I don't use gear with Velcro except for specific pockets/pouches where I won't need the items stored inside until AFTER the animal is dead.

My policy USED to be that "fast is louder than slow". If you rub your finger through the Velcro, you can make it so quiet that a person 5ft away can't hear it, so I figure that's good for a deer to at least 25yrds. Fast rips are LOUD.

I've cut Velcro out of many items and either sewn on buttons, riveted in snaps, side-release buckles, etc. For some flaps, sewn in magnets work quite nicely.

For some items, I simply cover the hook part with duct tape except for a few teeth at the end. These are easy to pop silently, and go quickly, but hold well enough to keep the flap from blowing in the wind.

But yeah, eliminating Velcro like the plague is my policy.