Since last Thursday something(s) has been removing 20-25 lb melons from the melon patch, toting them off, busting them open and eating them out.
…and leaving trails of chunks.
Can't be raccoons. I can't see a raccoon moving, in one case, a melon across two acres to the woods. A bear? One young lone male was seen in the area three weeks ago. Every once in a while one passes through.
A third watermelon was found busted open yesterday morning. My sister did some internet research for critters that mess with watermelons. Apparently bears aren't fond of watermelons but coyotes are and there sure are coyotes around here. And apparently they are a huge problem in the watermelon farms down here, causing a lot of damage. I had no idea.
Here's a good link:
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/wild-a...den-40477.html
So Pickles set up the game cam again last night. Yep, it's coyotes. They came around 1:20am and got a fourth melon. Got two pics:
I might have go sit out tonight around midnight with the shotgun loaded with #1. Need to buy some slugs. It's five days to full moon but the moon rises at 4:23pm today and sets at 2:14 am so I'm not sure how bright it will be around 1am.
Meanwhile maybe I can anchor a few tomato cages around the few melons left. Enough to keep them busy and distracted while I thumb off the safety...