Christa Swanson is a Digital Media Producer at CBS Colorado in Denver.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is encouraging residents to put their old Halloween pumpkins to good use at local farms or composting facilities. They're also warning residents that feeding them to wildlife can not only risk their health and safety, but it can also come with a $100 fine.
"Violating this law not only carries legal consequences but also has a significant impact on the well-being of our wildlife. Colorado Parks and Wildlife asks the public to properly trash or compost pumpkins following Halloween and not feed them to wildlife," said CPW.
Feeding wildlife also poses risks to Colorado residents, as it increases the number of animal-human conflicts. CPW said that pumpkins can be attractive to bears as they bulk up for the winter, and disrupting the natural grazing behavior of deer can cause them to gather in small areas where they could be chased by dogs, hit by cars or spread disease. Deer can also attract predators like mountain lions to residential areas.
Other risks from feeding young wildlife include rabies, salmonella, fleas, ticks and other diseases they may carry, as well as the risk of inadvertently exposing baby wildlife to diseases carried by people and domestic animals, CPW warned.
Farm animals, including pigs, ducks and chickens, also love pumpkins, and local farms will often accept donations directly.
Many places, like Aurora, will allow you to throw out your old pumpkins to be taken to the landfill. For residents who want to put their pumpkins to use, CPW encourages the use of pumpkin drop-off sites, where farmers and ranchers can take the pumpkins to feed their livestock and create compost. The cities of Denver and Durango both have pumpkin drop-off stations, while Fort Collins, Grand Junction and Colorado Springs offer compost locations or pick-ups. Check below for some nearby options.