Jaci Dawn

I know, I know: I promised I would get me a jackalope to show everyone that they ARE real. I even downloaded a jackalope hunting license before I left for Nevada.

Originally, we planned to hit the southwestern corner of Wyoming, too, so if I didn’t get a jackalope before the return trip, I would very likely have a chance then.

But I ran into a glitch right off the bat: the hunting season for jackalopes in Nevada, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming is a very short season: June 31, from midnight until 2AM. And as close as I could tell, last week was in October, which meant I couldn’t hunt jackalope legally. Also, since the hunter may not possess an IQ of over 72, I was going to need a guide with that sort of aptitude.

(If you look closely at any calendar, you’ll see just how short that hunting season is!)

Anyway, after we left Ely, my brother (being a good sort of fellow and wanting to help me at least find a jackalope) offered to take me on a side trip through Osceola, NV. Osceola was one of my mother’s favorite side-trips. There’s an old pioneer cemetery there with granite headstones: she loved to meander through the graves, reading the eulogies and the dates.

The mines are still active: we saw some new tailings and a couple rigs parked beside the trailers. The dirt road takes you right through the mines and up the hill into high sagebrush country. It’s perfect for hunting jackalopes.

Looking back the way we just came. The trailers and buildings are just out of sight. The ribbon of highway back to Ely is out there in the flat.

I scanned my camera around to get a feel for the country and to show you, the reader, what jackalope country looks like.

The thing about jackalopes is they blend in so well with their surroundings. You’re never sure if you’ve seen one or not because if you blink: they’re gone. fast little buggers.

We had to get back on the road. Sadly, I put the camera away and waved farewell to my little antlered friends.

Coming up: Cosmic ray Collectors and Bigfoot Sightings.

Really.

Hey, I didn’t lie to you about jackalopes, why would I lie about Bigfoot or Cosmic ray Collectors?

Next time I road trip to see my son in Colorado, I’m going to make sure I do it over the 31st of June. I’m gonna get me a jackalope one day…