Friday, August 14, 2026  |  Oregon's Outdoor Journal
Category

Hunting

101 articles

Archery Deer at Water Holes: Summer Heat Tactics for Oregon's High Desert August Opener

Archery Deer at Water Holes: Summer Heat Tactics for Oregon's High Desert August Opener

When August heat pushes eastern Oregon temperatures past 100°F, mule deer key on water like few other resources. Here’s how to find the right holes, set up invisibly, and execute the shot when a mature buck finally steps in.

By HFR Staff  · August 2, 2026
Field Judging Mule Deer in Eastern Oregon: How to Score Bucks on the Hoof

Field Judging Mule Deer in Eastern Oregon: How to Score Bucks on the Hoof

Knowing how to quickly assess a mule deer buck in the field is one of the most important skills an eastern Oregon hunter can develop. Here's a practical, no-calculator system for judging bucks before you commit.

By HFR Staff  · August 1, 2026
Oregon's Grizzly Unit Archery Mule Deer: Blue Mountains Public Land Bucks

Oregon's Grizzly Unit Archery Mule Deer: Blue Mountains Public Land Bucks

The Grizzly Unit in Grant County offers serious DIY archery mule deer hunting on public land. Here's how to find velvet bucks now and convert your tag in August.

By HFR Staff  · July 31, 2026
Oregon's Desolation Unit Archery Mule Deer: Public Land Bucks in the John Day Canyon Country

Oregon's Desolation Unit Archery Mule Deer: Public Land Bucks in the John Day Canyon Country

The Desolation Unit sits in the heart of Oregon's John Day country — open canyon terrain, light hunting pressure, and genuine trophy mule deer. Here's how to scout and hunt it before the August archery opener.

By HFR Staff  · July 30, 2026
Oregon's Fort Rock Unit Archery Mule Deer: High Desert Bucks in Lake County's Hidden Gem

Oregon's Fort Rock Unit Archery Mule Deer: High Desert Bucks in Lake County's Hidden Gem

The Fort Rock Unit in south-central Oregon doesn't get the attention of more famous mule deer draws, but it offers consistent over-the-counter archery opportunity, light pressure, and big-bodied high desert bucks for hunters willing to put in the glassing hours.

By HFR Staff  · July 29, 2026
Oregon Public Land Navigation: Using USFS, BLM, and OnX Maps to Find Hunting Ground Everyone Misses

Oregon Public Land Navigation: Using USFS, BLM, and OnX Maps to Find Hunting Ground Everyone Misses

The best elk, mule deer, and pronghorn country in Oregon isn't on the roads everyone drives. It's in the corners that take real map skills to reach. Here's how to find it.

By HFR Staff  · July 28, 2026
Reading Elk Wallows and Sign in Late July: Pre-Season Scouting Strategies for Oregon Archery Hunters

Reading Elk Wallows and Sign in Late July: Pre-Season Scouting Strategies for Oregon Archery Hunters

Late July is prime time to find and pattern bull elk before Oregon's archery season opens in late August. If you know what sign to look for — fresh wallows, rubs, trails, and feeding areas — you can have bulls located and a hunting strategy dialed before you ever pull your bow from the case.

By HFR Staff  · July 27, 2026
Oregon's Long Creek Unit Archery Elk: DIY Public Land Bull Hunting in the John Day Country

Oregon's Long Creek Unit Archery Elk: DIY Public Land Bull Hunting in the John Day Country

Grant County's Long Creek Unit offers serious DIY bowhunters a legitimate shot at a public land bull elk. Here's a complete breakdown of unit access, habitat, summer scouting strategy, and rut-timing tactics for Oregon's archery opener.

By HFR Staff  · July 26, 2026
Oregon's Steens Mountain Unit Archery Mule Deer: Public Land Bucks in the High Desert

Oregon's Steens Mountain Unit Archery Mule Deer: Public Land Bucks in the High Desert

The Steens Mountain unit offers some of Oregon's most spectacular archery mule deer hunting. Velvet bucks, vast glassing country, and almost zero competition if you know where to look.

By HFR Staff  · July 25, 2026
Oregon's Tillamook Unit Archery Blacktail: Fog, Clearcuts, and Coast Range Bucks

Oregon's Tillamook Unit Archery Blacktail: Fog, Clearcuts, and Coast Range Bucks

The Tillamook Unit is one of Oregon's most overlooked archery blacktail destinations. Here's how to scout and hunt it for the August opener.

By HFR Staff  · July 24, 2026
Oregon's Mt. Emily Unit Archery Whitetail: Hunting the Blue Mountains' Most Underrated Public Land Buck

Oregon's Mt. Emily Unit Archery Whitetail: Hunting the Blue Mountains' Most Underrated Public Land Buck

The Mt. Emily Unit west of La Grande holds a strong whitetail population on public land in Union County's Blue Mountains — and almost nobody hunts it. Here's how to scout, access, and tag a public-land buck this August.

By HFR Staff  · July 23, 2026
Jordan Valley Unit Archery Mule Deer: High Desert Bucks in Oregon's Remote Southeast Corner

Jordan Valley Unit Archery Mule Deer: High Desert Bucks in Oregon's Remote Southeast Corner

The Jordan Valley unit is one of Oregon's most overlooked archery mule deer destinations — vast BLM public land, minimal hunting pressure, and genuine opportunity for spot-and-stalk bucks in some of the state's most dramatic high desert terrain.

By HFR Staff  · July 22, 2026