Coming onto this thread late....
I have gone several SEASONS here in NJ without seeing a coyote.
This is compared to my one hunt out west, near Gainesville, Texas. Within the first 30 minutes of the hunt I had two called and one killed. If I would have had more experience, I would have kept calling, and maybe my partner could have killed the mate which was still hanging around unbeknownst to us at first.
My point? I do believe there are valid reasons why we see/kill fewer coyotes here than are killed out west. What those reasons are is anyone's guess. I have my own opinions on this issue. I don't think even biologists can tell us for sure. But I think some of the reasons mentioned above...coyote density, food availability, human interaction, cover, and maybe even Darwinism all have an effect on coyote hunting.