Advice on stalking deer with a bow

I feel like the guys on The Hunting Public (youtube channel) did this on a few hunts.

Definitely not something I would ever consider trying on public land.

Well, are you sneaky like a coyote or like an elephant?

i HAVE done this and it is as rewarding as tiring. The main issues are that you have to have a semi clear path that you already know..think of a sandy creek bed or a well worn path. You have to get there way before dawn and you have to go in extrememly quietly. I would go in 30 min before dawn and kneel down till dawn. In woods..along a "clear" path. Always have arrow notched and never move horizontally - that breaks your outline. Your bow is always in front of you. I have had plenty of deer spot me but not be able to figure me out because I was still and showed no horizontal movement. The hardest thing is to watch every step you make and move extremely slowly...thats why you have to have a good idea deer are in the area...cause you aint gonna be going far with a 3-4 hour "walk". EXTREMELY satisfying. And btw I always hunt on public land....

i've shot deer stalking with a rifle/primitive weapon multiple times but the shot was taken less than 40 yards from me(so i imagine a bow would have been possible). My advice, find feed trees(for instance mine were north of where i entered woods), wait for a big north wind and creep as slow/stealth as possible(i did it wearing orange in a wma and still killed 2 mid day)

The first deer I killed with a bow was when I was walking out of the woods after a hunt. I’ve had some success slipping along with guns, also.
A lot depends on deer density.

You got a lurker to post, I'm pretty passionate about this style of hunting, This is the majority of the way I hunt now. Heres are some tips:

You have to pick your days, You're not doing this on a dry day with leaves on the ground. Early am dew and after a rain are your friend.

You have to hunt the wind. Don't worry about scent kill stuff, they will smell you.

Get some good camo, cover every bit of skin, you need to break your outline.

If your woods are really thick, you'll need to trim some trails to move.

Realize you may be better climbing a tree some days, I still do it when stalk hunting is not ideal, but like stalk hunting so much more

You are going to have to learn when to draw, when to move, etc and be creative (draw behind tree or on the ground etc)

Already this year I missed a doe, shot over back at 25 yrds , killed one at 30 yrds (had to hold draw for 3 minutes while she starred facing head on at me). Passed on 2- 1.5-2.5 year old bucks that I was able to draw on but did not shoot since we only kill 3.5 yr or older and got close to mature bucks and many more does more times than I can count. On a good day I see 10-15 deer, in a stand I might see 3-4.

To me It's fun to get close in on a deer, even when I don't kill

I also Killed a Boar on Public land this year, sat in palmetto thicket, drew on the ground, popped up and fired at 20yrds. One of the most intense experiences I've had in the woods.

Many of my hunting buddies insist you have to get up in the tree to kill deer and I consistently prove my friends wrong on some days. Some days they're right.

I've killed bucks doing this with a rifle and have made a few successful trips to Colorado to elk hunt, but once I killed my first deer on a stalk I've pretty much committed to Stick and String. Hang in there and get in really good shape also practice shooting your bow a lot. Its a lot different shooting at a live target when you're panting like a dog. Good Luck

I’ve stalked a few but never gotten a shot off, usually due to low light. I’d be in my lock on and hear them down in a bottom, sneak off and get within 30 yards, but it was always too dark before the shot presented itself. Still fun as hell and better than waiting for dark in the lock on