Autumn is the season for having freshly-carved jack-o-lanters, hay stacks, and colorful gourds decorating the front porch. However, Maricopa County residents can now get in trouble for some of those cute decor pieces, reported AZ Family.
The Arizona Fame and Fish Department says that this is because wildlife will try to feed on fresh pumpkins.
So does this mean you should leave them out all together? No.
AZGFD spokesperson Amy Burnett says that residents should follow the department's suggestions. Burnet said, "Feel free to decorate until your heart feels content with pumpkins. But, take them in at night so the javelinas don't take advantage of it."
Anyone caught on the "unlawful feeding of wildlife" will get a warning the first time. The second offense comes with a fine. Read about that rule by clicking here.
Burnett said, "We just want people to do the right thing. If you have a pumpkin out for decoration that's perfectly fine, but if you're placing pieces of pumpkin out... willingly knowing attracting animals by putting pumpkins out, that could be considered wildlife feeding."
The goal is to keep wildlife out of neighborhoods to keep people and pets safe.
"When they smell dog, they smell coyote. They don't distinguish the two smells. And, coyote is the arch enemy of the javelina" said Burnett.