A Wolf Called Wander is based upon the documented travels of a real wolf bearing the GPS tag identifier OR-7, also known as Journey. In 2011, this young male wolf left his birth pack and traversed an exceptional distance of 1,000 miles at a rate of approximately 15 miles per day. Beginning in northwestern Oregon near the Idaho border, OR-7 traveled southwest across the state of Oregon and into California before returning to and settling in western Oregon. It is not known why OR-7 left his birth pack and traveled such a significant distance, but young male wolves will often strike out on their own in search of a mate or more abundant hunting grounds should the circumstances in their own pack become unsuitable.

OR-7 was the first wolf to make his presence known in California since 1924, and the first wolf to do the same in western Oregon since 1947. Prior to his appearance, wolves had been systematically eliminated across the United States as a result of streamlined, calculated hunting practices meant to eradicate the species. As of the early 2020s, wild packs of wolves have only been reintroduced to certain regions of the country, a process that began with the restoration of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995.