Flintlock stalk hunting is my favorite way to hunt. I wouldn't sell off the tree stands just yet though.
Consider the area your hunting. If it is public land like a national forest, family or leased land where the area is large and you wont be hunting the same place day after day stalk hunting is the way to go IMHO.
On the other hand if your hunting area is smaller and you have more hunters using the same land such as a club you may want to use a combination of traditional and so called modern methods.
Stalk, look for sign, look for trails. Remember where you saw deer. While stalking look for good places whithin flintlock range but off the trail to put a stand of your choosing. It could be a ground blind, a ridge top watching a holler where you can lay on your belly, a nice tree to lean against or even a tree stand. Have several spots like this that you can get too in different wind conditions. Stalk in to a spot stay the day or stalk on down to the next spot.
Stalk hunting is a skill that takes super concentation and years to master. Slip through the woods quietly and very slowly. Step listen look. Go very slow and pay attention. Every step you take is a different view. Look. Move every limb including your head very slowly. Deer pick up movement and have incredible hearing and smell.
But one thing we have in our advantage is deer have very short attention spans. Trees fall birds fly, all sorts of things make noise and happen in the woods.
If you break a limb or make some noise or move a little to quick, stop get back in the "zone" and freeze for a little while. An alarmed deer may be close by. The deer will look listen and even sniff the air. If this deer sees movement or hears noise from the same spot while they're alarmed the flag comes up and they're gone. On the other hand if you're still and quiet they may go back to their business allowing you to get closer for a shot.
The trick is to out smart them. Have a longer attention span than they do. Remember that deer may just be out of your line of sight. Stay in the zone even after you think you've ruined your hunt. If you crash through some thick brush and sound like a Sherman Tank, stop, look, listen.
I waked up on a nice atlered buck affter swimming through about 100 yards of the thickest briars and brambles I've ever seen. I broke through them and thought all the game within 10 miles heard me.
I had my rifle down and was be-boping through the woods like I was walking down the sidewalk. There he was 25 yards away broad side. He bolted and I was not ready. If I had been in the zone when I got out of those briars he would have been my first flintlock deer.
BTW Hunting from up a tree was a known practice on the early frontier. Rebecca Boone was known to take deer from a tree while Daniel was away.
