Coyote Spotted on Canton-Stoughton Line Wednesday

Wednesday morning's commute started out a little on the wild side.

As our Patch photographer was about to take his daughter to school yesterday morning, he ran into a coyote on the walk to his car.

"He walked right by me," Canton Patch Photographer  said of the coyote sighting. "I was sitting in the car and he strolled right by me."

Winokur spotted the animal at the Knowllsbrook Condos in Stoughton, right on the Canton line.

"I walked around to the back of the car to get my camera, grabbed the camera, closed the trunk and he was eight feet away, so i jumped back into my car," he said.

"He was sniffing around near sombody's house," the photographer said. "He was big, healthy and fluffy and looked well fed."

According to Mass Wildlife, it was indeed a well-fed coyote.

"It's a very typical eastern coyote, which is a bigger animal than the ones in the west," Mass Wildlife Assistant Director Tom French said. "The Wiley Coyote of the cartoon is a a skinny little thing like the western coyote. The eastern is bigger and has a heavier body."

French said eastern coyotes have some genetic influence from eastern wolves, which are about 85-pound creatures. Eastern coyotes can weigh up to 55 pounds, he said.

The eastern coyote is the most common type around this area, according to French.

"They're not afraid of being around people," the wildlife expert said. "They are very adaptive. It's nothing unusual. Canton should be full of coyotes."

In the suburban areas, coyotes are often hunting squirrels and rabbits in the yards and getting garbage and pet food left outside, according to French. "They're taking handouts, mostly indeliberate handouts, and frankly they fare extremely well."

"People have misconception that when you get into built up place where people are that wildfile should be scared," the wildlife expert said. "Coyotes aren't quite that attracted to people, but they can do very well in the central part of state and just fine in the backyards of Canton."

The only major thing to worry about in terms of coyotes is to be responsible and take the proper precautions for pets, especially small dogs and outdoor cats.

"If you have a cat that spends time outdoors, it's a sitting duck for a coyote," French warned. Small dogs fall into the same cateogory as cats, he said.

Smaller dogs ans cats should be kept indoors and let out only with supervision. "I'd never send a dog out in the evening by itself," he said.

But as far as people go, it's no big deal. "The major thing is don't feed them," French stated. He warned to leave trash uncovered, and don't feed pets outside. Also, "don't deliberately feed coyotes." They will keep returning, and get too comfortable and too close to people, he advised.

"Otherwise enjoy them," French said of the furry creatures. "They're not going anywhere and there's nothing you can do to get rid of them. They're part of the landscape and here to stay."

But do keep in mind, they are wild animals, so while taking pictures, or sneaking a peak, keep back, he said. "Appreciate them for a distance."