Associate Professor
Forest and Wildlife Ecology
Tim Van Deelen is a professor of wildlife ecology having worked as a researcher in several conservation agencies in the Great Lakes region. His teaching and research focuses on the conservation, management, and ecology of large mammals in the Great Lakes region with a special emphasis on white-tailed deer and wolves. Tim regularly advises natural resource agencies on policies that affect populations of large mammals.
Testimonials
Thank you for driving all the way to Argyle to share your research and knowledge on deer/wolf populations in Wisconsin. You were thorough and informative. I’ve received great feedback. The UW Badger Talks Hub truly is the Wisconsin Idea in action. It’s great to have university-caliber programs able to travel to rural villages.
– Sarah K., Argyle Public Library
Talks:
A Deer Nerd Looks at Wolf Hunting
Controversies over the conservation of white-tailed deer and wolves in Wisconsin have had an outsize influence in development of Wildlife Management as a scientific discipline and are also a lightning rod for political influence. Controversy is fueled by perceptions that, while intuitive, are not supported by the available science. But appealing to science alone is insufficient because it cannot address competing ethical positions. Professor Van Deelen will explore these issues from the point of view of a deer hunter and academic specialist in the biology and management of deer.
Approximate Length of Talk: Variable
Impacts of Wolf Predation on Wisconsin’s Deer Herd
The effects of wolves on deer populations are a source of enormous interest for Wisconsin residents. Tim Van Deelen will review a bit of the history of this topic, its scientific context, and will review recent telemetry research and recent population modeling that attempt to quantify the effects of wolves on Wisconsin deer populations relative to the impacts of hunting and the impacts of other predators.
Approximate Length of Talk: Flexible
Conservation of a Recovered Population of Gray Wolves in the Great Lakes Region
The recovery of gray wolves in the Great Lakes region is a conservation success story, although not without controversy. Tim Van Deelen will review the history of wolf recovery and talk about how our understanding of wolf biology changed during recovery and how research addresses both the conservation of the region’s top predator and the controversies it generated.