Demise of the Imnaha Pack is hardly the end of wolves in Oregon-
Sneakcat has a story on this cheerful news.
The Ochoco Mountains cover a large expanse of northcentral Oregon. They are not very high, but sprawl over a big area with many small drainages and only few well known points of tourist attraction (the latter will not bother the wolves, of course). They are also very well (badly) cowed. Here is the opinion of one website (a campground guide). “Cows rule the road and forest. Cow manure almost every step in some places… good for the ranchers, a nightmare to the environmentalists.” See Free Camping And Campgrounds. Ochoco National Forest
Ralph Maughan
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.
Great news! Hope he is traveling with one or more others.
There is a lot of private land surrounding the Ochoccos. It will be interesting to see whether a pack will be tolerated there.
My dad swears he saw a wolf in the 80’s on Lookout mountain. I think it was one of the many wild dogs that are in the area though. It’s impossible for wolves to have been in the area without people knowing. Lots of hunters, ranchers, and loggers in the area.
There is definitely enough deer and elk to support a pack if the local allow it…