I'm just guessing, but I wonder if the eastern coyote has a smaller territory than the western does. That would make sense as to why you usually find them in the same area during day and night, where as out here, not so.
On howling, I do it a little differently. Early season, like right now, we just started calling last weekend, I use very little coyote vocals. My reason for that is, there are a lot of pups, and they are dispersing and have yet to find thier territory. SO I don't want them to hear another coyote and be in any way threatened by it. SO, I stick with the simple distress. Also, I have a lot of private ground to hunt, BUT not enough that I can avoid calling the same are two or three times in the season. SO, I save my coyote vocals for later in the season, plus as breeding season approaches, vocals become very effective, with out the use of distress.
You're the first that I can remember to say the coyote is stupid! I've been calling just a tick over 20 years. How long do ya think it will take to call in mulitples in heavily hunted areas. My guess, it might happen eventually, as I said earlier, do it long enough and all rules will be broken. BUT, my experience says coyotes learn.
You're logicwith hunting dogs is flawed, when compared to the coyote being shot at. You're hunting dog is being introduced/conditioned to accept gun shot, plus they eventually learn that gun shot means a possible reward/retrieve. I'll bet if you took that same gun dog and whizzed a few bullets over/near/around it, it would learn that gun shots aren't so good any more and would learn to fear it!
And another observation. In KS. for instance, if you call a coyote in and shoot and miss it, getting it to stop for a second, even a third shot just don't happen. Where as here in CO., I can stop them after a shot or two before they just won't stop again. Why is that? I still say shoot at 'em enough and often, they learn that a big boom is danger!
Also, I expect to call coyotes that have been called in the past, BUT I expect that I need to change sounds and possiblycalling location, to do so! If youuse the same sounds over and over and sit in the same spot time and again, you're calling success will drop, and that's even if you're shooting at butnot killing every coyote you call in. Would you not agree. Why would that be?
Interesting conversation browning!