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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 Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Room for improvement ... Electric Highway aims to spark more EV use ... Rogue River man held on murder charge ... Room for improvement ... Electric Highway aims to spark more EV use ... Rogue River man held on murder charge ... OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 7, 2015 at 12:20 PM Updated Jan 7, 2015 at 4:58 PM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 7, 2015 at 12:20 PM Updated Jan 7, 2015 at 4:58 PM » Social News It's official: Southwestern Oregon now has its own wolf pack. Wolf OR-7, his mate and three pups have been designated the Rogue Pack by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and they remain the only known wolves in southwestern Oregon, according to the ODFW. "Instead of talking about OR-7 and a group, it's time to call them what they are — a pack," says biologist John Stephenson with the USFWS in Bend. The name is derived from the upper Rogue River watershed and the Rogue Wildlife Management Unit in eastern Jackson County, where the wolves spend the majority of their time in the South Cascades, says Michelle Dennehy, spokeswoman for the ODFW's wolf program. Most of Oregon's other eight wolf packs are named in a similar manner, Dennehy says. The territory where the wolves roam had been known as an Area of Known Wolf Activity, but it was reclassified this week under the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, according to the ODFW. Under the plan, a pack is a group of wolves, usually consisting of a male, female and their offspring from one or more generations. For purposes of monitoring, a pack may be defined as a group of four or more wolves traveling together in winter, according to the plan. There is no final count on how many pups are in the Rogue Pack, Dennehy says. However, federal biologists previously have said they counted at least three. Stephenson says biologists have "strong evidence" that at least some of the pair's pups have survived into January, thus reaching the threshold. ODFW biologists are in the midst of counting Oregon's wolves and will announce those counts when available, Dennehy says. Last year's end-of-the-year count showed 64 known wolves, Dennehy says. OR-7 was a young member of Oregon's Imnaha pack when he was collared in February 2011, eight months before he left the pack in a "dispersal" trek in search of a mate and new territory. He traveled south and west until he crossed the Cascade crest, becoming the first wolf in Western Oregon since 1937. He later spent more than a year traveling in Northern California, where he was the Golden State's first known wolf since 1924. For close to two years, he has stayed within his home territory of eastern Jackson, western Klamath and southeastern Douglas counties, according to the ODFW. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman .     By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 7, 2015 at 12:20 PM Updated Jan 7, 2015 at 4:58 PM » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events 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 Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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 2015 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