Cat not coming home at night

Cats don’t really connect delayed punishment with a past action, so your cat wont understand that being kept inside today is because he stayed out last night. Punishing or withholding access later will mostly confuse or stress him not change the behavior youre worried about.
Since coyotes are active at dusk and dawn, the safest options are management not punishment. Try bringing him inside before dusk, feeding his evening wet/homemade food (like Billi Treats) earlier so he’s motivated to come home and avoiding treats for late returns (but still greet him calmly). You could also build or buy a catio, use a GPS tracker, or slowly transition him to being indoors overnight only. Your worry is valid... Keeping him in at night is about safety, not discipline, and that’s something cats can adapt to with consistency and positive routines

Hi Kisska, 

It sounds like you'e doing all the right things for your boy; establishing a feeding routine, praising and rewarding him when he comes own and calling him back at night. 

Punishing your cat by not letting him out may actually have the opposite effect, causing frustration and confusion for him. Cats aren't able to make delayed associations, to keeping him inside is very unlikely to teach him to come back sooner. 

It may be better to change the routine/ environment, particularly with the risk of coyotes at night. 

Perhaps you could try picking a consistent time before dusk, where he comes inside, is rewarded with his evening food and attention, and he then stays in until the following morning. You may want to make his evening meal particularly exciting, to encourage him to associate returning home with something really positive. It may take a few weeks to create this change in routine, but patience will pay off if you can keep up the consistency. 

Depending on where you live, a catio may also be an option, so he can enjoy being outside at night without any risk of predators.