Aspen Column Argues Pumpkins Are Blameless In Bear Conflicts

The Pumpkin Problem Isn’t What You Think It Is

The most dangerous thing on your front porch isn’t the jack-o’-lantern. It’s you.

That is the counterintuitive truth buried in this week’s Aspen Times column, "High Points: Conflicted." The obvious take is that pumpkins are the problem. They are high-calorie, fiber-rich bait left out in the open for bears and deer. But the column’s author argues that our reaction to this seasonal nuisance reveals a deeper disconnect between how we live and what actually lives here.

We treat wildlife like pests to be managed, not neighbors to be respected. The Aspen Times reported that Colorado Parks and Wildlife issued a press release earlier this month warning residents to keep pumpkins inside. The agency noted that bears have been seen devouring pumpkins in front yards and even at grocery stores. "Pumpkins are a high-calorie treat for bears," the release stated, adding that these interactions lead to "preventable human-bear conflicts."

Read that again. Preventable.

The author admits to being "bear-aware." They don’t leave trash out. They don’t eat in their car. They haven’t used the grill all summer. Yet, last week, a large bear strolled down the street adjacent to the Aspen Community Jewish Center at 4 p.m. on a sunny afternoon. The animal looked like it owned the place. It was comfortable.

This comfort is the issue. We have built a town where wildlife feels at home, then get annoyed when they act like it. The column recounts a personal encounter from the early 2000s, when a bear entered their home through an open lower awning window. The bear ignored the pantry and went straight for the refrigerator, emptying the cheese drawer before exiting through the same window. The author was "impressed" with its manners.

That anecdote is key. It highlights a shift in behavior that officials are trying to correct with press releases, but which residents often ignore until it’s too late. The column notes that pumpkins also attract deer, which in turn bring mountain lions into residential areas. It’s a chain reaction triggered by our own habits.

The Aspen Times piece doesn’t just list rules; it challenges the mindset behind them. We complain about bears climbing trees, a sight so common people no longer bother taking photos. But we still leave pumpkins out because it’s festive. We still drive through areas where bears are foraging because we think they’ll move along. They won’t. Not if the food is there.

The short version: CPW wants you to keep pumpkins inside. The column’s author agrees, but with a caveat. It’s not just about the pumpkin. It’s about acknowledging that we share this space with animals that are adapting to us faster than we are adapting to them.

The column ends on a note of reluctant acceptance. The author admits they were "pained" to see the story about Halloween and local animals, calling them two of their favorite things. But they recognize that keeping the pumpkins inside is necessary to keep the bears out of our yards — and less likely to end up in our fridges.

There’s no neat solution here. You can’t legislate festivity. But you can choose where your decorations live. The bears are already here. They’re in front of grocery stores. They’re at the Aspen Saturday Market, chowing down on baked goods. They’re in our neighborhoods, comfortable and confident.

The question isn’t whether pumpkins will attract bears this Halloween. It’s whether we’ll finally stop leaving them out.