More from Andrea Berman on the pines Coyote sighting...
I have done some research on the coyote issue & this is one of the best pieces I've found. I have spoken with some folks from DCR Wildlife, & they all said that anyone with a medium to large dog needn't worry, but anyone with a smaller dog should keep it on a leash & of course, outside cats should be kept in if possible. Apparently, the coyotes find a winter home & usually stay there til the weather gets warmer. (Sure, the Point of Pines is a lovely winter residence!) So it looks like this guy may be here for a while. They're very afraid of people, tho, so the best thing to do is just ignore it, & it helps to make lots of noise if you see it. (I took my Christmas jingle bells with me this a.m.) to scare it off. They are not just nocturnal, so you may see it during the day too. The good news is that they eat mice, rats & skunks so it will help to keep the rodent population down. Here's the link for more info:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/pdf/living_with_coyotes.pdf
-Andrea Berman
Another sighting:
Ingrid Tapia reports having seen the Coyote this morning (Tuesday) while walking her dogs on the beach.
John P.