Above: Anyone else seen coyotes around town? (cropped from image contributed by Paula Moore)
It’s time for another open thread. What’s on your mind this week, Southborough?
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I’ll get the ball rolling by talking coyotes.
A reader shared images last week from a backyard in Powdermill Lane. (The coyotes came close to the house but quickly ran off when shooed away.) Another reader all the way across town on Overlook reported a similar sight a few days later. (The animals were so large, she actually wondered if they were wolves.)
So, anyone else seen them around town?
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I live on Cordaville Rd south of Route 9 and I saw 3 of these animals in my yard. After much research, it is my understanding that they are coywolves. Apparently wolves and coyotes breed. They are supposed to be 60% coyote, 30% wolf and 10% dog. The coywolf is much larger than a coyote. We spotted them twice in a 2 week period in our backyard. Then we installed a game camera back there with a motion sensor and after 1 week of images, there were no coywolves on the pictures so we finally decided they must have moved elsewhere.
We’ve seen a lot of large foxes on Overlook as well.
Also two weeks ago, for about 4 nights straight there were some crazy noises in the middle ground the night sounding like someone being slaughtered slowly (not that I k ow what that sound is).
I find out later that it was mating season of fisher cats. Let’s just say the dog was going nuts in the middle of the night.
That sounds like a Fisher cat. We had one when I lived on Boston Road and you aren’t that far from there.
Any idea if we want to ban plastic bags as a town? Everyone can afford and probably has reusable bags and it’s better for the environment.
Although I encourage all efforts to save the environment, I think the ban would be a hardship on all the small businesses in town. Customers who run into the convenience stores, the pizza shop, liquor stores and gas stations on route 9 usually aren’t bringing in a reusable bag. And the students who support our downtown probably are not. But you can ask them
We have seen coy wolves several times in our yard on Gilmore Road. My husband saw them at both dawn and dusk when he took our dog out. A neighbor reported seeing one at 2:00 in the afternoon on Oland.
I saw one in my backyard last night around sunset. I live on Mooney lane. I see them from time to time. We hear them, I believe, celebrating a kill occasionally. Very eerie to wake up to that sound.
More here about the hybridization of coyotes
http://theconversation.com/yes-eastern-coyotes-are-hybrids-but-the-coywolf-is-not-a-thing-50368
I just read in the Metro West Daily News that E.L. Harvey is now doing automated trash pick up in Hopkinton. When will the town, and especially the DPW Chief, realize our current operation consisting of a pit and self service recycling is out of date, far from environmentally friendly, and costly?
Where in town are you? We are in Southborough and get weekly pickup via Tidy Town, which I believe is a sub via EL Harvey. Waaaaaay cheaper and no putting trash in our vehicle, wasting time, and dealing with DPW shenanigans.
If I find myself with a pile of scrap metal I’ll be it of luck, but otherwise I think it’s a better deal.
Deen,
When you say “waaaaaay cheaper,” do you mean in comparison to the annual Transfer Station sticker?
Also, how much is your service?
I so dislike the Transfer Station hassle and nonsense.
Thanks!
Interested in the ‘waaaaaay cheaper’ comment too because when I called Tidy Town, they quoted me $40/month with recycling pickup only every other week (which is what I currently pay with Republic Service and they pick up recycling every week)
and this is by far more expensive than the Transfer Station fees of $200 before September or $250 after September.
For me personally, the hassle of dragging my trash to the Transfer Station on my days off is less valuable than the extra cost I’m spending on Republic Service.
But interested if anyone else has better rates!
Saw couple of them crossing Atwood street midnight yday
Any recommendations for a roofer? Simple second floor asphalt roof, two sections.
Thanks!