Ahh, coyote hunting, ain't it great? Without being there I can only assume what might or what might not have happened. But since I'm constantly making an a$$ out of myself, here goes.
First of all, those barks you heard may have been aggressive/warning barks, warning other wiley's to stay away. I'm not sure what your skill level is with a howler, but that may have been your problem. Howling is a great way to locate but calling them in solely by howling is a tough proposition indeed. A bunch of guys on here are really adept at this howling thing, I'm not so I'll leave that to the pros on here.
They could have winded you, spotted you or knew you were a fake when you started howling, it's all happened to me. I'm a pro at getting all of the above so I think I can safely respond to those matters. Maybe hunting with a shotgun limits you, if you saw them at 200 yards, well..maybe a longgun is in order. I use a shotgun only when I know the coyote has no other avenue of approach other than one I've picked, maybe an impassable draw or box canyon where the coyote can't navigate and has to pass through my zone of fire.
I discovered a long time ago after countless forays ending in disaster how to move while hunting everything. I move like Michael Jackson without the glove. Instead of a steady movement of my head, I'm like a second hand on a clock, I make deliberate short movements while scanning the area.
Getting winded is easy to do but if you take the right precautions it may put off the coyote for awhile. I've had coyotes get within 5 feet of me after eating Kimshi, so I guess it depends on what the coyote actually feels like. I've had them wind me at 400 yards, I mean they came running like mad and bam, stop on a dime and bail for Topeka. I bury my camo, leave it in the ground for awhile and dig it back up for hunting. I try and eat stuff that doesn't, well, no gaseous foods. I had more than my fair share of toots while hunting that scared game in California....and I was hunting in Nebraska. That carne asada burrito can have disastrous effects on your hunting. I use unscented everything...
Now that you know where the coyotes are, you might try and just call them in with a distress call, jack, cotton, woodpecker or even a doe in distress or pup, it's that time of year. Buy some tapes from guys on here that really know what the hell they're doing with howlers and practice.
I'd say hit the stands again, just be careful on the approach. I'm a low crawler when I get to my stands, slow and deliberate except when I'm in Texas, Arizona or New Mexico....got a scorpion in my crotch once while doing that, discovered my talent in break dancing one time.
20 minutes is the max for some, others its a half hour or more. I've called a bunch of times, got nothing, sat down and took a bite of a moon pie while 45 minutes had elapsed and shot coyotes no more than 20 feet away from me, ya just have to get a feel for things. Hunt your area, observe and scout. Scouting for me is actually one of the most enjoyable things about coyote hunting. I'll walk for miles and take note of what's happening without a weapon. I take a notepad with me and record what I see, location of kills, scat and dens. I make a note of where the cattle, deer and turkeys are moving because the coyote will most likely move with them. With a topo, a compass and a little thought I can judge pretty well where the coyote will move. Most animals are creatures of habit, coyote where I hunt are no different. If'n you know what they've done you'll most likely know what they'll do.
Well, this post has got quite long and friggin boring, so I'll quit. I'm absolutely positive you'll get a better response to your question from guys who really know.
Good Luck and congrats on getting your first response, whether good or bad, who cares, at least they responded.
edit: What Michael said!
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Bob
Lost Mountain Ranch
www.LostMountainHunts.com
[This message has been edited by Big Jerk (edited 07-11-2001).]