It’s mid-February, and we’re a few days past the midway-point of winter – between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It’s mid-February, and the Super Bowl is over, but the days are lengthening, and the cold is strengthening. It’s mid- February, and we’re starting to see an occasional robin or blue bird, but the snow continues to deepen. It’s mid-February, and the ice fishing is great, as is the ice skating on area ponds and other small bodies of water in the region. But we need to remain ever vigilant, while always practicing “safety first” when having fun on the ice. It’s mid- February, and soon the maple trees will start to wake up again, sap will start to flow, and steam will begin to rise again at sugar houses in Franklin County and throughout New England. And it’s mid-February, and the coyotes, or brush wolf (which is my preferred way to describe them) are once again extremely active, courting their mates and defending territory, as the yearly ritual of their mating season begins again.

Today in Massachusetts, coyotes are found in every city and town in the mainland region, in numbers greater than ever before. That means the opportunity for coyote/human encounters is very high, especially during this time of year. Having said that, the mere chance of meeting up with a coyote is not a cause for serious concern. Negative encounters with these animals are rare, and human/coyote attacks are exceptionally rare. Just be mindful that if you do see a coyote acting strange, getting too close to dwellings where pets reside, or not running off when they see you or your attempts to scare them away, that’s when it’s time to call an animal control officer, MassWildlife, or your local police for assistance – especially if they’re harassing or coming close to pets who are leashed, which can definitely become a problem.

Having said all that, here’s a few ideas that might help you avoid contentious encounters with coyotes during this extremely active period in the cycle of their lives:

Stay alert and keep your pets protected at all times. Work at keeping your pets supervised during these winter months when coyote mating season is at its peak. Coyotes cannot differentiate between natural prey and small pets, so they’ll view cats and small dogs as a potential meal. And if there’s a sudden encounter between your pet and a coyote, especially if it’s from a distance, quickly, but carefully, move toward your pet, yelling loudly and instructing your pet as you get closer. Hopefully the sound of your voice, and the harshness in your words, will be enough to make the coyote leave the property, or perhaps even the area, at least long enough so you can get your pet into a safe place.

Also, removing food sources from your property, especially during this time of year when food is so scarce for wildlife, will greatly diminish your chances of encountering coyotes. Remember that as a rule, coyotes tend to shy away from people. But they’re opportunistic omnivores, who will utilize almost any type of available food they can find, like small mammals and birds, bird seed, garbage, and pet food left outdoors. Even pigs, livestock, and backyard chickens will become very vulnerable if they can get to them. And once they’ve consistently located a food source, they’ll become very territorial in these areas. So it’s important that everyone works together to make sure food sources of any kind be secured and not kept outside in the winter. And by no means should anyone ever intentionally feed coyotes during any time of the year. That’s just begging for trouble.

If you should happen to encounter a coyote in your yard or somewhere on your property, you should aggressively attempt to frighten the animal away, using a safe technique such as hazing, to deter the animal from wanting to be in this particular area. For instance, a safe way of doing this is by creating loud noises like yelling, or (my favorite) using a small air horn that will make an alarming sound which usually does the trick. The intent here is not to try to harm the animal, but to frighten the animal away, and perhaps change their behavior. You can also wave a large coat or jacket overhead which gives the appearance of looking bigger, or bang on pots and pans in an attempt to drive them away. But this type of hazing will not be effective unless it’s done repeatedly, every time a coyote appears. And if it can be done with multiple people participating, using a variety of techniques, that’s something that might just produce results.

In the end, we have to co-exist with coyotes. Yes, hunting them is part of what it takes to help control the population. But let’s remember that they live here too, and that they’re smart, crafty, and adaptable animals. And while we should always remain watchful of these fascinating creatures, let’s also respect them. And maybe at times, just enjoy watching coyotes do the really special things that coyotes often do!

Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the N.E. Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also on the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Pro-Staff. He can be reached at jjontheridge@comcast.net