Yep. Trolling motors suck as main engines. Awesome for what they were designed to do.was more than I initially wanted to spend but its 3x the hp of a $300 trolling motor, no fussing with batteries and wiring.
The motor weighs 29lb! Runs 45mins wide open on a 1/4 gal of gas.
Turning it off and paddling is a valid solution if you're concerned about noise. But I wouldn't be too concerned with it, especially if you're hunting 100 yards away from the boat or further and/or folks run motors on the body of water you're hunting.
I can troll the last leg of the trip, but usually I just run all the way to the spot. As long as you don't clank and bump too much in the boat I honestly think that if it even registers to them they assume you're fishing.
Deer aren't scared of motors. They hear planes, auto.obiles and boats all day.