Somerset Woman Captures Bold Coyote Taking a Daytime Stroll Down Bourne Avenue

Coyote sightings have seemingly increased on the SouthCoast recently, and one Somerset woman managed to capture one on video in broad daylight, taking a stroll down her street.

Erin Raffa’s video may seem a bit jarring, but it turns out that this is common behavior from coyotes during mating season, and people need to be cautious from now until the end of February.

Raffa is no stranger to spotting animals near her house, and truthfully, she enjoys it.

“My yard is what I like to call a highway for animals because it’s behind a wooded area, so they always use my yard like a road,” Raffa said. She spotted tracks in the snow in her backyard and ran to her Ring camera to see if it captured anything. She was shocked to find a video of a coyote just a few feet from her front door.

Get our free mobile app

“They have (walked) through the side of the house yard and on the street but never on my sidewalk like that,” she said.

At first glance, you may think you are looking at a dog in this video, but the long fur and pointed ears are a dead giveaway that Erin encountered an Eastern coyote.

Mass Wildlife explained how “breeding season peaks in mid-February”, which leads coyotes to venture out more than usual in search of a mate.

They are also “opportunistic feeders," meaning they will feed on what is most readily available, and that includes pets.

It’s important for pet owners and homeowners to know that there are common habits we do that may attract a coyote during mating season, and Mass Wildlife offered some solutions on how to prevent conflict with these wild animals.