Saturday, September 26, 2026  |  Oregon's Outdoor Journal
Elkhorn Ridge Trail: A 3-Day Backpacking Loop Through Oregon's Blue Mountains Gold Country

Elkhorn Ridge Trail: A 3-Day Backpacking Loop Through Oregon's Blue Mountains Gold Country

The Elkhorn Ridge Trail near Baker City delivers spectacular high-country scenery, historic mining ruins, and solitude that's hard to find in the Cascades. Here's a complete 3-day loop itinerary for a September trip.

By HFR Staff  ·  September 26, 2026
Oregon F-Class and Benchrest Long-Range Shooting: Club Matches, Courses of Fire, and Getting Started at 600 to 1,000 Yards
Shooting

Oregon F-Class and Benchrest Long-Range Shooting: Club Matches, Courses of Fire, and Getting Started at 600 to 1,000 Yards

Oregon's precision shooting clubs host F-Class and benchrest matches at distances up to 1,000 yards. Here's everything you need to know to compete — gear, cartridges, ranges, and rules.

September 26, 2026
Lower Columbia River White Sturgeon: Fall Anchor Fishing Tactics from Astoria to the John Day Dam
Fishing

Lower Columbia River White Sturgeon: Fall Anchor Fishing Tactics from Astoria to the John Day Dam

Fall is prime time for white sturgeon on the Lower Columbia. Learn the best anchor spots, bait rigs, and tide windows from Astoria to the Gorge for Oregon's most prehistoric trophy fish.

September 26, 2026
Oregon Early Rifle Deer Season: Cascade Foothill Blacktail Tactics for the October Opener
Hunting

Oregon Early Rifle Deer Season: Cascade Foothill Blacktail Tactics for the October Opener

Western Oregon blacktail deer hunting opens in late October, and the Cascade foothills offer some of the most accessible big-game hunting in the state. Here is how to find bucks in the rain-soaked timber and clearcuts of the Santiam, Alsea, and Tillamook units.

September 24, 2026
Lake Billy Chinook Fall Kokanee: Trolling Oregon's High Desert Reservoir for October Landlocked Sockeye
Fishing

Lake Billy Chinook Fall Kokanee: Trolling Oregon's High Desert Reservoir for October Landlocked Sockeye

Lake Billy Chinook's kokanee fishery peaks in September and October when landlocked sockeye stage in the canyon arms. Here's how to troll the Metolius and Deschutes arms for limits of chrome-bright fish.

September 23, 2026
Reloading the 6.5 PRC: Oregon's Modern Long-Range Cartridge for Mountain Deer and Elk
Reloading

Reloading the 6.5 PRC: Oregon's Modern Long-Range Cartridge for Mountain Deer and Elk

The 6.5 PRC delivers short-magnum performance in a lightweight package — ideal for Oregon's open-country deer and mountain elk hunting. Learn component selection, temperature-stable powder options, and field-proven load data for the Pacific Northwest's newest precision hunting cartridge.

September 22, 2026
Clackamas River Fall Chinook Salmon: Bank Fishing Oregon's Best Portland-Area September Run
Fishing

Clackamas River Fall Chinook Salmon: Bank Fishing Oregon's Best Portland-Area September Run

The Clackamas River offers Portland-area anglers some of the most accessible fall Chinook bank fishing in Oregon. Learn the top spots from Clackamette Park to McIver, proven plunking and drift techniques, and how to time the peak September run.

September 22, 2026
Steens Mountain Mule Deer: DIY Archery Tactics for Oregon's High Desert Rim
Archery

Steens Mountain Mule Deer: DIY Archery Tactics for Oregon's High Desert Rim

Steens Mountain offers one of Oregon's most challenging and rewarding archery mule deer hunts. Learn glassing strategies, spot-and-stalk approaches, and camp logistics for southeastern Oregon's iconic high desert peak.

September 22, 2026
Chronographing Your Hunting Loads: Why Muzzle Velocity Data Is Essential for Oregon's Mountain Hunters
Shooting

Chronographing Your Hunting Loads: Why Muzzle Velocity Data Is Essential for Oregon's Mountain Hunters

Factory ballistic tables lie. A chronograph gives Oregon hunters real muzzle velocity, ES, and SD data to build accurate DOPE cards for elk and mule deer shots past 300 yards.

September 21, 2026
Wilson River Fall Chinook Salmon: Bank Fishing Tillamook County's Most Productive September River
Fishing

Wilson River Fall Chinook Salmon: Bank Fishing Tillamook County's Most Productive September River

The Wilson River is Tillamook County's most underrated fall Chinook fishery. Learn the best bank access points, timing windows, and bait rigs for Oregon's fast-moving coastal Chinook river.

September 20, 2026