Are Eastern Coyotes Smarter Than Western Coyotes?

This story is written by a man who both he and his father are known around the country as predator calling experts. A huge amount of today’s calling technology started with Gerald and his father Johnny Steward many years ago. I admire their renowned knowledge and respect Gerald’s viewpoints which is why I’ve chosen to put this article on my blog. Gerald, I hope you don’t mind sharing some of your wonderful knowledge.

By Gerald Stewart



How many times have you heard that Eastern Coyotes are smarter than Western Coyotes? I don't want to unfairly judge the motives of a writer for promoting this thought. So at the risk of being perceived as "picky" or having a bad case of "sour grapes", I will try to offer a different interpretation of the same results we all experience while calling coyotes.

If those writers promoting the East-West difference had channeled their emphasis towards the greater challenge of calling the average eastern coyote for more logical reasons, I would agree with them whole heatedly.

Those reasons are more a function of terrain, predator population and hunting pressure. Coyotes are new to the East and their numbers are not so dense as we might experience in some areas of the West. Because there may be fewer coyotes hunted by a larger hunter population in terrain that is generally harder to hunt, thus the misconception that coyotes are harder to hunt, therefore, the assumption they must be smarter in the East is understandable but not valid in my opinion.

Believe me, I can put you in areas of Texas where coyotes are thick but you'll beat your brains out to get one in close enough to harvest him. I am open to listen to anyone who can show me scientific proof that Eastern coyotes which are descendents of Western coyotes somehow became genetically superior over the course of less than 200 years. It is my general understanding that genetic evolution takes a little longer than it took coyotes to migrate from Central America, up and around the Mississippi to Canada and down the East Coast. I really would like to learn more about coyotes so if any wildlife biologists just read this and want to share their knowledge, I'm all ears.

The "Eastern is smarter than the Western" theory may foster the false impressions that the techniques used by Western hunters may be invalid for Eastern hunters. It would be a tragedy for anyone to close a deaf ear to experienced hunters like Johnny Stewart, Rick Jamison, Gerry Blair, Murray Burnham, and many others.

The evolution of predator calling as an art has recently seen the use of decoys become a very good way of tricking those smart ones in close. As time goes by, I'm sure we will see new ways to deal with the "educated" coyote be developed. In the beginning predator callers appealed only to the coyotes sense of hearing to lure him in. Then came the use of scents to attract them closer by appealing to their sense of smell. Now with the use of decoys, we can appeal to their sense of sight.

These techniques used properly will bring even the smartest coyote within gun or camera range. There isn't any magic about being able to call coyotes. It does take knowledge of some simple basics that apply anywhere, East or West. To be an effective coyote caller, you need to read, read, read and then put what you read to work in practice, practice, practice. Your best teacher will be experience in the field. If you give up after only two or three tries, you are only cheating yourself. Even the best coyote callers can "strike out" for ten or twenty stands on any given day or days.

Many people falsely assume that because nothing showed up it must have been because of something they did wrong. People doubt themselves or their equipment, which may have not had anything to do with it. Nobody has a handle on why Mother Nature sometimes makes it so unpredictable calling coyotes.

Folks don't give up so easy. You're going to keep yourselves from having a heck of a lot of fun and doing something constructive for good wildlife management.