ODFW collars 3 wolves

Russ Morgan, ODFW wolf coordinator, with the 97-pound male wolf collared Feb. 12. Photo/ODFW

Collaring the wolves will help wildlife managers better track and understand the pack’s movements, ODFW said.

Last Friday a 115-pound wolf believed to be the alpha male was fitted with a GPS collar, which allows ODFW to track the wolf daily.

“The wolves were in good body condition and the capture went well,” said Russ Morgan, ODFW wolf coordinator.

The wolves were all collared in the Imnaha Wildlife Management Unit. The Imnaha pack, Morgan said, is believed to consist of 10 wolves, five of those pups.

In January 2008, the alpha female of this pack, B-300, was confirmed to be the first wolf to enter Oregon from Idaho. She was captured and refitted with a working radio collar in July of last year, which helped ODFW find the three newly-collared members of the pack.

While the size of wolf packs can vary, breeding usually occurs only between the dominant or “alpha” male and female of the pack, Morgan said.

In addition to the Imnaha pack, ODFW continues to track a wolf pack in the Wenaha Wildlife Management Unit. None of these wolves have been collared yet, but wildlife managers have repeatedly found sign (tracks and scat) from these animals and estimate there are four wolves in the pack.

The Imnaha and Wenaha packs are the only known wolf packs in Oregon, though ODFW continues to find evidence of individual wolves dispersing through the state.