# Golf Carts for hunting Pros & Cons



## 4HAND

I'm sure this has probably been on here before, but I'm looking for opinions/experiences in using a golf cart vs utv/atv for hunting purposes. Also electic vs gas carts.

Most of the roads in a club I'm in are good roads. Also the farm & 80 ac timber block we have leased have good access roads/trails. However, in really wet weather some of them might be a problem. I would rather buy a golf cart, but I don't want to be limited.

Any input is appreciated............................


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## nwgahunter

I bought a used cart. Lifted it, added big tires, new batteries, and a couple of tricks and I have had great results. Them things will go a bunch of places people don't think they will.

I hunt in hilly terrain so my only con is I need to get a bigger controller and possibly a motor with more torque. I get where I need to but sometimes it barely makes it over a large rock or steep spot.

I'm hooked though.


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## denbow

I have one and can go anywhere a 4 wheeler can go providing the trail is wide enough.


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## K80Shooter

I also have a cart and like it very much. You would be surprised where all they can go. I have a gas model that is lifted with big tires a front rack, gun holder and flip down rear seat with headlights. The only thing I see wrong with it is that if you use the flip down seat to haul your deer on, it will get a little light on the front end going up a steep hill.


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## 1john4:4

Pros: Lifted with agressive style tread will go most anywhere a 4-wheeler will go and quieter that i can walk on foot (battery operated)... Can also haul 500+ in the front seat and drag 3 big ol nannys like they were not even there.

Cons: none that I can think of.

Hope this helps... You can't go wrong with an electric cart.


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## nwgahunter

If electric and you have steep hills be sure you have enough torque to climb them. Mine will go up some steep hills but throw a 3 or 4 inch ledge of rock and you have to will it over. Stock, they just don;t have the torque.

Mine makes it up most but i have to pick my path carefully. But, beef up the controller, 4 gauge wires, and new batteries and it is a lot better

Here's mine with a 6" lift and 22" tires and two does

I was on the side of Lookout Mountain that morning and it did great.


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## threadfin-nole

I bought a used one stock from the golf course. I lifted it, put mud tires on it, a basket rack on the back and slapped some camo paint on it. No modifications to the motor, controller. Mine is a club car electric 48 volt. I had to replace the batteries this past July but the ones I had before were old (5yrs). It runs alot better with the new batteries.

My cart has gone everywhere I wanted it to go without any issues. You do have to be realistic though. It can get stuck just like a standard atv/utv.  

I like the stealth aspects of it. Its alot quieter than an atv/utv. 


Cons: You do have to keep it charged vs filled with gas. I have only run out of juice one time and its because I used it all day dragging in food plots and spreading seed, forgot to plug it in and used it to hunt 3 days later.


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## Wheels

I have used an elec. club car for the last 6 years, bought used and added  lift kit and large mud tires, floor mounted gun rack, converted back      ( removed back seat ) to a pick-up bed,heavy duty rear springs, head lights, and windshield,and a much heaver controller.  Full camo paint , No problems with inclines or pulling and is quiet as a house mouse!


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## JKnieper

How hard is it to install ka lift kit on a ez-go?  I know you can buy a lift kit with all the parts you need. Is it pretty straight forward to install?


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## Johnny Reb

Great info! Please post up some more pics of your rides! I am thinking about selling the Honda Rancher to make a golf cart purchase.


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## MossyOak

*My Gas hunting cart*

This is what I use, it will go anywhere I want it to go, and it will haul out any deer I put on the back of it.
I bought this cart from commerce drag strip, it was diamond plated and white on front and top, black rhino liner rolled on on the shiny stuff, replaced mag wheels with black ones, it already had jakes lift kit and mud tires,  green fusion spray paint took care of the white & it has fog lights.
Plus, I can go all season with 5 gals of gas and then some..

You can't go wrong with a golf cart..

Though I have 2 of these carts, I am looking to trade this one for a nice ATV...


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## MossyOak

*Jakes lift kit*



JKnieper said:


> How hard is it to install ka lift kit on a ez-go?  I know you can buy a lift kit with all the parts you need. Is it pretty straight forward to install?



Its real easy to install, it comes with all the bolts you need plus you dont have to drill anything..

Jakes lift kit is the way to go


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## 4HAND

Thanks for all the input guys. Are the gas carts fairly quiet?

My Pa in Law has an electric cart that's only used when we're there to ride our kids on................... maybe I can con him out of it 
& add a lift kit. 

Also, climbing inclines would not be an issue for where I hunt.


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## K80Shooter

The gas carts are quiter than you think, a whole lot quiter than a four wheeler. The best part is they hardly use any gas at all and you wont be buying batteries every 5 years or so. I hear the batteries are quite expenssive and you would need to replace them all at once for the best results.


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## nwgahunter

Here are a few pics of my "in progress" when I put the lift on. It took me about 6 hours. Hour and a half for the front and 4 and a half for the back. If I did it again it would probably take me 3 hours max now that I know what I am doing. 

I used a Jake's spindle lift and that is the easiest and cheapest way to go. I have about $650 in my lift, wheels, and tires. I did hit a tree the other day with my right front and it bent yhe bracket that holds the tie rod to the spindle. I am going to take it off and hammer it back straight. The bracket was from the original and you can but harder ones that will not bend.

They make long travel kits but the kit itself is $800.

here are the pics


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## 4HAND

Man that's looking good.


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## erniesp

Here is mine. 2005 EZ Go PDS cart. I can go anywhere a 4 wheeler can.

US2200 6v batteries
Alltrax programmable 500 amp controler
Lift, gun rack, 110v plug, state of charge meter


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## Huntervationist

I wish that everyone would go to golf cart type vehicles, especially the battery powered ones...less noise, and terrain destruction!!!!
cons?....cant think of any!!!!!


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## nwgahunter

erniesp said:


> Here is mine. 2005 EZ Go PDS cart. I can go anywhere a 4 wheeler can.
> 
> US2200 6v batteries
> Alltrax programmable 500 amp controler
> Lift, gun rack, 110v plug, state of charge meter



My next purchase is a controller. That should put some torque in it for me.


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## 4HAND

I guess you can buy a standard cart, then add lift, controller, etc as you go along........


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## nwgahunter

4HAND said:


> I guess you can buy a standard cart, then add lift, controller, etc as you go along........



That is what I did. I bought the cart a couple of months before season, added a lift and tires, and then batteries. I also replaced the standard power cables with 4 gauge to replace the standard 6 gauge. The controller is next. That'll run from $300 to $700 depending on how fancy I want to get.


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## GREG66

I love my electric cart. You can slip around the woods very quiet.


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## sogafishin

I have one lifted and big aggresive tires 500 amp controller 2 speed motor upgraded batteries yada yada yada.It is fine on roads and trails.Never seen a golfcart that could follow an atv.An atv can make its own trail and cross the creek wherever I want too.Maybe our woods are much thicker here in the south.


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## nwgahunter

sogafishin said:


> I have one lifted and big aggresive tires 500 amp controller 2 speed motor upgraded batteries yada yada yada.It is fine on roads and trails.Never seen a golfcart that could follow an atv.An atv can make its own trail and cross the creek wherever I want too.Maybe our woods are much thicker here in the south.



Agreed with that. If you want to do some heavy lifting then you need an ATV. The cart is great for getting in and out of the woods but I wouldn't compare it to an ATV. 

We have some steep ridges in our lease in KY and I will not even think about attempting them. I have two that I stick to. 

They will go through mud and over pretty rough terrain. One of the biggest things I have to contend with is fallen trees. I can't just zip around them on the trail unless it is flat and there is room(The roll factor on this one). I can run over pretty good sized saplings though and I carry a pretty good hand saw that will cut through good sized trees but if the trunk is in the road I have to bring a chain saw in and clear it out before the season.


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## jrc

I love the way a golf cart sounds in the woods but they cant follow an atv everywhere.  Ive seen plenty of places that would stick a golf cart and a 4 wheeler just walks right on through.  The only cart ive seen that would hang with an atv is a bad boy but you have to pay for it.  Have to get a silencer kit for your atv if you want it quiet but it still wont be as stealth as a golf cart.


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## atwenterprise

I have a yamaha G4 cart with lift and the flip up back seat/flatbed. Our cabin is approx. 10 miles from our property and the property itself has about 10 miles of road system through it. I would love to trade for an electric cart, but I am afraid the distance would kill the batteries over time. How long can you ride on full batteries, wide open? My G4 rides all season on one tank, maybe two tanks of fuel and it is pretty quiet.


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## albi7918

I use a golf cart for hunting, its not a problem if you modify it with the right hunting accessories, gun rack, etc. I got mine at http://www.performancepluscarts.com


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## SwampMoss

Pros:  Super quiet and comfortable
Con:  Mud can be a problem.

That said I have not taken my ATV hunting since I got my golf 5 years ago.  I love my Golf CART.


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## 7 point

Hears my buggy


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## The mtn man

sogafishin said:


> I have one lifted and big aggresive tires 500 amp controller 2 speed motor upgraded batteries yada yada yada.It is fine on roads and trails.Never seen a golfcart that could follow an atv.An atv can make its own trail and cross the creek wherever I want too.Maybe our woods are much thicker here in the south.



I totally agree, some have said they can follow a 4 wheeler anywhere, although the golf carts are awesome on roads and trails, I beg to differ.We have a golf cart and a honda rancher, no way will it follow the rancher anywhere.If someone has 80 acres to hunt on, wouldn't that take about 15 minutes to walk across anyways, I would just park my truck , take off walking and forget the whole thing, LOL.


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## shdw633

*The only con I have with mine*

Is the amount of time it takes to re-charge.  The cart is fine for regular hunting.  You go out you come back, you re-charge, you go back out again...no problem.  If you have to do a lot of work around a club like mine, 2000 acres and you better have an ATV as well because I have run out of juice on numerous occasions and had to walk back and get a four wheeler to haul me back in.  I don't like the gas because I think they are loud and slow and do love my cart but only for hunting period....I need a four wheeler if I want to get work done around the lease all day.


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## 7 point

I havent had any trouble with mine but we hunt A 500 acre piece but in the wet season theres a lot of mud in places havent got stuck yet Ive had water over the floorboard I pull a 5x10 trailor doing work a round the woods but for anything big or hard I just use the tractor.


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## sljones

I am enjoying my gas cart that I purchased in Feb. Great for hunting & working around the place. Lots of power.


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## SpotandStalk

I have also been considering a cart. 

By the time you buy the cart, lift it, tires, batteries, etc how does the price compare to a used polaris ranger?


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## ky55

I tried hunting from a golf cart one time. 
Me and a buddy from the trailer park "borrowed" a cart from the pro shop a few months ago. We shot a deer on the back 9, and somebody called the law. 
We lost the race when we bogged down in the sand trap on #11, but we won the foot race that ensued and we got away with the .22 rifle we had borrowed.


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## Killdee

I agree with the above, carts are great for turkey hunting and general hunting purposes, but I dont think they are as handy for food plot work and plowing, this is an assumption since no one else has mentioned food plots and carts other than spreading or dragging. And you cant really rip and tear around or do wheelies on a cart.......
I'm in the Battery market now for my stock electric cart, I do all my food plotting on my Honda or my tractor. I also have a Benz silencer on my Honda and its very quite as well.

BTW you guys have some very cool custom carts!!!!!!


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## Son

Ok, i joined the golf cart crowd. A friend made me buy it from him. Lift kit with 22/11/8 tires. Havn't had it in the woods yet, but it's been doing great around the home property. Only problem i'm having is the tires leak. Tubeless tires, but air leaks through the sidewalls. The name of the tires is Nango. There's some little dents all the way around the sidewalls, made that way. Air leaks out each one of those dents, so i will need 100 dollars worth of tubes to fix that problem.


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## Son

Just did a search on Nanco tires. They are South Korean. On blogs they say spend the money and buy a better brand. Well, these came with the buggy, so tubes will go in em.


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## southernman13

Golf carts are the right stuff. But they won't come close to even a 2 wd atv. Pm me for more info on golf carts


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## The mtn man

ky55 said:


> I tried hunting from a golf cart one time.
> Me and a buddy from the trailer park "borrowed" a cart from the pro shop a few months ago. We shot a deer on the back 9, and somebody called the law.
> We lost the race when we bogged down in the sand trap on #11, but we won the foot race that ensued and we got away with the .22 rifle we had borrowed.



I thought we were gonna keep that quiet.When you get ready to go back, I wanna rob that pond, Lets do it at night this time, LOL


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## swamp hunter

This Jeep cost me 4,500 bucks. cheaper than a new Polarius  500 and it will run over Golf Carts and follow an ATV all day long.


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## ky55

cklem said:


> I thought we were gonna keep that quiet.When you get ready to go back, I wanna rob that pond, Lets do it at night this time, LOL



Me and you will go, but Earl can't go this time. 
He'll be back in Terra Haute for a long time if he violates his parole again.


Don't tell nobody.


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## OleCountryBoy

albi7918 said:


> I use a golf cart for hunting, its not a problem if you modify it with the right hunting accessories, gun rack, etc. I got mine at http://www.performancepluscarts.com



Good luck resurrecting a 
3 yr old thread trying to pawn off your junk cart parts on here.....


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## Core Lokt

XRT 850 gas- 7 gal tank and I can just about go all hunting season on it.  Quieter than most think. Can't tell you how many critters I have slipped up on including a coyote.


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## Mscott

Thing to keep in mind is the more lift and bigger tires the less torque you will get.  I just bought an EZGO RXV and it has the most torque I have seen on a standard golf cart.  Plus go 48V vs. 36V and you can get 20-25 miles on a single charge.


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## z71mathewsman

*Golf Carts,,,,,*

The PRO's,,,,silent and deadly.I built mine 5 yrs ago to hunt my farms in Illinois.I could ride the field edges before daybreak with no lights on so I wouldnt spook the deer out of the fields,,,,simple,,,,SILENT KILLS.I have witnessed on several occassions people riding ATV's around me while I was in the stand hunting,bordering properties.Ive seen with my own two eyes how YOUNG bucks react to the sound of a ATV.You can just imagine how a mature buck would.I wouldnt even allow a ATV on my farm because of this.THE CON's,,,,,they wont do what a ATV will do for work,,,mine gets stuck in MUD pretty easily,,,plowing food plots,so I have a ATV for this.


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## 01Foreman400

I just can't justify the cost of one.  My ATV only gets used for work and never gets used during hunting seasons.


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## z71mathewsman

*Golf Carts,,,,,*

I got $3800 in mine,I built it myself.I wasnt gonna pay $7000 for a 2-wheel drive golf,,they are crazy.


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## DeoVindice

Golf carts are a great way to get to and from your hunting spot. I always park and walk some distance, anyway. They will not go anwhere a four wheeler will go so they are not quite the best when it comes to dragging out a deer, but they are quiet, they do not smell (supposing they are electric) and will go up and down most roads. After all, they are made to go up and down golf course lanes. The only drawback is the batteries going dead. I would not recommend riding all day in the backwoods or hauling too much weight everywhere. To and from your spot should be fine. I have an uncle who is paralyzed from the waist down and he has been going in and out of the woods on a golf cart for almost 20 years. He has killed more trophy bucks while paralyzed than he ever did when he could walk. The guy is a legend.


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## southerndraw

sljones said:


> I am enjoying my gas cart that I purchased in Feb. Great for hunting & working around the place. Lots of power.



Looks like russ' s old cart but maybe not.


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## Core Lokt

Another thing to keep in mind battery or gas is club cars are the only cart made of aluminum frames= no rust. They are stout and made out of 6061 aircraft aluminum at that.


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## Kris87

I just bought one of the new EZGO carts with the 48V system.  That thing has enough torque to haul gear, buddies, and deer with no problem.  Mine also goes awhile in between charges.  I don't intend to drive it through the woods, just on my property roads to get close to my stands to save some walking and sweat.


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