A coyote was spotted in Aquinnah's Attaquin Way area. — Courtesy Town of Aquinnah

A warning to Aquinnah residents of an unconfirmed coyote sighting in the Attaquin Way area was issued by the town on Tuesday, Jan. 3, that Aquinnah town administrator Jeffrey Madison confirmed with The Times on Wednesday, Jan. 4: “We did have a coyote in Aquinnah.”

“Our police and animal control officer have notified state officials, who will provide protocols as required. Updates will of course be issued as more information is received,” Madison wrote. “In the meantime, keep your dogs leashed, and watch small children.” 

Massachusetts Environmental Police Sgt. Matthew Simmons said, “In situations such as this one, where there is no active threat to the public, our agency prefers to consult with [Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife] biologists on how best to proceed.” 

Although an established coyote population is not thought to be on Martha’s Vineyard, there have been sightings before, including a dead one that washed ashore on Edgartown’s Cow Bay shoreline in November. Island naturalist Gus Ben David, who received a photo from Madison to confirm the coyote sighting, said there are several coyotes on the Vineyard. 

“We’re not sure if they’re breeding yet, but I know there are five individuals on the Vineyard,” Ben David said. “That’s the first one recorded from Aquinnah.” Ben David told The Times he regularly receives reports about ones around Indian Hill, Morning Glory Farm, and Goodale Pit. 

“They’re here. No doubt, they’re here,” Ben David said, who believes the coyotes came from Naushon Island. According to Google’s map data, there is only a 3.8-mile distance across Vineyard Sound from Naushon’s French Watering Place to Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary on Martha’s Vineyard.

WGBH reported in October that while the number of coyotes in Massachusetts has not increased, their encounters with people did. A breeding coyote population “could be a problem” for the Martha’s Vineyard ecosystem, according to Ben David. The canines may also be a “great problem” for people with livestock that tend to be outdoors, such as sheep or goats, if they were to establish a breeding population on the Island.

11 replies on “Coyote spotted in Aquinnah”

    1. I got no problem with the turkeys, but many people here consider them a problem. Perhaps a better phrasing would have been ” Get ready for the turkeys to become the next guinea hens.”

  4. If coyote were to get a foothold on Martha’s Vineyard it would be a big, big problem. It’s commonly known that they take people’s pets and small livestock. I don’t think it’s generally known that coyote can and do kill horses as well, small or vulnerable ones or ones that become separated from the herd. Mini horses are particularly vulnerable. And entirely defenseless. Given the fact that the Vineyard has so many horses coyotes could become a horrible problem. I, for one, do not want to wake up again and read about horses being mauled to death as happened a few years back when a vicious dog went on a killing spree, tearing the face off of someone’s tiny horse. If the Vineyard is that concerned about the environment than it should stop giving out building permits. I, for one, do not want to live with coyotes on Martha’s Vineyard!

  5. The vineyard is so out of balance without any predator. It will help keep the rodent and rabbit population down. There’s so much food for coyotes I personally don’t think that there should be undue fear out there for pets and people. I’d love them to get some voles on my property

    1. Coyotes won’t mess with the skunks until every other food source is gone. And the balance of predator and pray will have even put long before it gets to that point. You get skunk problems, either clean up your trash or call Walter Wolodaka(sp)

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