Tuesday, September 29, 2026  |  Oregon's Outdoor Journal
Reloading the .338 Winchester Magnum: Oregon's Hard-Hitting Choice for Elk and Black Bear Country

Reloading the .338 Winchester Magnum: Oregon's Hard-Hitting Choice for Elk and Black Bear Country

The .338 Winchester Magnum is one of the most capable elk and bear cartridges a Pacific Northwest hunter can carry. Here's how to handload it for maximum performance — brass prep, powder selection, top hunting bullets, and field-proven load data.

By HFR Staff  ·  September 29, 2026
Alsea River Fall Chinook Salmon: Bank Fishing Oregon's Central Coast Hidden Gem
Fishing

Alsea River Fall Chinook Salmon: Bank Fishing Oregon's Central Coast Hidden Gem

The Alsea River's fall Chinook run peaks in late September and October, offering bank anglers some of the best uncrowded salmon fishing on the Oregon Coast. Here's where to go, how to fish it, and what gear to bring.

September 29, 2026
Sauvie Island Duck Hunting: Oregon's Premier Public Waterfowl Area for the October Opener
Hunting

Sauvie Island Duck Hunting: Oregon's Premier Public Waterfowl Area for the October Opener

Sauvie Island's 12,000-acre wildlife area is one of Oregon's top public duck hunting destinations. Here's how to navigate the zones, set decoys, call effectively, and fill a mixed bag of mallards, wigeon, and divers on the Columbia River lowlands.

September 29, 2026
Upper Deschutes River Fall Brown Trout: Dry Fly and Streamer Tactics for Oregon's Blue-Ribbon Autumn Fishery
Fishing

Upper Deschutes River Fall Brown Trout: Dry Fly and Streamer Tactics for Oregon's Blue-Ribbon Autumn Fishery

Late September through November transforms the Upper Deschutes into one of Oregon's finest brown trout fisheries. Blue-winged olive hatches, October Caddis, and aggressive streamer-eating fish await anglers willing to leave the crowds behind.

September 28, 2026
Grande Ronde River Fall Steelhead: Drift Fishing and Fly Tactics for Oregon's Premier Canyon Run
Fishing

Grande Ronde River Fall Steelhead: Drift Fishing and Fly Tactics for Oregon's Premier Canyon Run

The Grande Ronde River cuts through one of the deepest canyons in the Pacific Northwest — and every October, wild B-run steelhead flood in from the Snake. Here's how to fish it.

September 27, 2026
Elkhorn Ridge Trail: A 3-Day Backpacking Loop Through Oregon's Blue Mountains Gold Country
Backpacking

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.

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