Pheasant Cam
A special thanks to Chuck Gackstetter for providing this section of the website. The photos are from the SW Minnesota area and copyrighted and used with permission. Enjoy and don't forget to bookmark since the Trail Cam photos get updated often!
View photos from the ULTIMATE PHEASANT TRAIL CAM. Photos are updated often so be sure to check back from time to time.
A Brief Background On The Trail Cam
By Chuck Gackstetter
My hobby of getting pheasant photos with my trail camera started by accident when trying to get photos of deer shedding their antlers in the winter time. I put out corn to bring them close to the camera to get close ups of their freshly shed bald heads.
At one particular spot I had quite a few pheasants come and steal the corn. I got a few good photos and really liked the colorful roosters. I put a cam in some evergreens in a CRP shelter belt that I knew held quite a few birds I set my cam only 12 inches off the ground instead the 36 inches I had for deer photos and put corn 24 inches in front of the trail camera.
I covered the corn with pine boughs to mask it so it would make the photos look more natural. I got lots of photos but being under the evergreens the birds were dark with a bright background. I then set my camera on forced flash so it would still flash even if it was bright in the background. It worked like a charm and I started getting some really colorful rooster photos.
I use a homemade trail camera with sony digital cameras (P 41's and S600's) no longer in production but available used on ebay, put together with a controller board to sense heat and motion, turn the camera on and tell it to take a photo then to shut off and be ready for the next event.
The camera and control board are installed inside a camouflaged waterproof pelican case with holes drilled and sealed for flash, shutter and ferensel lens to sense motion. Since last January when I started trying to get pheasant photos, I have found out that roosters as well as hens will actually strut their tail feathers much like a turkey. That it take just seconds for the red around the eye to go from looking like they do in the fall to their whole head swelling up bright red and the green ears pop out. Their posturing to impress the hens.
I also found out that in July roosters moult or lose their color. They will twist their heads around and try to pluck out the loose feathers in their white ring then shake their whole body violently to get rid of loose feathers. I even had a pair mate in front of the camera once along with a lot of prancing before hand.
It's like hunting year round each time you check the cams and find out what photos you got.
Here is a link to one of the many sites that will teach you how to make your own trail cameras that can give you quality photos and a sense of accomplishment.
View photos from the ULTIMATE PHEASANT TRAIL CAM. Photos are updated often so be sure to check back from time to time.
View photos from the ULTIMATE PHEASANT TRAIL CAM. Photos are updated often so be sure to check back from time to time.
All pheasant trail cam photos © Chuck Gackstetter.
