BOSTON -- It's open season on coyotes now. The state's six-month-long coyote hunting season opened last week and hunters are preparing to search for the wily canines in areas where the animal has been preying on pets.

In some areas, the hunters are animal control agents trained by the state, the MetroWest Daily News reported.

Experienced coyote hunters in Natick, Ashland and Framingham said hunting coyotes is difficult because the animals are smart and because state laws prohibit hunting within 500 feet of homes or 150 feet of roadways.

Hunters may hunt on land if given permission by the owner and they don't need a special permit to hunt coyotes. Deer hunters may shoot coyotes as well. They are permitted to use shotguns or rifles and can hunt after dark and use bait.

Last year, the state started certifying problem-animal control agents and there are about 50 who have completed the program in Massachusetts, the newspaper reported.

Certification is not required to shoot coyotes but it educates hunters about coyote tactics and provides tips on how the public can protect pets and livestock.

Homeowners are advised to keep pets and food inside their homes, remove birdfeeders and keep trashcan lids tightly secured. If coyotes are spotted, homeowners are told to make loud noise, shine lights and throw things at it.

Coyotes are not native to New England but migrated east from the Great Plains and Canada to take over wolf territory after all the wolves were killed off a century ago.

In the 2006-2007 season, more than 200 coyotes were shot, with more than 500 killed the following year.

Only one person has been attacked by a coyote in Massachusetts, a 3-year-old boy in Sandwich who had minor bites and scratches, the MetroWest reported.