Jackalopes Eating My Garden

Posted by Robert Dailey Jun 4, 2006

For those of you who live out west, I don't have to explain what a jackalope is. For those who don't, a jackalope is a supposedly mythical creature, a cross between the native pronghorn antelope and a jackrabbit, with antlers like a deer.

Pronghorn antelope are about three feet high, and are fairly plentiful across the west. Jackrabbits are more than plentiful...they're a pestilence. And generally they're much smaller than antelope. For the most part, few jackrabbits ever grow to their full size. Coyotes, cougars, bears, eagles and other predators take their toll.

However, ever so often, one will escape the predators and grow to enormous size. Driving home from a master gardeners' meeting on evening, my headlights caught what I thought was an antelope or a small deer in my front garden.

As it hopped off in gigantic strides, I realized it was one of those jackalopes, sans horns, rapidly receding into the black desert.

Now, I don't mind those varmints getting some of my plants. But these little critters have eaten almost all of my liatris, much of my balloon flower plants, a great deal of blue gramma and buffalo grass, and some fountain grass.

The bunnies are getting their share, but those jackalopes are eating the plants down to the roots.

I tried cutting lengths of old hose and painting eyes on one end, in the hopes that the animals would think my garden full of voracious snakes. They moved the strips of hose to better eat my plants! How's that for effrontery?