That is something to be mad about after waiting all this time for it to get ripe. How many melons do you have to protect?

It looks like a big nasty front tooth chomped down on your pretty melon! My vote is it's the groundhog. We have terrible groundhog problems. Chicken wire works if you anchor it to the ground VERY securely. Our clever critters eventually found a way under it. I took off the chicken wire backing up our field fencing. I then strung some electric wire (2" tape type cuz I had it around) about 3-4" from the ground in front of the field fence. I used 6" extenders. I hooked up a powerful charger (one I used when we had our longhair Scottish Highland steers). So far, no groundhogs in the garden (no rabbits or squirrels either except one day the charger wasn't working). I still see the groundhogs under the apple tree making a dash to hide under the chicken house when I go out so I know they're still around. We had so many we had to resort to the unthinkable. Now we just have a couple. For years we just lived and let live. They went forth and multiplied until we had to take drastic measures.

I feel your pain. I lost every single melon some time ago to what I though was possums. Now after seeing a groundhog waddling across the field I am not so sure.

tavy, we take drastic action whenever possible here.

I scrubbed that one with antibacterial soap and cut off the eaten part. The remaining half was very good. My hubby was impressed.
I got anxious and picked another one that turned out to be too green so I guess I should have waited for the varmint to let me know when it was ripe. I'm blaming it for that loss too. lol

You are so smart or maybe determined to eat that melon. Would it be possible to protect each individual melon as it nears the ripe stage. Like an little individual cage.

Christie... Have you seen the trouble maker or figured out a solution yet?

I need football helmets to put on them. lol
I wonder if it could be a skunk. That's the only thing that I've seen near my yard recently except for a field mouse and I don't think a field mouse could do that.

I wonder if a bag like onions come in would deter them.