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Watervalley Ms

THE coons dug down 8 inchs to get under my wire cage,they got my big one and last one for the year and maybe longer. The melon was from my 217 the melon is 56.5 or 57 girth and 38 long most likely would have weighed more than 217 it was still growing. I have in cooler trying to keep until festival this saturday to show.

8/1/2011 10:10:33 PM

sevierville, Tn

Jerry, Sorry to hear that. Sounds like you had a good one going. How old was it ?

Do you have any dogs ??

8/1/2011 11:35:55 PM

Jerry-You will have to eliminate the coons now in order to have melons in the future. In our area, they usually leave cc melons alone and if you have some that can get through the tough cc rind you have a real problem. You can get rid of them with live traps baited with hamburger buns. WV animal control will probably loan you traps. The traps will have to be anchored with steel pipe or rebar to keep the coons from turning the traps over and reaching in and getting the bait through the bigger openings in the trap bottoms. Your damage will be coming from one or two old ones. When you get those, the others will be no problem. It is an animal problem year for me too. My problem is dry weather gophers that don't come to the top of the ground. They are not detectable until they cut the root system from the top of the plant.

8/2/2011 9:22:31 AM

Jerry ,
I've so far been able to keep coons under control with electric fence. My first wire is 6 inches off the ground, and then 1 foot apart with three more wires. I'm also having problems with the gophers like Loyd said. I lost two plants yesterday that had the stump chewed through about 5 inches below the surface.

8/2/2011 11:17:00 AM

Watervalley Ms

Chris the melon was 61 days old the growth rate had not slowed at all, the melon did have a tapered shape but when loading the melon it felt heavy. my Wife said not to put the dog down there something might get it. Lloyd i thought the wire cage and the dirt around the bottom would stop them, i was wrong. I plan on traping soon. I am also planing on eating some coons this year, they should be sweet. It would have been nice to have had the cage powered up. thanks for the help I hope yall have a great year Jerry

8/2/2011 7:43:12 PM

Muddy Waters

Its surprising the coons got it they dont ripen in the north till 80 days on the vine!never had any problem here they usually get the tomatoes & veggies,Do you have other stuff planted??

8/2/2011 7:48:44 PM

Watervalley Ms

The coons here will eat green melons. I have nothing else planted. Jerry

8/2/2011 8:15:40 PM

Muddy Waters

Wow there hungry! sorry!

8/2/2011 8:32:36 PM

Bowdon, GA

Dang that was a nice one. Hate to hear that. I guess after that Texas rabbit and hog hunt maybe we can stop in Mississippi for a coon hunt.

8/2/2011 10:22:25 PM

Ohio

Sorry to hear about your coon problem. I agree with Johnnyreb, get an cheap electric fence. I have mine about 4 inches above the ground and then two more wired spaced 6 inches apart. My charger is even solar powered so no electric cost.

8/2/2011 10:47:39 PM

Trinity River Bottom

Jake i'm in for a Mississippi Coon hunt!!

8/3/2011 9:11:50 AM

Bowdon, GA

Hey Kirk I'll get the dogs ready

8/3/2011 10:20:06 PM

Muddy Waters

Im In.When do we leave??

8/3/2011 10:32:57 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

amazingly enough, my lil bitty melons & Lopes are untouched, alas...awl my sweet corn is stripped and eaten, is this also the coon's....cob's w/out kernels on the ground!!! Peace, Wayne
PS...have read, in the past that skunks eat awl the corn...and Racoons eat just a lil of each & then grab another ear? Is this true?

8/4/2011 10:45:35 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

What to do? 410? w/ spotlight? Peace, Wayne

8/4/2011 10:46:41 PM

Muddy Waters

Yeah Wayne,get an Army cot sleep in the patch!rub peanut butter on your toes & forehead,when they wake you up ! Shoot em!!LOL

8/5/2011 6:01:43 AM

Lexington,IN

Coons will wipe out your sweet corn over night! They will even wait, just like us, until it's ready to eat. I didn't waste my time with corn this year as they have wiped me out the previous 2 years. Guy down the road bush hogged his down last week, it was tore up by the coons.

8/5/2011 2:46:08 PM

Deep South, USA

We've had two of the boogers in our corn. One apprehended, the other still at large.

I don't think my watermelons ever get big enough for the coons to care. I could be wrong though.

8/6/2011 10:22:38 PM