabbit.

 

This is the Wiley Jack Rabbit watching and listening ready for a speedy escape.

 

 

 

One other feature of the Jack rabbit we just can not ignore was his very big and long ears that had black tips at the top. They had super hearing so you just couldn’t sneak up on them.

 

 

Look at the ears on old Jack. He is hearing everything that’s going on out this direction. With those skinny legs and long body, it’s no wonder we couldnt ever get close enough to get one while hunting.

 

 

 

Sometimes if they were bedded down for the day, they might hold at their location until you got very near, then jump about six feet and hit the ground running full speed. They would be out of site in a flash. We would often take our 22 rifles and go hunting Jack Rabbits in the canyons around Phillips, Texas. It was virtually impossible to get a shot at one close up because they could hear you coming from a mile away and if they held for you and then ran, all you could see was a blur. I don’t remember any one of us Jack Rabbit hunters ever hitting one with our rifles. Even if we had, they would have been far too stringy to eat, because they were so muscled up from running so much.

 

 

Hello I’m Jack. I feel the need……the need for speed.

 

 

 

On one or two occasions, we thought we saw the rare Jackalope which was said to be a cross between the Jack Rabbit and the Prong Horned Antelope. We were almost positive we could see those prong horns on top of their head. However, they were moving pretty fast and we did have rather creative imaginations in those days.

 

 

Hey guys, look on that hill over there. It looks like one of those rare Jackalopes?

 

 

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Thanks for reading The Jack Rabbit,

Bill