JACKSON, Wyo. — Bidding adieu to Halloween can be hard for humans, but irresponsibly handled Jack-o’-lanterns can make life even harder for local wildlife.
When it’s time to say farewell to a pumpkin, agencies advise against leaving it outside to rot, where a bear or deer might find it for a snack. Food scavengers can easily find a pumpkin on a porch and might become dangerously dependent on meals provided by humans. Similarly, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, food unusual to an animal’s typical diet can cause illness.
“This time of year we get many calls about sickly deer fawns and much of this can be attributed to these deer eating foods that offer little nutritional value and that they have a difficult time digesting,” Wyoming Game and Fish Department Biologist Stan Harter said in a statement. “This makes them susceptible to parasites and other diseases.”
To avoid such problems, Jacksonites are encouraged to bring their pumpkins to one of the options provided by the Town of Jackson and Teton County Integrated Solid Waste & Recycling (ISWR):
- Fall Clean Up Day, a free residential yard waste drop-off event, held at the Rodeo Grounds on Friday, Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- The compost bin at the Recycling Center during office hours (M-F, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- The compost area at the Trash Transfer Station during operating hours
Candles, decorations and adornments must be removed from pumpkins before disposal.
ISWR encourages composting pumpkins if possible, instead of tossing them in the garbage at home, to save them a trip to the landfill in Idaho. Clean pumpkins, ISWR said, make great composting additions.
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