Watermelons and White-tails
(Alabama's Treasured Forests, Spring, 1999) 

By Derrick V. Heckman, Certified Wildlife Biologist

For many years farmers have complained about the destruction white-tailed deer have on their annual watermelon patch.  Many sportsmen and land managers have yet to realize the relationship between that annual watermelon patch and deer herds.  That's right, HERDS of deer.  Often times, fields or patches greater than 50 acres in size will contain herds of deer that will utilize the crop the entire summer and into the fall depending on the amount of available cover.

Each and every fall I watch as the barrage of sportsmen flock to the fields with their tons of seed and tractors, preparing for the upcoming hunting season.  I am disturbed to know that thousands and thousands of dollars are being spent to see deer, not to help them or benefit their health.  When I question landowners about the management that they provide for wildlife, most often their response is that they plant food plots, usually beginning around Labor Day.  That's fine, but remember, wildlife management is a year-round job.  If you have to choose one time to plant, make it in the early spring. Let me repeat... plant in the EARLY SPRING!

Adult white-tailed deer consume around 8 to 10 pounds of fresh food per day.  Food plots in the fall are useless for antler and fawn development; bucks have already hardened off their antlers and most of the fawns have already been born.  A high birth weight increases the chances that each fawn will survive those first few days that it is left defenseless after birth.

In late winter, white-tailed deer are exhausted from the rut and available food is non-existent just after hunting season every year.  At this time two very important things are taking place: the does are beginning a new fawn life cycle and they need protein and carbohydrates; second and most important to some sportsmen, the bucks are starting their new antler development cycle.  Easily available food is very important and cool season food plots can provide that needed resource, followed by a summertime abundance of food including watermelons.

Wildlife openings and food plots less than five acres in size and used by many hunters, land managers, and photographers make suitable areas for planting patches.  Besides a food supply, watermelon patches provide another benefit.  Unattended patches become overgrown with grasses, legumes, and clovers from the proceeding year's food plot.  This provides excellent forage for white-tailed fawns and plenty of sight for wary does protecting their young from threats that exist around the food plots.

To maximize protein potential, combine two or more summer species.  Some of my personal favorites are cowpeas and soybeans. The easiest and most effective way that I have found to combine the plantings is to medium disk the food plot and form a raised seedbed (3 to 4 inches high, 12 inches wide) the length of the food plot and every 5 to 6 feet apart.  Alternate each row with cowpeas, water­melons and soybeans. Plant the seeds about 1 inch underneath the surface of the mound.  Often farmers will put two seeds in each hole to ensure survival and increase competition between plants.  Recommendations on planting rates are 20 lbs./acre of cowpeas and 1 lb./acre of watermelons (any variety) and about 10 lbs./acre of soybeans.  A soil test will determine fertilization rates, but if one hasn't been done, go ahead and fertilize at a rate of 300 lbs./acre of 13-13-13 and lime the fields at about 1/2 ton/acre.