Lone gray wolf headed south from northest Oregon

Two different Associated Press accounts of the wanderings of a  a gray wolf traveling south from northeast Oregon to establish his new territory and find a mate. This wolf is studied by tag as  OR-7, and  has traveled more than 750 miles, about 320 from home.   

1.  The off to California version, SF Chronicle/Assoicated Press/Tracie Cone, 12/24/11. "A young gray wolf that is an Oregon media darling after meandering hundreds of miles southwest into new territory over the past three months could have even more significance for California. The wolf is now within a two-day walk of the California border. If his wanderlust continues, experts say he could start the repopulation of a vanished species.  The last gray wolf in California was killed by trappers in 1924 in Lassen County. The lone roaming wolf was part of a pack of 24 that lives in northeast Oregon. Experts say he likely left the pack looking for a mate. Cattle ranchers are wary but say it would be years before there would be enough wolves in California to be a threat."  Longer version:   Mercury News, 12/24/11.

2.  The settled in south western Oregon version, Statesman Journal/Associated Press, Jeff Barnard, 12/22/11. "Oregon's famous wandering wolf seems to be staying out of trouble after settling for now in the southern Cascades, but there are no signs he has found a mate yet.,,,  "He's stopped wandering, for the time being.... "We're glad to see he's feeding on elk, and not on livestock."... "He has settled in a 100 square mile area of the Cascade Range in Jackson and Klamath counties, where a wolf has not been seen in 65 years." The full article is a good read.

Two versions of the same story, same time period. Who has the right information?  I'm going with the more scientific settled in Oregon version vs. the more speculative off to California for now.  

Posted by Kathy Meeh