After Massachusetts dog walker surrounded by pack of coyotes, police offer tips

After a Massachusetts dog walker was surrounded by a pack of coyotes over the weekend, police are offer tips to the public to help stay safe.

On Saturday at 9:30 p.m., Swampscott Police received a call from a resident who was walking their dog on Rockyledge Rd. The caller reported a large group of coyotes was now surrounding them and their dog, the caller stated that this group of coyotes were not backing down from them.

When Officers arrived on scene, they observed at least nine coyotes. The coyotes appeared to be scared off by the arrival of the cruisers and the strobe lights. The Officers escorted the caller and their dog back to their residence without further incident.

A large coyote was also spotted in a yard in the Highlands area of Fall River this past weekend.

Swampscott PD say to be aware of your surroundings when walking during evening hours as this is the time coyotes are most active. We still have many great fall nights ahead, so if you are outside enjoying the evening and encounter a coyote, here are several tips from the Humane Society to assist you.

Hazing is a method that makes use of deterrents to move an animal out of an area or discourage an undesirable behavior or activity. Hazing can help maintain a coyote’s fear of humans and deter them from backyards and play spaces.
Methods of hazing

Using a variety of different hazing tools is critical so that coyotes don’t get used to redundant or single stimulus devices, sounds, and actions.

• Yelling and waving your arms while approaching the coyote
• Noisemakers: Voice, whistles, air horns, bells, “shaker” cans full of marbles or pennies, pots, lid or pie pans banged together
• Projectiles: sticks, small rocks, cans, tennis balls or rubber balls
• Other: hoses, water guns with vinegar water, spray bottles with vinegar water, pepper spray or bear repellent
“Go away, coyote!”
The simplest method of hazing a coyote involves being loud and large:
• Stand tall, wave your arms, and yell at the coyote, approaching them if necessary, until they run away.
• If a coyote has not been hazed before, they may not immediately run away when you yell at them. If this happens, you may need to walk towards the coyote and increase the intensity of your hazing.
• The coyote may run away, but then stop after a distance and look at you. It is important to continue to go after the coyote until they completely leaves the area. You may need to use different tactics, such as noisemakers, stomping your feet, or spraying the coyote with a hose, to get them to leave.

There are several tools that you can carry with you while walking your dog that can be used to repel coyotes. These include:

• Homemade noisemakers
• Whistle or small air horn
• Squirt guns
• Pepper spray
• Sticks or other objects to throw towards (but not at) the coyote

Remember, keeping pets and pet food inside is the best way to keep coyotes out of your yard. If you do encounter coyotes, all of the above methods can be used in your yard at home. First, try the “Go away coyote!” method (yell and wave your arms as you approach the coyote). Here are some additional methods you can also use:

• Squirt the coyote with your garden hose
• Spray the coyote with vinegar water
• Bang pots and pans together
Important things to remember
• Never run away from a coyote!
• The coyote may not leave at first, but if you approach them closer and/or increase the intensity of your hazing, they will run away.
• If the coyote runs away a short distance and then stops and looks at you, continue hazing until he leaves the area entirely.
• After you have successfully hazed a coyote, they may return. Continue to haze the coyote as you did before; it usually takes only one or two times to haze a coyote away for good.