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Stand Setup

Stand CraftLevel 1 — Beginner

Unlocks

Approach DisciplineCaller Placement GeometryCamouflage and ConcealmentPredator ScoutingStand Duration and PatienceWind Management

What It Is

Selecting and configuring a hunting position (stand) for predator calling: elevation, sun position, concealment, caller placement, comfortable seating, rifle stabilization, and stand duration. The physical foundation that determines whether a called coyote becomes a killed coyote.

Correct Execution

Hunter has elevation advantage (even a small knob or rise helps). Sun is at the hunter's back (coyote looks into sun). Wind is in the face or crosswind. Rifle is on a bipod or tripod for stable shooting. Hunter is seated comfortably (a seat is "real important" for staying still on long stands). Caller is placed 30-50 yards downwind. Hunter can see approach lanes in multiple directions. Hunter's outline is broken up by a bush, tree, fence row, or terrain feature.

Progression Levels

Diagnostic Tree

Coaching Cues

  • "Get elevation if it's even a possibility — it helps you see better." — Al Morris, elevation advantage
  • "In a perfect world, sun's at your back and wind's in your face." — Al Morris, ideal setup
  • "Pick something to break up your outline — bush, tree, fence row, something." — Tom Austin, concealment
  • "If wind is bad, make it so you can see where it's bad." — Al Morris, wind adaptation
  • "I like a seat — comfort on stand is real important." — Al Morris, gear basics
  • "Stabilize the rifle on a bipod or tripod — those are the basics." — Al Morris, shooting platform

Common Errors

  1. No shooting rest: Freehand rifle on a coyote at 200 yards → Bipod or tripod is non-negotiable; "stabilize the rifle" → Al Morris
  2. No seat: Standing or kneeling for 20+ minutes → Bring a lightweight seat; comfort = stillness = kills → Al Morris
  3. Skylining: Sitting on top of a bare ridge → Sit in front of cover, not on top of it → Al Morris, Tom Austin
  4. Noisy approach: Truck doors, loud walking, talking → Sneak in quietly; "we snuck in super quiet, walked down the fence line" → Tom Austin (2023)
  5. Standing out in the open: No concealment behind you → Always have background cover to break up your outline → Al Morris

Edges

🔑 Hidden Causal Lever

Volume of Stands Beats Quality of Stands

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Competition winners make 25-27 stands per day. At 15 min/stand, the constraint isn't stand quality — it's throughput. More stands = more coyotes encountered. Perfecting one setup while making 6 stands/day loses to "good enough" setups across 25 stands. Loop routes (no dead-end roads) are the infrastructure that enables volume.

What most people do
Spend 30-45 minutes per stand, set up 5-6 stands per day, drive in-and-out on dead-end roads.
What the best do
2-minute setup, 15-minute stand, move. Loop routes only. 25+ stands/day. "Make 25-27 stands day one, 15 stands day two. If you don't make that, you won't beat the pros."
Why it's an edge: Reframes success from "perfecting individual encounters" to "maximizing total encounters." The math is simple: 25 stands × 30% response rate = ~8 encounters. 6 stands × 60% response rate = ~4 encounters. Volume wins even with lower per-stand quality.
How to exploit: Map your hunting area as a loop before the season. Eliminate dead-end roads from your route. Time your average setup-to-pack-up cycle and cut it in half.
Cross-domain parallel
Sales — activity metrics (calls made, meetings set) predict revenue better than perfecting individual pitches. Volume creates opportunity; quality converts it.
Al Morris, Coyote Hunting 101 (2021)
🔑 Hidden Causal Lever

The Head Turn Is the Trigger

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"As long as their faces are facing forward and they're attentive on the caller or you, they're still coming. When that coyote looks to the side or looks away, he's not — chances are he's not gonna come anymore. That's when you can commence firing." Head position is a binary commitment signal. Forward = still approaching. Side glance = disengaging. This is the shoot/don't-shoot decision point that most hunters miss because they're watching distance, not body language.

What most people do
Use distance as the trigger ("he's close enough, shoot"). Get jittery and shoot at forward-facing coyotes that would have come closer.
What the best do
Wait as long as the face is forward. The moment the head turns sideways, fire — that's the last reliable shot opportunity.
Why it's an edge: Eliminates both premature shots (wasting a coyote that was still coming) and late shots (the coyote turned and you waited too long). One behavioral signal replaces guesswork.
How to exploit: On your next stand, ignore distance. Focus only on head orientation. Forward face = let him come. Side glance = safety off, fire.
Al Morris, Predator Hunting Basics (2019)

Sources

  • Al Morris, Predator Hunting Basics (2019) — Core setup: rifle stability, seat, caller placement, elevation, sun/wind
  • Al Morris, Coyote Hunting 101, Soulful Hunter Podcast (2021) — Loop hunting strategy, stand count targets, pre-marking positions
  • Al Morris, Arizona Coyote Hunting (2023) — Tom Austin's stand breakdown approach, concealment demonstration
  • Al Morris, MWW Coyote Hunting Tips (2025) — Wind visibility principle, "see where it's bad"