I plant sugar (pie) punkins every year to sell.they are about the size of valloy balls.I plant them in our hunt club on the beds they put up to put the pine trees one.good dirt and usually pretty moist(if not I take a gal. of liquid fertizler to them once every two weeks if it doesn't rain).I grow 250 to 300 punkins every year and the deer are there ; lots of deer. the tracks are in and around the patches, with no eating at all. once and a while they will have teeth marks on one, but never eat them.
I always pick them around Oct. and a few left over.when they freeze sometimes the squirrels cut a hole and eat the seeds,then the deer will finish the rest. thats the only time they bother mine.


to your question ; I don't think you would have to worry about them till they are mature and in late winter.
"JMHO."