Cheryl Sorrentino was having a typical Friday evening as her husband John pulled into the driveway of their home at Indian Heights Beach. However, John came out of the car and was approached by a coyote.

“He just got home from work, and the coyotes came after him,” Cheryl said. “He was getting something from the trunk, and he took a golf club out of the trunk. He was yelling and there were lights on in the yard.”

Cheryl did not see the attack. However, John described the event to her.

“ 'Well, it didn’t get ya.’ I have to be honest, that was my first reaction,” Cheryl laughingly said.

That incident and other recent Wareham coyote encounters, including one in which a dog was killed, prompted the Police Department to hold an informational session on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

“There’s been a great concern, even panic, about the coyote situation in Wareham,” said Interim Police Chief Kevin Walsh. “I think the best way to combat a heightened concern, or even to a panic, is with education… The panic is over. The education starts.”

This education was led by Jason Zimmer, state Fisheries and Wildlife supervisor.

“The situation I’ve heard about in Wareham is not unusual,” Zimmer stated in beginning a presentation that ranged from coyote history to instructions about dealing with coyotes.

According to Zimmer, coyotes mainly lived in the Midwest in colonial times. As America sprawled west, coyotes sprawled east.

Massachusetts first began recording coyotes sightings in 1959. By 1980, the animals had moved as far east as the Cape.

There are even coyotes in downtown Boston, according to Zimmer.

In Massachusetts, the only places that do not now have coyotes are Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

“It’s safe to say every town in Massachusetts is saturated with coyotes,” said Zimmer. “They are here to stay.”

Zimmer ruled out any population control because the animal breeds so well that 70 percent of the population would need to be killed annually.

“We don’t have the capacity to reduce coyote populations on any level,” Zimmer said.

In areas such as Wareham, Zimmer said the average group of coyotes will have a territory, or home range, of about six squares miles. This is smaller in comparison to rural areas because the animals have a wider range of meal options -- including pets and garbage.

“They will eat just about anything,” said Zimmer.

July and August are the peak months for issues with coyotes because families of coyotes are most active, teaching pups how to hunt and travel.

Zimmer said coyotes are typically shy and elusive in the presence of humans, yet that mentality can wear off in suburban neighborhoods as the animals become use to the surroundings.

Vacation homes present a unique issue along the coast. Since there are a lot of seasonal homes, and people are away for six to nine months a year, coyotes will move in under a shed or deck.

“We don’t want coyotes to be denning that close to people,” Zimmer stated.

Attacks on humans are “extremely” rare, though. In Massachusetts, there have been only five attacks on humans in recent year. Two of the coyotes were rabid, one was suspected of being rabid and two had been "habituated" to the point of losing fear of people.

“Do not let coyotes intimidate you,” Zimmer urged. “They do, and should, react to harassment.”

Zimmer recommended making noise and appearing large by waving arms.

Zimmer does not have the legal authority to kill coyotes, though any law enforcement official does.

Also, state law allows residents to kill animals that are causing property damage. Zimmer cautioned that anyone using that right must at the same time obey other relevant laws, such as those restricting firearms discharge near dwellings.

“Please be aware of your surroundings in these situations,” Walsh cautioned. “If you live on Swifts Beach with all those cottages and everything else, and you decide to shoot a coyote -- I hope the situation is what it calls for.”

Zimmer noted that coyotes do not frequently become as much of an issue as they are now in Wareham.

“It’s important to recognize that any of these problems are typically an individual. It’s not the coyote population in general,” he said.

Zimmer also offered some preventative measures residents can take, including clearing brush around homes, adding fencing at least six feet tall, covering decks and sheds, and securely storing garbage.

“I will tell you -- I have a very small lot, and across the street there’s a huge piece of woods,” Zimmer told listeners. “I know there’s a family of coyotes in there… I will not let my dog out front after dark…. but we have a six foot fence out back, and I’ll let the dog use that.”

Zimmer noted that coyotes do have ecological value, keeping populations of their wild prey in balance.

About 35 people attended the session. Especially given the weather, Walsh said the turnout was higher than expected.

He concluded the session with some thoughts on the Police Department’s role regarding coyotes.

“Please don’t expect, ‘I see a coyote in the dunes in my backyard, come on and shoot this coyote. That’s not going to happen,” Walsh said. “I’m just giving you reality.”

“Please call us if there is an emergency situation,” Walsh added. “If you feel there is an emergency, then there is an emergency.”

Yet, Animal Control Officer Cheryl Gorvett-Dill reported there have been no missing pets reported for several weeks. She credits this to people taking better precautions.

All things considered, Cheryl Sorrentino said she is still concerned about pulling into her driveway.