Now famous, wolf OR(7) has settled down near Crater Lake.

Some hope he meets a female or goes to California. For now his travels have ended, and he is little seen-

Over the last last 3-4 months wolf OR7, a young adult disperser from NE Oregon’s Imnaha Pack, has captured the imagination of the many as he has wandered diagonally with many loops and turns across Oregon. By the time he got to near Crater Lake National Park people began to dream of him meeting a fine fertile female and/or continuing on to California to begin what many think is the overdue wolf restoration in that habitat rich state.

Instead he he settled in the general vicinity of Crater Lake in the Cascade Mountains. He is being radio tracked, but he is very secretive — rarely seen visually.  His tracks show that he has not teamed up with any second wolf. He is the first known wolf in Oregon’s Cascades in 60 years.

Here is a detailed story in Oregon Live. “Celebrity wolf OR-7 leaves big tracks, but keeps out of view near Crater Lake“. Published: Sunday, December 18, 2011, 10:30 PM.   Updated: Monday, December 19, 2011, 8:13 AM. By Richard Cockle, The Oregonian


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Comments

  1. mtn mamma Avatar
    mtn mamma

    Given the social nature of wolves, I am concened that OR7 will not be long for this world. It seems that solitary wolves are more likely to die at the hands of humans. Colorado had a similar story w 341F a young female disperser who traveled over 1,000 miles. She searched for a mate in a rich habitat well suited for but devoid of other wolves. Her story went viral and her journey captured the imagination of many. Of course we all know how the story ended… compound 1080.

    1. Larry Thorngren Avatar

      I am concerned with the over-zealous biologists with their intrusive radio collars following him around and broadcasting his location. This will make this wolf an easy target for poachers, if the biologists don’t harass him to death in the meantime.
      The GPS radio collar will also make him easy to find and kill by Wildlife Services should he kill some domestic livstock.

  2. John Glowa Avatar

    We have the same thing happening here in the northeast U.S. (solitary dispersing wolves), except that the wolves aren’t radio-collared, and we only learn about them after they’re shot. Oregon should release a young female wolf in the area to augment the population and expand their range.

  3. Ralph Maughan Avatar

    Almost all dispersing wolves live short lives when going into country where there are few to no wolves. This is true even where there are few humans.

    However, most wolves disperse. The Imnaha Pack, which has survived an amazing long time due to human help has produced many dispersers, most which I think were not radio collared. Enough wolves keep moving westward from Idaho that I think the Oregon Cascades will have a pack before long, although I can’t say this with certainty.

    I recall it took the wolves that were reintroduced to Yellowstone Park a long time to find and stay in Jackson Hole (about 5 years). They seem to have found almost every area around Yellowstone before they found that grand valley full of food.

    1. Daniel Berg Avatar
      Daniel Berg

      Watching the wolf situation evolve in the Washington Cascades has been fascinating. First, the Lookout Pack drops down from Canada into the Methow. This, I’m assuming was partly due to more wolf activity just north of the border. Next, what appeared to be a tenous foothold was threatened by an especially egregious case of serial poaching. Then, almost out of nowhere a breeding pair was discovered further south in Teanaway. I’m still waiting to hear where the male came from since there was never any confirmation that he was also a Lookout wolf.

  4. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    “Near Crater Lake” is a good place to be for a wolf. That’s some wild country over there.

  5. Ryan Avatar
    Ryan

    If the wolk stays in the National park, it should be okay. Most likely it will end up around fort Klamath and will “dissappear”.. The native american locals up in that country hunt 24/7/365 so there is very little deer or elk for it to prey on.

    Sounds like the start of a sad story already.

  6. Alan Avatar
    Alan

    A friend of mine sent my an article from a California Newspaper about this wolf, and how many are cheering it on to make it to California. Of course there are the inevitable interviews with ranchers near the California/Oregon border. They sound exactly like ranchers in the Northern Rockies: “This is bad news!” “If there’s one, there’s more than one!” “These animals can put hard working families out of business!” One wolf. Sheesh!

  7. chris harbin Avatar
    chris harbin

    I certainly hope he has better luck than the wolf that went to Colorado and the one that visited Utah (I think the latter was the gimpy wolf from the Druid pack). In the meantime maybe we should try to hook him up with a date!

Author

Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.

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