The deer who ate my muskmelons looked like they should be pulling Santa's sleigh. They walked down the plastic mulch like it was a sidewalk. I had soap bars out there, cayenne pepper mixed with insecticidal soap on the plants, dogs nearby, and a pepper-based "animal deterrent" spray on the melons. They still ate every melon I had, cayenne pepper and all. These deer were not scared of anything, and none of the deterrents worked. Part of it is that these are huge deer, and the other part is our exceptional drought at the moment. They are desperate for moisture.
Curiously, they did not eat any of the watermelons growing next to the muskmelons. I think they have a harder time smelling the watermelon through its rind, which is thicker and less porous than a muskmelon.
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