Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Barbecue will support treatment for stricken skateboarder Diverse culture needs diverse theater Mail Tribune 100 OSF has been collaborating with other theaters for years ODOT to study I-5 viaduct's viability Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Man convicted in 1998 Wolf Creek carjack murder to be set free Fire on Foots Creek Road near Rogue River destroys garage Emergency Services Alert system kept parents in the loop during shooting threat Politics and Elections Mark L. Hopkins: What the next election should be about Senate race could be expensive Talent to consider taxing recreational, but not medicinal marijuana Candidate files false statements Just one seat will be contested for Central Point council Education Phoenix-Talent gets grant to create teacher-leaders Alert system kept parents in the loop during shooting threat Ink Out provides inexpensive tattoo removal for those trying to move on State tests show a mixed report card State assessment chart: 2013-14 Environment New disease strikes Roseburg deer herds Dredgers might return to the Rogue next year Dubs' auction preview draws bidders and gawkers OR-7's pups are true wolves ODFW director Elicker will step down State news Nation - World Obituaries Seth Aaron Cook Yvonne De Etta Death Notices Kimberly M. Boucher Robert Allan Burr Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Hay powers Phoenix to win over Junction City Janakes, Black Tornado wear down Canby South Medford takes down Lake Oswego Grizzlies register split in MWL (No heading) Varsity 541 College Sports No. 2 Ducks not looking past Wyoming No. 25 BYU gets past Houston, 33-25 Ekpre-Olomu looks to define No. 2 Ducks’ defense Revenge on Raiders’ minds Biola blanks Raiders, 2-0 Pro Sports (No heading) Mercury finish sweep of Sky for third WNBA title (No heading) Horschel takes two-shot lead in Tour Championship Vikings’ Adrian Peterson accused of child abuse Community Sports Barry fires back into SOGC finals Super seniors strong at SOGC Crenshaw pulls off upset in SOGC Murphy claims victory in Stroke Play Championships South Korea downs Chicago for World Series title Business Latest Stories Blog: Busy Week Survival Tips Purchasers praise Harry & David's turnaround Back-to-back 66,000-plus months puts 2007 passenger record within sight Historic building owners get lessons in restoration Blog: So just what will those investigative law firms find beneath the Harry & David rock pile? Real Estate News Purchasers praise Harry & David's turnaround Historic building owners get lessons in restoration Pleasant weather, stable interest rates spurred summer home sales People In Business Transportation Agriculture Purchasers praise Harry & David's turnaround 1-800-Flowers.com buying Harry & David for $142.5 million Earlier than normal pear harvest coming up short of expectations Weisinger's Winery has earliest crush on record Amy's Kitchen begins expansion in White City Opinion Latest Balance needed in rules protecting streams Letters to the Editor, Sept. 12 Obama does what must be done in the Mideast Michael Gerson: Obama's careful war against the Islamic State Matthew T. Mangino: Law enforcement options in domestic violence cases Editorials Balance needed in rules protecting streams Obama does what must be done in the Mideast Our View: Good riddance to Super PAC attack ads Fighting back against domestic violence Tablet computers are a tool, not a frill Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Sept. 12 Letters to the Editor, Sept. 11 Letters to the Editor, Sept. 10 Letters to the Editor, Sept. 9 We march for mental health on Saturday. Who’s watching? Guest Opinions Hazardous fuel treatments vital to protection from severe wildfires Wilderness for Kalmiopsis has served us well The summer of my discontent: An open letter to Bill Rauch The power of local philanthropy Lifestyle Latest stories Top horseback archers gather at Southern Oregon ranch Community blog: Rise to challenge of eating more local tomatoes Religion Briefs Fishing Report: Friday, Sept. 12 New app to help hunters in the field Food Community blog: Rise to challenge of eating more local tomatoes Quail Run Vineyards expands into Talent drainage A cook's contest Community blog: Dukkah dresses up hummus, spreads and dippers Community blog: Middle East's 'peanut butter' on the rise in U.S. Home and Garden Medford gardens to be showcased Saturday Trees aren't always the best companions for plants Hot tips for a cool (shade) garden An August checklist for your garden Green Scene: Diagnosing common tomato troubles Health Community blog: Menopause: What's it Good For? Community blog: A Fish Tale Community blog: A Healthy Way to Enrich the College Experience Community blog: What's Wrong With This Picture? Community blog: We Need to Talk Hiking Faith Religion Briefs Religion briefs Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements Barbecue will support treatment for stricken skateboarder Ink Out provides inexpensive tattoo removal for those trying to move on Grange memberships going like hot cakes New Arrivals Engagement Columnist for a Day Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Jacksonville's Thai House is everything good Thai should be Creedence Clearwater Revival Jeff Fest to feature an all-star lineup of musicians ... named Jeff 'Cocktail Hour' shows at the Craterian Theatre Oregon Poet Laureate Peter Sears reads in Ashland Theater 'Cocktail Hour' shows at the Craterian Theatre CultureFest at Oregon Shakespeare Festival Musical 'Backwards in High Heels' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Ashland Contemporary Theatre gets dialectic with "Freud's Last Session" 'Freud's Last Session" at Ashland Contemporary Theatre Music Creedence Clearwater Revival Jeff Fest to feature an all-star lineup of musicians ... named Jeff Live Music in Local Clubs Rob Zombie plays Lithia Amphitheater Jennifer Nettles plays Britt Community Events Oregon Poet Laureate Peter Sears reads in Ashland Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists 5 Things to Do This Weekend From business professor to artist Shady Cove Tie Days Swap Meet Dining Jacksonville's Thai House is everything good Thai should be Ami Sushi serves up Asian dishes Wild River Brewing & Pizza Co. NW Raw Kelly's Crepes Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Fire on Foots Creek Road near Rogue River destroys garage ... Serial arsonist gets 3 years ... Medford police found to be justified in killing armed man last month ... Fire on Foots Creek Road near Rogue River destroys garage ... Serial arsonist gets 3 years ... Medford police found to be justified in killing armed man last month ... OR-7's signal about to fade Lone wolf's tracking device nears its end Lone wolf OR-7's very public and historic trek across Oregon and Northern California could come to a blipping halt any day now. By MARK FREEMAN MailTribune.com By MARK FREEMAN Posted Mar. 27, 2014 @ 12:01 am By MARK FREEMAN Posted Mar. 27, 2014 @ 12:01 am » RELATED CONTENT • OR-7 could be recollared next month • Supreme Court oral arguments in Wood v. Moss » Social News Lone wolf OR-7's very public and historic trek across Oregon and Northern California could come to a blipping halt any day now. The Global Positioning System collar that has sent regular electronic pulses to reveal his travels for the past three years has eclipsed its normal life span, and state and federal biologists have no plans to replace it. The risks to biologists and the wolf and priorities for collaring other wolves means five-year-old OR-7 — named because he was the seventh wolf collared in Oregon — won't be recollared like his infamous alpha-male father, OR-4. When his bling dies, his time working for Da Man will be over. And when the final blip dies, so will the regular data followed by Oregon biologists and wildlife enthusiasts on six continents as OR-7 logged well over 3,000 miles before settling last year near Mount McLoughlin. "As biologists, we tend to look at wildlife management from a population standpoint, not at individual animals," says Michelle Dennehy, spokeswoman for the ODFW's Wolf Program. "But we were also impressed by all the interest this one wolf, OR-7, has created around the world." Despite the dangers of collaring animals in the wild and the ethical question of whether collared animals truly remain wild, having an almost daily account of his travels proved not only useful but captivating, says Rob Klavins of Oregon Wild. "A lot of people found parts of his story resonating with them because of that collar," Klavins says. "When that collar dies, we'll never know his fate," he says. "But that could be OK. It's good to have a little mystery in the world." OR-7's story began in February 2011 when he and his sister were tranquilized in Wallowa County, fitted with collars and released. The sister, OR-8, had a VHS-emitting collar similar to the ones used for decades on deer and elk. She subsequently died a week later and no exact cause of death was determined, Dennehy says. Later that year, OR-7 left the Imnaha pack and set out to find new territory and a mate, and that's when his story caught the public's eye. Most Oregon wolves on such journeys, called dispersals, have stayed in northeast Oregon or traveled to Idaho. OR-7 went south and west, with the tracking satellite following his historic moves. When he crossed the Cascade crest in September 2011, he became the first confirmed wolf in Western Oregon since the last one was killed under a livestock-protection bounty program in 1937. While in Jackson County, a trail camera set out in November by Central Point hunter Allen Daniels captured the first known image of his time on the move. When he headed south into California around Christmas time, OR-7 became the Golden State's only confirmed wolf since 1924. He wandered throughout Northern California and almost traveled into Nevada before doing an about-face and retracing his steps to Oregon after spending a year south of the border. All the while, OR-7 managed to steer clear of livestock, yet he couldn't find a mate. He is currently spending his time in eastern Jackson and western Klamath counties. Since his dispersal, articles about his long and fruitless search for a mate have filled newspaper pages and swallowed air time worldwide. Dispersal is a dangerous time for a wolf, Dennehy says. They travel long distances in unfamiliar landscapes that put them near towns and along highways, where they risk injury or death. A single wolf traveling through unfamiliar territory is also more likely to be killed by predators, such as cougars or other wolves, she says. OR-7 has successfully run the gauntlet for the world to see. "We always remind people that OR-7 is not unique," Dennehy says. "Wolves make extraordinary treks like this all the time. In OR-7's case, we just happen to know about it." Klavins says the journey shows that enough connections between Oregon's wild places exist for animals like wolves to live without threats to people or livestock. "There are still corridors of habitat, and to think he only got picked up once by a trail camera," Klavins says. "He's been a great ambassador." What he is not is a good candidate for a second collar. Biologists prefer to collar breeding pairs or members of packs, and there is no indication that OR-7 is among them. Collaring animals can be dangerous and time-consuming, and biologists would rather collar animals in other packs not sporting GPS collars to get information on their whereabouts and habits instead of an established bachelor like OR-7. "I think we all agree we've learned a tremendous amount out of ... knowing where he's gone and what he's done," says John Stephenson, a Bend-based U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who has tracked OR-7 on the ground and via computer. "If he was part of a breeding pair or a pack, that's different," Stephenson says. "But to continue tracking a lone wolf, I don't know how much more we'll learn." OR-4 has been collared four times, Dennehy says. He also once had a death sentence imposed by state biologists for killing livestock, but a court case about him eventually led to an agreement that spared him and created a new set of wolf rules for ODFW. Oregon collared another wolf last week in Northeast Oregon, bringing to 24 the number in the state, Dennehy says. OR-7 could be brought back into the fold, however, if evidence shows he's found a mate and started his own pack. "We could find him and collar him again," Stephenson says. "It's not like we lose that opportunity forever." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected]. By MARK FREEMAN MailTribune.com By MARK FREEMAN Posted Mar. 27, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501