Calls coming to Animal Control and the Police Department about coyotes are increasing once again as the weather becomes warmer and people are once again enjoying the outdoors. If you live in Holden, like most other towns in Massachusetts coyotes live there too. Coyotes moved into the central and western regions of Massachusetts in the 1950s. They then moved into the Cape Cod area in the 1970s. Coyotes look a great deal like a mid-sized dog, but have longer and thicker fur.
Coyotes have a long, bushy black tipped tail that usually hanging down.
Their nose is long and slender and their ears are perked like those of a Husky or a German Shepherd. They range in color from gray-black to buff or blonde, light or dark tan, shades of red and some are all black. Coyotes are 44-53 inches in length. Some coyotes can weigh as much as 50-60 pounds. Most people who are unfamiliar with coyotes often overestimate their weight because of the coyote's dense fur.