Thursday, July 16, 2026  |  Oregon's Outdoor Journal
Three Fingered Jack Wilderness: A Weekend Loop Through Oregon's Most Spectacular Volcanic Ruins

Three Fingered Jack Wilderness: A Weekend Loop Through Oregon's Most Spectacular Volcanic Ruins

Three Fingered Jack is the most dramatic peak in Oregon's Central Cascades and among the most visually striking in the entire state. A weekend loop through the surrounding wilderness delivers alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, and views of a mountain that looks like it was built for a fantasy novel.

By HFR Staff  ·  July 16, 2026
Rimfire Benchrest: Getting Started with Precision .22 LR Shooting in Oregon
Shooting

Rimfire Benchrest: Getting Started with Precision .22 LR Shooting in Oregon

Rimfire benchrest is one of the most technically demanding and budget-friendly precision shooting disciplines available to Oregon shooters. A quality .22 LR, a good rest, and the right ammo can put you on paper at 50 and 100 yards tighter than most centerfire rigs — if you know what you're doing.

July 16, 2026
Setting Up Mineral Licks for Oregon Deer and Elk: Summer Attractants, Legality, and Camera Strategy
Hunting

Setting Up Mineral Licks for Oregon Deer and Elk: Summer Attractants, Legality, and Camera Strategy

Summer mineral licks are one of the most effective tools an Oregon hunter can use for scouting deer and elk before the season opens. Done right, they pull in bucks and bulls on a regular schedule — and your trail cameras do the inventory work for you.

July 16, 2026
Reloading the .17 Remington Fireball: Oregon's Most Precise Centerfire Varmint Cartridge
Reloading

Reloading the .17 Remington Fireball: Oregon's Most Precise Centerfire Varmint Cartridge

The .17 Remington Fireball sits in a sweet spot between the .17 HMR rimfire and the full .17 Remington — lower barrel wear, less wind sensitivity than the .22 LR, and sub-MOA accuracy that embarrasses cartridges three times its size. Here's how to reload it right.

July 16, 2026
Summer Trout and Kokanee at Elk Lake: Oregon's Most Scenic High Cascades Fishery
Fishing

Summer Trout and Kokanee at Elk Lake: Oregon's Most Scenic High Cascades Fishery

Elk Lake sits at 4,884 feet in the heart of the Three Sisters Wilderness corridor, with South Sister and Broken Top looming overhead. Here's how to catch rainbow trout and kokanee all summer long.

July 16, 2026
Coos Bay Striped Bass: Oregon's Overlooked Summer Trophy Fishery
Fishing

Coos Bay Striped Bass: Oregon's Overlooked Summer Trophy Fishery

Most Oregon anglers drive right past one of the coast's best summer fisheries. Coos Bay holds a self-sustaining population of striped bass — fish that run 10 to 25 pounds and hit hard. Here's how to fish it right, from reading tides to choosing the right lure for the slough.

July 15, 2026
White-Tailed Deer Hunting in Northeast Oregon: Blue Mountains Bucks on Public Land
Hunting

White-Tailed Deer Hunting in Northeast Oregon: Blue Mountains Bucks on Public Land

Oregon's northeast corner is famous for elk, but the white-tailed deer living in the same Umatilla National Forest timber are an open secret. OTC tags, almost no competition, and heavy bucks — here's how to find and hunt Blue Mountains whitetails.

July 15, 2026
Reloading 12-Gauge Shotshells for Waterfowl: Steel and Bismuth Loads for Pacific Flyway Duck Hunters
Reloading

Reloading 12-Gauge Shotshells for Waterfowl: Steel and Bismuth Loads for Pacific Flyway Duck Hunters

Shotshell reloading for non-toxic waterfowl loads is one of the most underutilized skills in the handloading world. Custom steel and bismuth 12-gauge loads can match premium factory ammo at a fraction of the cost — here's everything you need to get started before teal season.

July 15, 2026
Menagerie Wilderness: Backpacking Oregon's Most Dramatic Rock Spire Country
Backpacking

Menagerie Wilderness: Backpacking Oregon's Most Dramatic Rock Spire Country

A dozen andesite volcanic spires rise from old-growth Douglas fir forest 80 miles from Salem — and almost nobody knows they're there. The Menagerie Wilderness is Oregon's best-kept backpacking secret, with solitude, wildlife, and scenery that rivals the Three Sisters.

July 15, 2026
Eagle Creek Trail: Backpacking the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Waterfall Canyon
Backpacking

Eagle Creek Trail: Backpacking the Columbia River Gorge's Premier Waterfall Canyon

The Eagle Creek Trail is one of the most spectacular hikes in the Pacific Northwest — carved into basalt canyon walls, passing seven waterfalls, and threading through a tunnel behind a 150-foot falls. Most tourists turn around at Punch Bowl. The real trip starts where they stop.

July 14, 2026