We had a coyote attack on our watermelon patch last night. They didn't do much damage but we decided to pick all the melons that were anywhere near ripe, as I'm sure they will be back in force tonight. >:(
This one weighed 78 pounds and I'm sure would have been a world record if we could have let it grow another couple of weeks. :D :D ;D :D :D
The black diamonds weren't quite ripe yet so the coyotes will have a feast tonight. :)
(https://forestryforum.com/images/04_01_03/wm4.jpg)
Coyotes eat watermelon?
Coyotes love watermelon. They come into the patch and pick up a melon at a time if not too heavy and carry them out of the garden a little way. Take one bite and if it is not ripe they go back for another one. When they get one that suits their taste they will eat the whole thing. About 4 years ago found 37 melons on the ground with one bite mark and another 5 that had been eaten completely.
Coyotes eat mostly fruit and berries this time of year and switch to a meat diet later on in the Fall.
Now, thats a pretty watermelon. I wish I could get big melons like that again down here. It used to be that Georgia, florida and Alabama produced the biggest and sweetest melons one would ever want, but not anymore. If they are grown here then they must be exported because we don't see them. We do see those little cantelope sized seedless melons in the grocery store. I don't know where they came from but they should be sent back. :-/
Larry,
Are you sure it is coyotes?
Sure it is not coons?
I don't want to meet the coyote that can pick up that watermelon you are carrying, and carry it out of your patch. That would be worth a picture, for sure, to see one doing it though. Do you have access to some game trail cameras that have a trip wire to take surprise pictures?
When I got to the mill today I found a big pile of coyote crap right where I stand to saw. >:( no mellons here it was full of rabbit fur and small pieces of bones.
Woody